4 Reasons Why You Should Hire a Career Coach

I often get asked, “How do I know if I need to work with a Career Coach?”

There are four reasons why you should consider working with a Career Coach.

1. You’re in a job where you feel stuck (or know you want a change) and you’re not sure what to do next or what your options are.

2. You’ve been on the job search for some time but you’re not getting the results you want. More specifically, you’re not getting first-round interviews at the companies you want to work at or job offers that match your expectations and market worth.

3. You’ve just been laid off. You want to process the job loss and make a plan for your next career move without wasting a lot of time.

4. You’ve just landed a new job and you’re not sure how to set yourself up for success.

In my practice, I help people in all four categories. My clients often arrive feeling stuck. Together we identify why and what the root problem is. For example, it could be a lack of clarity on long-term career goals, a job application that doesn’t convert or an under-developed networking strategy. Once we determine what to focus on, I help my clients create a plan with step-by-step actions so they can achieve their goal.

Throughout this process, I keep my client’s mental well-being at the forefront. My clients often arrive feeling defeated by some area of the job search. Unfortunately, depending on how long they’ve been at the job search, it can impact their outlook of what is possible for their future career. As my clients start to make progress, their confidence increases and they realize that their career goals can and will happen.

A Career Coach will help you refresh your job search skills and negotiate a competitive job offer.

Regardless of what category you find yourself in, another reason to hire a Career Coach is to refresh your job search skills. While you have been focused on building your career, you probably haven’t continued to sharpen important job search skills like how to optimize your LinkedIn profile, interview using storytelling techniques or develop a resume that is both captivating and results-packed. The job market evolves each year and a Career Coach will help you develop up-to-date job search strategies and give you the tools to stand out in today’s digital economy.

A Career Coach will also help you evaluate all job offers that you receive and give you guidance on how to graciously negotiate a competitive compensation package that aligns to your role and market value. This is an important part of the job search process, but one that is often overlooked. People tend to feel uncomfortable negotiating an employment package with their future manager resulting in either no negotiation or a negotiation that creates tension in an important new working relationship. A good career coach will guide you through the process so that you’re able to sign an offer you’re excited about and develop a strong working foundation with your new manager.

A Career Coach will help you prepare for your new role and coach you to be successful as you start.

After you land your next job a skilled Career Coach will help you prepare for your next role. In my work with my clients I help prepare them for their new role in a few different ways, three of which include:

1. Developing their 90-day onboarding plan and first quarter objectives. I work with my clients to prepare this plan and coach them how to have a productive discussion with their manager to gain alignment.
2. Creating a learning plan. The learning curve is steep when you’re starting a new job. I help my clients understand important gaps they have in institutional, process or industry knowledge and together we create a plan so they can quickly close those gaps.
3. Designing a networking strategy. I help my clients develop a networking strategy so they can build important internal partnerships and allies based on their goals and objectives.

How do I select a Career Coach?

There are many Career Coach’s offering their services out there, so it’s important to find someone who is a fit for you and will help you achieve results.

At the very least, the Career Coaches you evaluate should:

• Have testimonials from other clients who have been successful in achieving their goals
• Be able to push you out of your comfort zone and challenge you while keeping you engaged in the process
• Have a defined coaching process that you will follow to see results

Most importantly, you need to click with the Career Coach’s approach, style and vibe. If you don’t, you’re going to have a hard time learning from them and working together.

That’s why I always offer an introductory call with clients interested in my one-on-one coaching programs. It’s a chance for you to see if I’m a fit and an opportunity for me to evaluate if you are a fit.

How do you – a Career Coach – evaluate if I’m a good fit for your coaching program?

My job as a Career Coach is to help you remove limiting beliefs, prepare you for each stage of the job search (or what we’ve agreed to cover) and do everything I can to help you hit your goals. But in order for this to happen, you need to come to the table with a few things too.

Here’s what I look for when I meet with potential coaching candidates:

1. Are you coachable? How will you respond when I challenge you or suggest that you approach something differently? If you’re open to suggestions and have a growth mindset, I want to work with you. If not, then I’ll probably pass.
2. Are you willing to put in the work? The job search is well – a job. Jobs don’t just land in your lap without effort. I am looking for people who have prioritized the job search in their weekly schedule and have set aside dedicated time to do the homework so that we can keep the momentum together. Spoiler: I have dropped clients who didn’t put in the required effort because I want to reserve my time for people who want to put in the work and land a job they love.
3. Do I think I can help you? If I don’t think I can coach you to achieve your goals because I lack experience or expertise in a certain area, I’ll say so. I am laser focused on connecting with people who I know I can help so I don’t waste both our time and your money.

Now that you’ve had the chance to learn more about how to find a Career Coach and how to determine if you’re ready for coaching, take a moment to reflect if now is the right time for you to partner with a coach and take your career to the next level.

Ready to hire a Career Coach?

If your answer is “Yes, Beckie!” then click the link below to tell me. Look for an email from me with instructions on how to connect. I’m really looking forward to meeting you and hearing all about your career plans.

The future is bright and I can’t wait to see what your next career move will be.

Let’s go!

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If we haven’t met, I’m Beckie. The Career Coach & Job Strategist for high-achieving professionals. I’ve coached hundreds of people to find and land a job they love. Previously I was a 3x startup founder and ex-management consultant working with Fortune 500 C-Suite teams. I have hired dozens of people in my past roles, I have run national recruiting programs, I have been rejected from dream roles at top companies and I have landed highly competitive jobs through the power of networking. I love helping high achievers create step-by-step plans so that they can actually achieve their career dreams.