When you believe in a coach, you probably think of someone encouraging athletes to do their best. But outside of sports, other kinds of coaches can push you to do your best. A career coach is one type of this kind of coach. Whether or not you’ve heard the term career coach, you may wonder what they are, what they do, and if you need one.
How will they get me to work hard in my job? Is there any exercise? Well, that’s up to the coach! This guide will assist you in comprehending what a coach is, what they can accomplish for your career, and how to tell if you’d benefit from one:
What Is a Career Coach?
A career coach is a term for a wide range of people who help people with their careers. This includes career advisors, consultants, counsellors, and coaches. These people work with their clients to help them reach their career goals, whether figuring out a career path, looking for a job, or making applications and other materials.
A career coach is a trained professional who works with you to figure out your work skills, interests, and values. They help their clients learn about the world of work, industries, and jobs, as well as how this might affect career advancement, career pivots, career changes, and job searching. So, believe in a career coach as someone who helps you grow and develop professionally. With the right coach, you can reach your full career potential, no matter what that means.
Career Counselor vs Career Coach
As was said above, the term career coach is general. But there are some slight differences between a career coach and a career counsellor, and one may be better for your needs than the other. Some career counsellors, for example, may also hold a degree or experience in psychology, human services, or counselling.
So, not only can they help you figure out the next steps in your career, but they can also help you figure out if you have any other personal problems that might get in the way of your career goals. Starr also says that career coaching is usually a short-term process, while career counselling could take longer, depending on your situation.
What is the job of a career coach?
There is no one-size-fits-all career coaching solution because career coaches come from many different places and have many different experiences. But there is one thing that all career coaches have in common: they would like to assist you in figuring out what you must do to obtain the job you want.
Career coaches come from a variety of educational and professional backgrounds. They may have worked in human resources, career counselling, or a specific field or industry. They help clients figure out how to reach their career goals by working with them, giving them advice, and teaching them.
Starr says that some coaches assist their clients in developing and carrying out a plan to improve their leadership or even other skills so they can move up in their current jobs. Some focus on helping people change careers, while others focus on helping a specific type of client, like a new graduate or a C-Suite executive. Based on their own work experience, coaches also may specialize in a particular industry.
Among the many things a career coach can help you with, here are a few:
- Finding out what job or jobs interest you
- Making a professional brand
- Creating and editing your resume
- Methods to help you find a job
- Developing and keeping motivation
- Interview Preparation
- Networking techniques
- Writing cover letters
- Testing and evaluating for career, personality, and strengths
- judging potential employers
What a career coach does not do
A career coach can assist you in achieving your professional goals, but it’s important to remember that they can’t just “fix” things by waving their hands. When you work with a career coach, you should also know what they can’t do for you.
Fix your problems
A career coach won’t help you figure out what to do with your career. They can give you objective advice, listen to you vent, and give you options, but they can’t fix any problems you may have with your career.
Give you a job
People sometimes hire a career coach because they think the coach will find them a job. But that’s not what happens. Even though the coach can help you with your cover letter, resume, and interview preparation, it’s up to you to impress the hiring manager to get the job.
Do all of the work
Working with such a career coach means being honest and putting in a lot of work. You might not be ready for a career coach if you aren’t ready for that part of the experience. For example, numerous coaches will tell you to improve your networking skills to help you break into the company or industry you want to work in. But they can’t connect you with people for you. If you decide not to network, you might not get what you want.
What to Examine for in a Career Coach
A career coach can give you the professional support and feedback you need to make your plans for your career come true. That could mean:
- Encouragement: for when you’re feeling low.
- Accountability: making sure you do what you’re supposed to do
- Focus: to stop you from going into a rabbit hole
- Structure: to be a guide and assist you in organizing things
How do I know I could use a career coach?
One way to figure this out is to consider whether you’re reaching your professional goals. If you already know where you want your career to go and things are going well, you probably don’t need a coach. But if you feel stuck and want help from someone who is not biased, a coach can be a great resource.
You Are Dissatisfied With Your Job
Sometimes the job you thought you wanted turns out to be different. Or, it’s everything you assumed it would be, but it’s not working for you. Maybe there’s something wrong at work, yet you can’t figure out what it is.
A career coach can assist you in figuring out what you could do to enhance your professional situation if you feel lost at work or no longer interested in your job. It could be anything from getting more personal satisfaction from your work to needing your work to match your life values and help you live them.
Your Job Search Is at a Standstill
It takes about five months to look for a new job. But that’s an average, so don’t give up if your job search has taken a little longer. But if your job search takes a lot longer than usual, you might want to talk to a coach who can help you figure out what might be holding you back.
A coach can help you figure out what’s wrong and implement the necessary changes, whether it’s your resume that isn’t getting you interviews or your interviewers that aren’t getting you jobs.
You’re starting your career.
You may be close to getting your degree; however, after four or five years of schooling, you may still not be sure what kind of job you want. You majored in business, but you can do so many things with it that you don’t know where to begin. A career coach can assist you in organizing through all the options, figuring out what may be a good fit for you, and figure how to get initiated.
