Is a Career Coach Good for You?

Hiring a career coach is a big step in your career, particularly if you're feeling as if you're stuck in a professional rut and you've tried everything you can think of to move forward. Take a look at when to hire and how to find one of these business professionals to help you on your job search.

Defining a Career Coach

A career coach is an expert in all phases of a job search, from career planning, networking and personal branding to building your resume, interviewing and salary negotiations. These people are up-to-date on current trends in hiring, and it's their job to help job seekers find a job. They also leverage your experience, skills, education and achievements, and turn them into ways to capture the attention of hiring managers. Coaches for your career are also good motivators and keep you on task as you plan your next career move.

Other duties of a career coach include outlining long-term goals, such as promotions and advancement, and how your current job turns in a dream career over your entire lifetime. Coaches take a personalized approach to your situation and turn it into a roadmap for success.

Other Ways Coaches Help

Professional coaches solve problems for your career before they become a nuisance. They identify ways to strengthen your career by preventing you from accidentally sabotaging your chances for success. For example, a coach can point out relevant training or classes for you to take to keep your current position relevant. A coach also supports you through tough times and helps you through difficult situations, including when it's time to move on to another position. Perhaps the most relevant task of this career professional is to give you one-on-one attention because that is what a career coach is paid to do.

How to Find One

Much like networking to find a job, a referral is the best way to find one of these individuals. If you don't know of someone who has used a coach in the past, find one on Linkedin, via social media or through an internet search. Thoroughly research the person before you entrust the coach with your hard-earned money. Look for certifications, years of experience in the industry and hourly fees. Try to avoid ones that charge exorbitant fees up front and look for one locally to meet in person before hiring a professional.

When to Hire a Coach for Your Career

Hire a coach when you find yourself at a crossroads in your professional life. You don't have to wait until you've been on the job hunt for a year with little or no success and you feel stuck in a rut. In short, if you feel like you need to hire a coach to advance your career, you've probably waited too long. If you have a lot of questions about your career path and you aren't finding a lot of answers, that's when you should look into professional assistance.

Looking into a career coach is no small step, but it can be an easy thing to do if you know where to look. This type of business professional identifies your greatest strengths and can put you on the path to career bliss.

Photo courtesy of Artworks For Milwaukee at Flickr.com