Is a Career Coach Right for You?

Navigating the job market and working toward a successful career can be a daunting task for anyone to perform alone. Serious job seekers are wise to ponder the advantages of career coaching. Consider if a career coach is the ideal choice for you.

Ease Difficulty Finding Work

Countless job seekers search for any work opportunity to simply gain employment, as finding the type of job that helps you grow in your career can be very arduous. A career coach can help you find job opportunities in the industry of your choice for which you are qualified. Career coaches are able to help you make the most of everything in your arsenal and sell yourself to get ahead. By taking advantage of open positions and compatible learning opportunities, you can find avenues to gain meaningful employment more quickly rather than taking just a regular job to help pay the bills.

Banish Uncertainty

If you are uncertain as to what career may be best for you, a licensed career coach can help you sort through your thoughts and feelings to make more informed decisions concerning your vocational development. By making an assessment of your current skills, education, experience, talents and hobbies, a career coach can help you choose and pursue a lifelong career path that you truly enjoy.

Gain Motivation and Confidence

One of the greatest skills of an excellent career coach is his ability to motivate clients to take the next steps to move forward. When you receive genuine encouragement and you realize that there is a way to achieve your vocational goals, you become motivated to take action. If you already work for a great company, a career coach can help you ascend the ranks at work by gaining transferable skills and the qualities necessary to receive promotions and higher earning power.

Build Valuable Work Connections

Building strong working relationships with other professionals is key to advancing in any field. Your career coach can help you link up with reputable companies, lucrative business partners and clients as well as organizations that can assist you. In addition, he can help you build connections with mentors in your field who can inspire you and guide you in the right direction.

Receive Solid Guidance

Some people have already determined their career but are unsure as to how to get there. A skilled career coach is able to guide an individual in a harmonious direction to enable him to obtain a good position in a desirable field and evolve as a professional. With the right employment tools and information, an individual can go from drifting toward a career to sailing toward a definitive destination. With the constructive criticism of a career coach, you pinpoint and improve in areas of weakness that affect your progress, and you can boost your vocational development.

Career coaching may not be the perfect choice for everyone, but at some point during your professional life, it can result in a new position or a more fulfilling direction in your career. Although the results may not materialize overnight, a career coach can lead you to a prosperous place in your working life.

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Nancy Anderson • Jul 16, 2015

@David so sorry that you are in your current situation. None of us think that we will be without employment because we have years of experience and higher education and degrees but it happens to the best of us. So I have to ask - are you networking? Are you going to local job fairs? Have you reached back out to your university and tried to use their career services as an alumni? What about your state sponsored unemployment site? They always have jobs posted. Are you talking it up with family and friends and letting them know that you are looking for a new position? Have you tried looking at companies of interest in your area and maybe just tried to sort of come in through the back door by finding people that you could come in contact with and submitting your resume to them? LinkedIn is a great place to try that. Are you following up with these companies, after the interviews, to find out why you were not hired? Granted they don't have to tell you but it's worth a shot. Many people say that the interviewer won't call you back but it's worth taking the time to find out why. Do you leave the interview feeling positive? Do you send a thank you card right after the interview? Sometimes just those little touches make all the difference. Check around your area for career coaches or find one online. It might just be worth the time and money spent. Also, don't forget about using temp agencies as well as recruiters that specialize in applicants in your industry. Always we wish you the best.

David W. • Jul 15, 2015

I'm also in the job market again after 13 years with the same company, never thinking I would be unemployed nearly 4 months with my previous education and experience! I have also applied for multiple jobs, many of which are not even within my own area of specialty. My resume is sufficient to gain the interest of many companies, but something seems to happen after the interview process and I'm not hired. A career coach sounds like a good idea for somebody in my situation at the age of 44, at least to help me build some confidence and assertiveness during interviews.

Eric Wallace • Jul 11, 2015

Do not get down on yourself. I had over ten jobs in 2014. I must have interviewed for 30+. It is a good idea to apply as much as possible. I really enjoy the LinkedIn website. You will get there. Be patient and stay busy. I enjoy handyman work when I cannot find anything else to do. GOOD LUCK!

Nancy Anderson • Jul 10, 2015

@Michelle so sorry to hear of your plight. It is tough at any age to try to reinvent yourself. Maybe it would be worthwhile to find a career coach. Or try going through a recruiter to find a position. Many times the recruiter can guide you through the process. They can tell you if the issue is with your resume or even with your interviewing skills. They can also help narrow down your field of choice and tell you if maybe additional education will help. And speaking of - if you went to college, you can get in touch with them and possibly utilize their career resources. Many colleges have career services offices that can assist you with writing your resume, writing cover letters, help you sort through the jobs and find ones that are good for you as well as guide you through mock interviews if that is the issue. It's all worth a shot. We wish you all the best.

Michelle P. • Jul 9, 2015

I do not know what to do with myself, I can not seem to get the job any job I'm not good enough at anything and as can see my self confidence is slipping away with each rejection! Please I am trying to reinvent myself at mid-life and the cards are stacked against me however I do have a can do attitude most of the time.

Is a Career Coach Right for You?

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