How to Know When to Hire a Career Coach

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How to Know When to Hire a Career Coach

Rare is a person who hasn’t, at one time or another, reached a crossroads in their career. Fortunately, there are always options: keep moving forward, stay at the current job, pivot, or change directions entirely. The cool thing about options is if we can put fear in its place, and if we have the right tools, we can arrive in our career sweet spot where we experience the sustained sense of thriving.

Getting to that point isn’t easy, and just as a professional athlete turns to a coach, we have to recruit the right coach to help us stay inspired, motivated, and directed to reach our top potential. Some people struggle with the idea of needing “help” but really, like that athlete, there is a time when it makes the most efficient sense to have an advocate to get you to the next level of your performance. Our team of experts at Ignite Your Potential has put together some key indicators that show you it’s time to seek out that collaborative partner and hire a career coach. Here is that list:

Your Career Search or Professional Development Isn’t Moving Forward as Quickly as You’d Like

So you’ve taken the first steps toward goal setting and professional development, you’ve begun your search for a new career, or you’ve taken the first steps toward starting a new career. It was exciting at first, however, it just doesn’t seem to be moving as quickly as you’d like and you are beginning to feel you’re spinning your wheels. Here’s where hiring a career coach is on point.

A career coach can help you do the following:

  • Create a strategic job-search action plan and stay on course
  • Structure your step by step professional development plan.
  • Learn how to make new connections and effectively network within your industry or the industry you’re pivoting to
  • Learn how to effectively prepare and have a job interview,  and the best post-interview process
  • Gain valuable advice, expertise, and perspective that encourages you to reach your milestones
  • Most importantly, create an accountable way to track your goals and encourage you set and reach your desired outcomes..

You Haven’t Invested a Lot in Yourself

If you’ve ever spent any money on education, classes, etc. then that was an investment in yourself that definitely hiring a career coach paid off, as rarely do investments in education goes to waste. How much time has passed since you’ve done anything like that? It may be time to re-invest in yourself, to springboard you into the next place in your career, and get you where you want to be.

Investing in a career coach, not only holds you financially accountable to your goals, but it shows that you’re ready to commit to yourself and focus on the fulfillment of your strengths and talents. John Tarnoff, in his contributed piece for Forbes, mentions that “putting your money on the line as an investment in your career coach will be an expression of your commitment to yourself. Even (and especially) if you’re on a tight budget, spending the money can light a fire under you. It will make you more focused and more directed because the clock is ticking and the coach’s meter is running. Then, your commitment will be palpable to everyone from networking allies to recruiters and hiring managers.”

You’re Thinking About Leaving Your Current Career, But Aren’t Sure

Most people think you only need a career coach when you’re thinking about leaving your current job and are going on the hunt for another. It’s also commonly believed that a career coach is only necessary when you know what dream career you wish to have, but need help on your journey to achieve it. While both of these are true, it’s also useful to hire a career coach the minute you start to become unsatisfied with your career. The moment this occurs, you are in a transition, you no longer have an end goal, and a career coach can help you find that north star again.

hiring a career coach In fact, career coaches can help with many different career obstacles or crossroads. In her insight for Business News Daily, Monster.com career expert Vicki Salemi mentions that it’s okay to hire a career coach at any time you’re deeply pondering different aspects of your career.

“Whether you’re just starting out and unsure which path to take, hoping to chase a new passion, or you’re ready to move to the next level, getting an outside perspective from a professional can be extremely helpful,” said Salemi.

She suggests that it’s not a bad idea to hire to career coach before you really need one.

“If you’re thinking about leaving your job, but aren’t sure, you may want to hire a career coach.” She mentions that “it’s important to be proactive. Don’t wait until it feels like you absolutely detest your job and can’t stand going into the office.”

 

Career Coaches Have Their Unique Methods

It’s also paramount to remember that not all career coaches do the same things. Some of them have specialties in certain areas, such as incorporating life coaching or psychological strategies into their methods to help spark inspiration and motivation, while others tend to focus more on the tactile job searching objectives such as negotiating salary, teaching you how to network effectively, interview skills, etc.

Most Importantly: You Feel Unfulfilled, Unengaged, or Bored

Feeling unfulfilled in your career is an internal experience that contributes to de-motivation, lack of productivity, and  hiring a career coach that over all “blah” you get when thinking about or doing your work. If you’re constantly wondering, “How did I get here?”, “What happened to my drive?”, or “I wish I could leave, but I need the money and don’t know what else to do.” Or if you have some sort of variation on those thoughts, you have textbook symptoms of career burn out. Considering that we spend most of our lives at work, that’s a lot of time to be feeling unsatisfied, which lead to decreases mental health and degraded well-being.

If you’re looking to breathe new life into your career because you’ve reached a point where it no longer gives you fulfillment or satisfaction, hiring a career coach is your answer. They can help you discover what happened in your career, what the recipe is for your true engagement, and help you find the right-fit career for you. In other words, they can help you get back to thriving.

If you’re even slightly dissatisfied with your career, or constantly find yourself wondering if there’s more out there for you, then hiring a trustworthy, accredited career coach is worth considering. Ignite Your Potential has a team of career coaches in Los Angeles and San Francisco ready to help you blossom in your career, help you bloom into another, or help you take the thorns out of your current one. Our career coaches can help you no matter what stage in your career you’re in so that you can make the right decision at your career crossroad or to make and set goals for yourself to get you exactly where you want to be in your career.

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