The Rundown on Career Coaching

Career coaching is an incredibly loaded term that can be stretched to cover a myriad of services. Whether you call yourself a coach,  talent advisor,  or manager, the core of this line of work remains largely universal–help the client land work. However, the process of guiding someone through a job transition, past a layoff, or into a new industry goes beyond just job placement. 

Being a coach necessitates a reciprocal approach to building a relationship with the client. You aren’t ordering them around–after all, who’s to say you don’t have more to learn, as well? The work necessitates a holistic understanding of who the client is, how they show up, and what they need to achieve a sustainable end goal. 

Should I hire someone to help me with my search?

Note: this type of assistance does not have to come from someone you hire; they could very well be a mentor! What matters is that this person brings an unbiased view of who you are, what you are capable of, and how your performance track record measures up with your aspirations. 

A third party career advocate  is essentially your job search Jiminy Cricket, helping to keep you on the right track. For example, in response to questions like “why haven’t they gotten back to me yet?” a third party will stop you from obsessing over every possible reason why the hiring manager from last week’s interview disliked you. Instead, they will guide you through scenarios that explain why that may or may not be the case. This also applies to dealing with sticky interview questions or explaining a gap in your resume. 

Working with a third party career advocate has its advantages in the form of constant access to an objective source of information. They will likely offer you enlightened perspectives on issues related to your job search, helping you understand why your efforts may or may not yield desired outcomes, which direction you might direct your career next, how to enhance your productivity threshold, or what your attitude says about you.  

Having someone in this position on your side can help you manage the frustrating uncertainties that come with the job search in ways that keep you moving forward. If you have the opportunity to leverage the professional assistance of a third party, it could go a long way.