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What's a Career Coach? Do I need one?

By Deborah Walker

You may have noticed one of the latest trends in career management is to have your own career coach. It's not really a new concept. Executives have known for years the value of investing in the expertise of a career professional. You may still wonder, "What's a career coach?" and more importantly, "Do I need one?"

The best way to illustrate the value of a career coach is to compare them to personal trainers. Anyone can go to a gym and work out. Having a personal trainer is not a prerequisite to fitness. The value of a personal trainer is that he/she helps their client achieve their fitness goal quicker and with better results. Similarly, a career coach accelerates the job search process resulting in significantly higher starting salary.

A job-search campaign demands specific skills such as resume and cover letter writing, networking, interviewing and negotiations. The best jobs don't necessarily go to the most qualified, but rather, to those with the sharpest job-search skills. An effective career coach provides expert advise, insight and training on these essential skills giving their clients a tremendous competitive advantage.

The most effective job-search campaign has a strategic marketing plan and focus. No corporation would launch a new product without a marketing plan. Every phase is carefully orchestrated to maximize sales results. A career coaches can help you develop an action plan designed to 1) uncover more job leads, 2) secure more interviews, 3) maximize interview results, 4) increase the number of job offers, and 5) significantly increase your salary.

Not all job seekers need a career coach. If you already have head hunters calling you with job leads, you're probably OK on your own. Here are some situations were job seekers could benefit from the expertise of a career coach: 1) changing industries, 2) moving into management, 3) changing functional roles (like accounting to sales), 4) relocation to a new area, 5) unstable work history, 6) been with the same company for many years, 7) over or under qualified, 8) over 50, or 9) lack
confidence in your salary negotiation skills. Another way to tell if you need a career coach is lack of positive results. If you aren't getting responses from your resume postings or you aren't getting called back for second interviews, a career coach could most likely help you improve your skills and get your campaign moving forward.

If you decide to invest in a career coach, here are a few things you'll want to look for. A career coach should be an expert in the field of career management. Ask about their background and how they stay abreast of national employment trends. A career coach should understand employer buyer motivations. Ask if they've ever sat in the hiring seat. A career coach must be a good listener. If he/she talks more than listens, your objectives won't be heard or understood.

Like the athlete running a race, your job search is a competitive event. Prepare to win first place in your job search. As every runner knows, second place doesn't take home the prize.

Deborah Walker, CCMC provides Career Coaching and Resume Writing to executive job seekers nationwide. Accelerate your job search! Get your Free job search skills analysis.  Visit Deborah at her website at http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com.

What a Career Coach Can or Cannot Do For You

by: Marilyn Tellez

I want to start with what I think good career coaches do for people who are looking for new jobs, facing downsizing, ready to retire, but want to work longer, etc. Any category of job seeker is who we want to work with. I'll start with my own definition..

1. Coaches can become friends with you. Friends of a kind that you can tell your secrets to and not fear recrimination or judgement about you and your decisions.

2. Coaches have resources for you. All kinds of resources to give you or ask you to find for yourself. They are: videos, books, websites, people, you name it. These resources are meant to awaken your desire to find the information that only you need to make a career decision.

3. Coaches guide you towards the decisions you want to make. Most job seekers know what they want, but need confirmation of what they really want to do, regardless of how zany the choices may be. The career coach helps the job hunter make firm decisions.

4. The career coach is also a cheerleader. A cheerleader who wants the job seeker to win, and win at the job or career decision .

What a Career Coach Cannot Do: The coach is not a therapist and cannot solve deep personal problems. However, the coaching experience may be therapeutic with the job seeker becoming more authentic in the coaching process, simply by having a person who is interested in their welfare.

A career coach is not someone who can solve your financial problems either. Talking about what you need to do as a joint venture about how money affects you is a possibility in the coaching process, but not how to spend or budget money. That's the kind of advice a financial advisor is better suited to handle.

Lastly, a good career coach is a person who can celebrate with you when you have successes. The coach will be there when you need more information, resources, or just a pat on the back. Go find one when you need career help.

 2004
Permission is granted to reprint, not
for commercial use
Marilyn J. Tellez, M.A.
Certified Job & Career Transition Coach
Web: www.doitnowcareers.info.

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