Career Advisement

​Why should I partner with a Career Coach?
Why is Career Advisement important? Regardless of how much experience you have, what industry you work in or education level, having a trusted source to assess your overall path is vital. During normal life progression, we have professionals to manage our health, finances and other smaller day to day tasks, so why is career any different? When you take a step back to weigh the factors and time inserted into career decisions and accomplishments, it becomes clear why a partnership at this level is beneficial for the long haul.  

​Decisions
Mid-year reviews, project presentations, year-end budget reports, interviews, industry changes, raise considerations and so much more. The list continues to grow the deeper into your career you are and the decisions grow in complication. Push-back I have heard in the past I would like to address is “How could a Career Coach know enough of the inner workings to be helpful when it comes to making these choices or moving forward with a ‘risky’ business move?”. The answer is simple! A solid Career Coach has a system to create open lines of communication and demand accountability throughout the relationship. For example, I require a quarterly review to assess changes, progress and accomplishments for my clients. The idea here is not only to tune me in with what is going on at work, but to create the accountability piece with my clients. Did you achieve goals you set out to conquer throughout the three-month period? If you did not have specific benchmarks set, based off the review, what do you feel needs to be accomplished this quarter in order to move forward? It is time to write them down and begin having honest conversations. 

Risk vs Reward - Time
Too often these seemingly difficult and time-consuming conversations are pushed aside due to complacency and getting caught up in the everyday chaos of life. We need to step outside of the short-term way of thinking and take on the challenge. The same risk vs reward thought process dedicated to many other business decisions should be applied to your career also. Is it worth the commitment to your career continuum and growth to dedicate time creating goals and holding yourself accountable? The answer is ‘yes’ every time, but reality is, much of this weight falls on the shoulders of your career coach. Allow for the organization and progression of responsibilities be handled by a professional. Your focus should remain on industry specifics and daily incremental accomplishments.
Self-awareness is key to recognizing how outsourcing the delicate and detailed logistics of your career path is important. Short-term work for long-term reward!

​The System
Earlier I mentioned a system to create dialogue between clients and those managing their careers. My system is simple and effective. Even though I only require quarterly conversations, I encourage my clients to reach out more frequently when changes or new items occur. There are two major benefits to these conversations occurring more consistently. The first is the more information fed to me about the inner workings of how you function in your role, co-workers, culture, what it takes to grow within your organization, etc., the more personal and advantageous my recommendations will be. Second, as you verbalize growth regularly, you begin to prioritize commitment to your future just the same. As with many other aspects of life, if that certain something remains top of mind, continued focus shows its efficacy. 

​The Process
There is no clear-cut answer to how each client will be handled as one can imagine the vast amount of differences from person to person. But, what I can say is, when you execute accountability of this nature to yourself, the results will do the talking. Gain the courage to admit a helping hand to supplement your career is valuable and you will be taking an astronomical leap forward.
To revisit thoughts I preach daily, we are here for one life and time is our greatest asset. The only soul responsible for how you manage your time is YOU. This comes down to finding your passion, spending time doing what you love, understanding your potential and achieving the goals you have set forth for yourself.
 My job along that journey is to ensure growth and transitions run smoothly and allow time for you to reflect on the accomplishments. Understand that choosing to work with a Career Coach, whether that is myself or another, is a great investment in yourself. There are not many things in life that don’t come lined with possible negative pieces, but utilizing career advisement is one of the exceptions. Have you had specific coaching experiences relating to personal or professional growth? Please leave feedback below as to your thoughts. The more awareness about Career Advisement the better!