YOU MIGHT NEED A CAREER COACH IF…

… You are struggling to get noticed in today’s job market.

… You are going through a career change or transition.

… You are dealing with personal or family issues that are impacting your job search.

… You need career marketing and job search management assistance.

… You need help with the interview or salary negotiation process.

… You just don’t understand the job search process anymore.

MODERN JOB SEARCH

The modern job search has changed significantly and so have the tools used to secure jobs. Take the resume, I remember the days when adding a picture or using colored resume paper was acceptable. In fact, it was the norm. Common paper colors included gray, pale pink, peach, light blue, and off-white. Admittedly, even I had a professional resume on gray textured paper. Of course, it was 1993, and truth be told, it did land me a job with the federal government. However, as the saying goes all good things must come to an end and that included resumes on colored paper. It also meant pictures became taboo.

Today’s job search and how to approach it correctly is causing individuals great stress. People want to know if they even need a resume or if a LinkedIn account is good enough? How about networking? Since 85% of available jobs are not even posted anywhere can they just attend a couple of events to land a job? Certainly, that should suffice, right? My answer is always, YES, you still need a resume. YES, you need a LinkedIn account with an up-to-date profile, and YES, you must network. To successfully land the job you are seeking you need a strategy to move forward smartly. The strategy includes using the correct tools and resources in a way that will bring you desired results. Every strategy should include a professional resume and LinkedIn Profile as well as a plan for actively networking.

Isn’t it ironic, you can’t have a picture on your resume, but you better have a professional picture on your LinkedIn profile if you want to attract the attention of hiring authorities? Also, your resume and your LinkedIn profile better be different or you will not appear creative, detail-oriented, or tech-savvy.

CAREER COACH

As the job search industry changed so did the need for additional experts. The experts became known as career coaches and are essential for any top-level job search campaign.

By definition, a career coach is a trained professional (usually someone in the counseling and/or professional job search industry) who will guide an individual through the complexities of skills assessment, job search planning, campaign development, career marketing, and long-term career management.

IS A CAREER COACH RIGHT FOR YOU?

To determine the value a career coach would bring to you, go through the following checklist answering Yes or No to each question.

Do you know “who” you are – professionally?
Do you have a clear understanding of your most significant skills and qualifications?
Are you clear about your career objectives?
Do your skills and qualifications match your objectives?
Do you know the type of position you are seeking?
Do you know what types of activities you do NOT want to engage in?
Do you know the industries in which you are interested and will be focusing your search?

A career coach will assist you in identifying and assessing your qualifications, job preferences, likes and dislikes, immediate objectives, and long-term goals. A coach will help you evaluate your worth in the employment market and your value within specific industries.

Career Change & Transition

Are you considering changing career paths, professions, or industries?
Can you find an equivalent position if you make such a change?
Will you command the same level of compensation?
What skills do you have that are transferable between jobs and/or industries?
Do you feel as though you are going to be niched into your current industry for the rest of your career?
Do you feel as though you are going to be niched into your current profession for the rest of your career?
Do you know today’s “hot” industries and professions?
Do you have the “right” skills to transition into these high-growth industries?

Your coach will guide you in identifying and evaluating all your possibilities and provide you with critical market intelligence to formulate your job search action plan.

Personal & Family Issues

Do you have personal or family issues that are directly impacting your job search?
Is relocation out of the question?
Is your spouse currently employed and not anxious to leave his/her position?
Is your age impacting your campaign results?
Are you tied to your current community because of the out-of-work activities you’re involved in?
Do you have a physical disability that might be negatively impacting your search but has never impacted your work performance?
Are you depressed because your job search has not progressed at the pace you anticipated?
Do you need an advisor, a confidante, or a job search partner?

Your coach can be your sounding board, helping you determine how to evaluate and prioritize these issues in relation to your search, how to best overcome obstacles standing in your way, and how to best position those issues to your advantage.

Career Marketing & Job Search Management

Do you understand that the job search process is similar to the sales process?
Do you understand that YOU are the product you are selling and that you must effectively merchandise and promote the product?
Do you understand all of the different marketing channels available to you in managing your search – targeted direct mail campaigns, email broadcast campaigns, Internet resume posting services, Internet job posting services, specialty job lead reports, and more?
Do you know which marketing channels are the RIGHT marketing channels for your search?
Do you know how to best optimize your networking contacts and results?
Do you know which advertisements to respond to and which to ignore?

Your career coach can help you critically evaluate each available job search strategy, its value to your search, the risk/reward ratio of each, and how to best integrate each program into your campaign.

Interview Skills & Salary Negotiations

Are you confident in your performance in the interview situation?
Are you able to “sell” your accomplishments without sounding as though you are bragging?
Are you articulate and well-presented?
Are you comfortable in a “stressful” interviewing situation with more than one interviewer?
Can you quickly and easily accommodate to a new environment?
Are you an accomplished negotiator, confident of your ability to negotiate the “best” compensation package possible?
Do you fully understand the potential of various bonus structures and schedules?
Do you understand the value of equity participation and other non-traditional compensation models?

Your career coach will help you develop and refine powerful interviewing skills, pushing you to perform at your best, communicate your value, and earn a compensation package well beyond your original expectations.

YOU DO NOT NEED A CAREER COACH

If you answered “YES” to most of the questions and are confident in your ability to manage your job search, then you are reasonably well-prepared to move forward on your own.

YOU DO NEED A CAREER COACH

However, if you still feel the need for the expertise, insights, and support of a career coach, don’t hesitate for one minute. These trained professionals can make a huge difference in the speed and success of your job search. If you answered NO to more than just 3-4 of the questions above, I would strongly urge you to consider the value a career coach could bring to your job search, career performance, and compensation. With years of training and experience, career coaches know what works and what doesn’t work, how to optimize your results, and how to help you land your ideal position. With your career coach at your side, you can move forward confidently and successfully.

About Vision to Purpose:

Vision to Purpose is an organization dedicated to helping individuals and businesses succeed through the offering of tailored career, life, and business solutions.

Need a resume writer? How about a career coach? Perhaps a business consultant? Look no further, Dr. Bennett and the Vision to Purpose team can help! You can learn more about Vision to Purpose by visiting www.visiontopurpose.com.