What You Should Know Before Hiring A Career Coach

Career Coach

Are you struggling to find new work? Or do you feel unmotivated because your ambitions aren’t met at your job? If that’s the case, it might be time to consider hiring a career coach. 

No matter if you are in need of a change or you hit a wall where progress is impossible, a career coach can help you determine the best path to maximize your potential. 

Career coaches are experts in skills such as career planning, resume building, negotiation, and interviewing. These are professionals that are always up to date with current hiring practices because they’re constantly working to help job seekers.

But before you go and hire one, let’s go into more detail of the reasons that might make you find a career coach, and what they can bring you in return. 

What Exactly Is A Career Coach?

Career coaches are skilled and trained in helping you create a personalized plan designed to meet your goals. 

You can see them as your “personal brand awareness” team. They assess your career objectives in order to pinpoint the best aspects of your professional experience and market it in the most attractive way possible to potential employers. 

While there are lots of resources online, like resume templates, cover letter tips, sample interview questions, the advice and information specifically tailored for your needs by a career expert can be invaluable. 

A career coach can help you with more than just sprucing up your CV. After an assessment of your strengths, they usually go through some questions about your unique situation. 

It might help you understand why you aren’t getting those interviews, or for example, why a large company is better suited for you than a startup.   

A good career coach will help you put your goals into words, but also help you find the best way to achieve them.

what is a career coach

Signs That You Need A Career Coach

It’s not always clear when one might need a professional career coach to help them, advance, or even jumpstart their career. Here are some less obvious signs that you might be in a rut and in need of career counseling.  

Job Frustration

Sometimes you might get bored or uninterested with your job and don’t know exactly why this is. Are you overwhelmed with responsibilities or is the direction of your career outside of your comfort zone? 

A trained professional is what you might need to answer these questions and find the source of your frustration.

Having Trouble Finding A Job

This might be one of the most obvious reasons out there, but it’s still worth pointing out. Sometimes you might think you are doing everything right but instead, you are pushing the wrong buttons and you aren’t getting any interviews. 

Or maybe you are, but it’s all they are – interviews. They never seem to transcend into jobs. 

Career coaches follow the job market closely and know how the recruitment process works. They will be able to assess your resume and goals and help you apply for the jobs that match your skills, but also, the employers’ needs. 

You Struggle Standing Out From The Crowd

When looking for a job or trying to get a promotion, you need to differentiate from others. Your personal brand needs an update, which starts with a strong, clear, and concise resume. 

A career coach will make your resume shine, but will also help you craft personal cover letters and interview pitches that will, in turn, get you hired. 

In competitive work markets like the tech industry, accentuating your unique strengths and passion can make all the difference. 

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You Are Either Very Ambitious Or Unmotivated

When ambition in our work is not met, we often get frustrated with our jobs. Whether it’s on a financial level or career progression, no one likes to feel held back. 

But you can’t expect that your dream job will just fall from the sky. You have to work hard on your success story and a career coach might help you do just that. 

On the other hand, you might be struggling with self-motivation. A coach holds you accountable for achieving your goals and can be the catalyst you need to push you forward. 

Is A Career Coach The Right Choice For You?

We already went through some of the main reasons why you would want to hire a career coach. It all seems pretty great, right? 

Well, don’t jump the gun just yet. There are a few caveats when you want to hire a career coach: 

  • Career coach cost. These are trained consultants that charge a good amount of money for their services. So you have to be sure that you are ready to hire one, which brings us to the next point. 
  • You are reluctant to self-assessment and scrutiny. It goes without saying that if you aren’t open to your coach about your objectives and problems, their job will be ineffective. You will make it hard, or even impossible for them to objectively examine your flaws and help you overcome them. 
  • You think a career coach will help you get a job right away. Career coaching is a lengthy process and expecting to achieve your goals overnight will leave you sorely disappointed. You need to put in more work on your side to start seeing some results. Coaches do not have all the answers. 

Conclusion

Hiring a career coach has helped many people achieve their dream careers. It’s a long-term investment that will guide the next steps in your life. 

This is your career after all, and you can’t really put a price on something that will keep you personally and financially fulfilled until the end of your working life. 

Finally, remember that RecruitMe offers coaching services for its users. Contact us if needed for more information on how we can help you find your next dream job.