I've been a professional career coach for over 15 years now. I'm a firm believer that just like we all need doctors, dentists, lawyers, and accountants at different points in our lives, most of us will need a career coach too. For years, people saw the use of a career coach as a sign of failure. An inability to manage their own career success. But, that's a total falsehood - and the very mindset that holds people back from achieving the success they want. Think about it: pro athletes and high-powered executives all have coaches. And, the youngest generation in the workplace, Millennials, have been raised on coaching. Thanks to years of participating in organized activities and being encouraged to be who they want to be. Unlike older generations, Millennials don't see coaching as a sign of weakness, but rather, a path to greatness.
All that being said, there are times when people wrongly invest in career coaching. I personally hate it when people spend money on coaching when they shouldn't. I also hate to see people overspend. [In the video above, I explain why some coaches use a high-price model concept.] In my experience, here are four times when you should wait to invest in career coaching:
You think your resume is the reason you aren't getting any calls for jobs.Job search today is very different today. You need to know how to strategically identify opportunities and network your way into a company. Applying to jobs online is a huge waste of time. There's only a 3% chance you will get contacted. Which means, that resume you submitted online isn't getting looked at. Paying to have it re-designed won't get it looked at any more. Learning how to get it in front of humans who can hire you will.
You went on one interview with a company you really liked and didn't get the job. Not getting the job doesn't mean you failed the interview. They didn't say, "No, we'd never hire you!" They just chose a different candidate who they felt was a better match. Now, if you go on a dozen interviews and never hear back, then you might need some help.
You want a new career, but you have no idea where to start. There are some basic requirements everyone needs to map out in order to focus on a new career path. i.e. where you want to live, what skills you want to leverage, what interests you. There are plenty of online tools and resources you can use to get a handle on these things so that you can narrow in your career options without investing in expensive career coaching sessions.
Nobody's looking at your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn can feel daunting. I'm a big, BIG fan of the site, but I'm the first to admit the interface is intimidating. It's easy to get overwhelmed by what to put in your profile. However, all it takes is a little understanding of how the search algorithm on LinkedIn works, and you can easily optimize your profile to make you show up in more user's search results. For example, putting in the right keywords for your skill sets can make recruiters check you out and contact you with job opportunities. It's not rocket science, it just takes a little insider information. Which leads to my next point...
Before You Buy Coaching, Try "Pre-Coaching" Instead
All of the examples above can be addressed with what I call "pre-coaching." It's when you use a set of materials (i.e. comprehensive video tutorials, templates, and other training resources), designed by a subject-matter expert, like a coach, that educate you on things you may not be aware of. [The video above explains the concept even better.] Why should you pay hundreds of dollars to have a coach teach you something you can learn on your own? Plus, pre-coaching is an inexpensive way for you to 'try before you buy.' If you find the pre-coaching delivered by the expert useful, when the time comes, you will feel more comfortable investing in coaching with her or him. I became such a big believer in pre-coaching in my own company, that we built an entire suite of career courses designed to replace the use of a career coach. Why? It works better and it frees me and my team of career coaches up to work with people who really need it. Plus, when someone invests in career coaching with our company, the pre-coaching has prepared them to dive right in and get the most out of their time with the coach. Better still, this format has also enabled our company to pass on a cost savings to our clients so that we can offer career coaching at much lower rates than our competitors. In short, pre-coaching helps build a win-win partnership for us and our clients.
Want to see examples of pre-coaching? Visit our "COURSES" page here on CAREEREALISM to learn more. You can even download one of our courses for FREE.
P.S. - If you use this discount code, SAVE20 - you can save 20% off your first pre-coaching course with us.
Like I said earlier, I am a big believer in career coaching, but only when the time is right and you are fully prepared to get the best return on your investment!
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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