3 Tips For Choosing A Career Coach

Are you thinking of getting help with your career change or job search? Here are 3 tips based on mistakes I’ve made or watched others make, both as a career coach/consultant and as a client of career coaches.

Tip #1: Get clear on what you need and what you can expect.

Job search takes time and energy. You can hire the greatest coach in the world, but if you work 80 hours a week you just don’t have time to do anything. You need time to network, make phone calls, get information together, rehearse for interviews and a whole lot more.

Often a career coach can speed up your job search. However, if you are an executive, you need more than few weeks to reach success. Changing to a whole new career will most likely take six months to three years. For instant results, invest in a magic wand, not a career coach.

Tip #2: Choose a coach who understands how the career game is played, not who has a wall full of diplomas.

Clients often are confused by titles: career coach? counselor? consultant?

A counselor often has passed courses in counseling and might be licensed in your state. In many states anyone can call himself or herself a counselor. A trained counselor often focuses on test-taking. A counselor with mental health training can be valuable if you have emotional issues associated with work.

Coaches typically are trained in a form of communication that involves dialogue and questions. In contrast, consultants are more likely to give direct advice. However, anyone can call himself or herself a coach or consultant.

If credentials are important to you, ask the prospective coach, “How will your training help you do a better job as you work with me to find a new career?”

My own irreverent view is that the coach’s credentials are less important than his or her knowledge of the real world. Can she read between the lines of a want ad? Can he help you interpret a bizarre interview response?

Tip #3: Free coaching is worth what you pay for it.

Occasionally a new coach will offer free coaching to build a client base. I did this myself but found it was not helpful to me or the client. Clients who seek free coaching tend to differ significantly from those who understand they have to pay.

Coaching from your family and friends may be helpful in terms of helping you assess your strengths. If your mom says, “You always were organized, even as a child,” file that away for future career choices. However, many successful people will lead you astray because they don’t realize the job market has changed and indeed the world has changed.

Never, ever seek career advice from a prospective employer or recruiter. They are not being paid to help you so they will experience a conflict of interest if they honestly want to do what’s best for you.

To learn more about my services, you can go here.

Free ebook and ecourse: Midlife Career Strategy.

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Is your career feeling sluggish and unmotivated?

Could your career use a 30 day “Wow it’s time to do something different and I want to get out there and start winning games….instead of sitting on the sidelines and watching others score the points?”

I just opened the doors to a totally awesome new un-program. Here’s the concept:

Who?: Any midlife, mid-career professional or executive who needs to add some cometitive edge to your career game…in the next 30 days.

What?: This is Get It Done for your career. . In this totally awesome un-program we will analyze everything that’s currently involved in the complex game called your caree. We identify and refine your goals and create a plan to reach those goals without taking unnecessary, time-consuming, expensive detours.

This is a structured program. We are not going to just get on the phone and shoot the breeze about your career. We will chat about what’s keeping your career change from happening and how you can get out there and kick some serious butt. .

Just as you’d work on drills to improve your game, you will have some things to do. You will get questions before each ONE-ON-ONE call, I will walk you through a process and we will come out at the other end with a model and a plan that will help you get a head start on your career change. J

Where?: From your office, living room, patio, coffee shop, bar…Anywhere! . All you need is a phone with long distance access. I’ll take care of the rest like telling you what number to call, recording it for you, and sending you worksheets so you say things like, “Good grief…I may make a 3-point shot after all.”

When?: Over the next 30 days. Well, any 30 days that you pick over the summer. We don’t have to start right now (but my schedule gets filled up so call when you decide go get started).

Why?: There are twol reasons I’m doing this:.

One: I’m getting messages from people saying they’ve just been frazzled by their careers and don’t know what to do next. Or they spent a chunk of change on career tests and feel like they’re chasing their own tail.

And I realize that some folks are nervous about investing the going rate for career consulting because they’re nervous about layoffs or they’ve been frustrated with career planning sessions that led nowhere.

How Much?:

Like I said, I like to see a game that’s played well. The current WNBA season has inspired me. That’s why you are going to get 2 one-hour sessions with me for just $1000 dollars. NO, NO, just kidding. . Seriously you are going to get 2 one-hour ONE-ON-ONE sessions with me for $275.

Sounds like a chance to elevate your game, right?

If you want to register, all you have to do is send a message to me:
midlifecareerstrategy (a) gmail.com with the subject: Career Special
Tell me a little about you and your situation and we’ll see if It’s in my scope. If it is, you can sign up.

Spaces are limited – I can only work with a few people each month at this rate. So go ahead and sign up. It’s cheap, it’s effective, and you’ll be glad you did.

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Career strategy: Investment Research

Before you invest in a stock you might ask your broker what kind of research has been done on the company issuing the stock. You might be especially interested in recent developments: a new patent, a lawsuit, a catastrophe, or even a world event that affects the company. For instance, an airline that draws significant revenue from a particular international route  might be affected by an outbreak of war, regardless of whether the airline’s own country is involved.

(1) Be sensitive to projects  are on the edge. If you are working on a project for a company client, talk to the account exec and sales reps. Be sensitive to any shakiness in the account that might shut down the project.

(2) Study your boss’s priorities (and, if appropriate, the agenda of your boss’s boss). For instance, your boss may have been told to push sales of a particular product or service package. If your own activities do not relate to that product, you might be in a one-down position when you ask for anything.

(3) Don’t assume your boss is more informed than you are (or that she will share the information with you). Talk to people in other departments of the company. Set up google alerts for your company as well as for key people in that company. One administrator at a private university wondered why she wasn’t getting more budget when enrollment was up and profits seemed to be increasing. An Internet scan revealed that the university had pay back certain student loan funds that were collected inappropriately.  There was no hint of criminal action, but the school would have unexpected expenses and a cash shortfall. The administrator not only understood why her projects weren’t getting funded; she developed a new insight into the way information was shared.

Finally, work with facts but pay attention to rumors. Rumors can be wildly exaggerated but often contain some basis in reality. Even more, a persistent rumor can tell you a lot about the company’s culture.

For more information on planning a strategy for your own career, see http://www.midlifecareerstrategy.com/coaching.html

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Blogging your way out of a job

Some great tips to blog your way out of a job and into your own business, from a master blogger. Click here to learn more.

The author explains a few strategies, including

– write in batches.

– always keep looking for ideas.

– create products to sell (or find products that you have the rights to use)

Need content? If you are a career or life coach, I sell a PLR book. That means you have the rights to use the contents any way you like. This book has 20 of my best career articles — highly likely to increase your readership.

http://www.midlifecareerstrategy.com/careerbook.html

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Mid-Life Career Advice for the 21st Century: Job Getting Too Personal?

Clients often find they are challenged to maintain a line between business and personal lives. There are 5 ways you can encounter problems from over-disclosing:

(1) Stereotype – most dangerous

Every psychology class will tell you: people hold stereotypes. It’s not always fair but it’s part of human nature.

For example, if you’re getting a divorce, your colleagues will pull up their stereotypes of divorce, mostly negative:
“She won’t be able to concentrate.”
“He’ll be drinking a lot.”
“She’ll be depressed and miserable to be around.”
“He’ll be financially stressed.”

Do you need this hassle? I think not.

(2) Labeling

One day after a few drinks, you tell your colleagues, “I’ve been in therapy for a year. I’m trying to deal with issues about my relationships.”

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Millions of people are in your shoes. But one of my former colleagues learned (the hard way) that even this simple disclosure led to labeling him as “the guy who’s got relationship troubles.” Colleagues started asking him more personal questions and disclosing their own personal details. Worst of all, his personal life was discussed more than his many valuable contributions at work.

(3) Interpretation

Expect anything you say to be distorted and interpreted through your colleagues’ cultural lens. . “My sister was in a convent for awhile” can become “She was a nun for 5 years.” It can even become, “She’s a religious fanatic who doesn’t have a romantic life.”

True story: In one company, a new CEO decided to be open about his personal life. Introducing himself, he said, “My divorce is being finalized next week. I’m set to marry my girlfriend in just three months. We’ve been together in Dallas for over three years and finally will tie the knot. I have two kids in college and one starting his freshman year.”

In the 21st century, this story seems straightforward. Most people would be bored.

But a few of this CEO’s colleagues did not share his moral values. Some held religious views on divorce. Others were married or divorced with children of their own. One said, “I cannot believe he is living with another woman before the divorce. I will never be able to respect him, no matter how much he does for this company.”

I talked about his at http://www.BlogTalkRadio.com/MidlifeCareerGame
where you can listen to the replay.

Career consulting is available (limited) at http://www.midlifecareerstrategy.com/coaching.html

(4) Red flag for future assignments

Your boss has ten people who all want the next promotion or plum assignment. She’s looking for good, solid reasons to make a decision. If you’ve just shared your personal life – your divorce, financial problems, or bad medical news – she’s got an easy out. And you handed it to her.

(5) Vulnerability

Being vulnerable is a healthy part of being in a personal relationship. It’s not a healthy part of a business relationship. Even if you feel scared and insecure, you want to be strong.

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Career Advice vs Career Information

Remember the first Career Change book: What color is your parachute? Th ey advised everyone to call around and set up “interviews for information.” The idea was, “People don’t feel threatened. You’re not putting them on the spot. They want to talk to you.”

Alas, today’s executives are too busy.  But if you’re going to get information, make sure you get information that’s based on your informant’s recent personal experience.

Other tips:

Don’t ask self-employed professionals for information. That’s what they sell.

Don’t ask friends for advice. They might have information.

Advice means some suggests you do something. Get advice only from paid professionals. Get info from people who have been there.

Learn more when you listen to my radio program from this morning.

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Mid-Life Careers on Blog Talk Radio

New Saturday morning BlogTalkRadio show. You can join me at
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/midlifecareergame 

This show will feature a Career Q&A and some tips and techniques for 21st Century Career Change..
We start at 8:30 AM Paciifc (11:30 AM Eastern) every Saturday. You can go there now to hear the last show or download as an mp3 file.
(347) 855-8042

If you can’t make the call, no worries. BTR  automatically records the call. Just go to the same URL and look for the box on the right with
the microphone. You will be able to download the mp3 file and listen. Same URL:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/midlifecareergame

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More on why your career coach won’t help…

The comment on the previous post was thoughtful and insightful. I got some more ideas after reading this comment.

First, the purpose of a free call is not to help you. Most coaches and consultants use the free call to see if you’re a good fit for each other. If a coach says, “I don’t think I can help you; I wouldn’t know where to start,” he is being honest.  Ideally, he would figure out that he can’t help you during a get-acquainted call, but sometimes they just need more time.  Ideally, he would recommend a resource but (a) some coaches don’t know appropriate resources and (b) would you really want a clueelss coach to make a referral?

Second, it’s, appropriate for a coach to say, “I don’t agree with what you are asking me to do. You want a new career; I think you need to focus on your current career.” By way of analogy, suppose you want plastic surgery. Your plastic surgeon could say, “I will not do this; I do not feel the benefit outweighs the risk.” Or she might even say, “I think you want this surgery for the wrong reason and I won’t do it.”

Third, nobody forces you to work with a coach. But if your company pays for outplacement, or if you’re working with a state employment service,  someone else is writing the check. You play by their rules. After all, when an insurance company pays for a service, they can (and often do) decide who you are allowed to see.

Often outplacement services are paid a fixed fee so they are motivated to move everyone out as fast as possible. They play the odds. Sure, some people will get a job faster by switching fields, especially today. But until recently you’d get a job faster by staying in your own field. And often outplacement agencies do not attract top coaches.

In my experience, coaches tend to err on the side of optimism. They say, “Sure you can find a new career! It’s easy.” So if you are paying a coach, they’re actually cutting themselves off if they discourage you. After all, can a coach really help you if she’s convinced you don’t need a career change? Better to say so upfront.

Delighted to see some controversy! Let’s have more.

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How Twitter Posts Have Led to Job Loss (True stories!)

This post is funny but also sad. Read it here.

When we’re frustrated with ANYthing it’s all too easy to turn to Twitter and share. I would suggest instead sending a private email (using gmail) to someone who has absolutely no connection to your job:  a friend in a totally different field, a family member who lives far away or (you knew this was coming) a career coach.

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Free Mentoring Communities: Worth What You Pay

Recently I came across a site promising to offer free resources to job seekers. The idea is that you can submit your story and someone will log on to be your free mentor. Mentors can be “free” or “fee.”

Okay, think about this. Who’s going to offer free services? When you log on to sites like justanswers.com, you pay a small amount, usually $15 or less. I offer a low-cost email service too.

The people seeking mentors  give their full names. I hope they’re pseudonyms, because it’s not a good idea to share your career challenges in public, even on a site like this.

“Victoria,” seeking a mentor, wrote:

“I was laid off from my job as a planner. Now I’m working in banking. Not sure if I like this job, but how do I know when to quit? I also seem to have communication and work-life balance issues.”

I disguised the details, but Victoria  really did have all those challenges. She needs several *months* of high quality career coaching (and maybe some life coaching or therapy, depending on what’s really going on).

If you absolutely can’t afford private coaching, look for legitimate free services. Some states have free consultants available in unemployment offices. The Small Business Administration offers help if you’re thinking of going out on your own. Consider a course at a junior college or continuing education program. The quality will vary a great deal, but then again, so does private consulting.

I don’t happen to think that “anything is better than nothing.”  However, if you find someone who’s supportive, just being able to talk out your feelings and express your concerns may help.

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