3 Tips For Choosing A Career Coach
Posted by CathyG in career advice, career coaching, relocation on 03 22nd, 2010Are 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.
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read comments (0)Mid-Life Career Advice for the 21st Century: Job Getting Too Personal?
Posted by CathyG in 21st century, career advice, career coaching on 10 3rd, 2009Clients 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.
Career Advice vs Career Information
Posted by CathyG in career advice, career coaching on 09 19th, 2009Remember 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.
More on why your career coach won’t help…
Posted by CathyG in career advice, career coaching on 09 3rd, 2009The 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.
Free Mentoring Communities: Worth What You Pay
Posted by CathyG in career advice, career coaching on 08 29th, 2009Recently 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.
Columnist criticizes job seekers (and gets jabbed back)
Posted by CathyG in career coaching, job loss, job search on 08 20th, 2009An examiner.com columnist wrote an in-your-face column about job-seekers who won’t take action. In this case, he encouraged them to make calls to coaches to get “free” advice. He couldn’t understand why coaches weren’t being inundated with free calls.
Wow…did he get an earful! Most of the comments were scathing.
Read the article and comments here and (in case you can’t see it) below is my response. Please click on “comments” to add your input to this blog (and “share this” if you would like others to see it).
As a career consultant, I would discourage anyone from calling a coach for “free advice and tips” unless you are seriously interested in following up with paid coaching. Here’s why:
(1) Most coaches use their “free” calls as sales calls. Marketing coaches teach techniques for turning the free call into a way to convert queries to clients. You won’t get a lot of great advice in a short call.
[That's why I stopped offering free calls awhile back. Instead, prospective clients can listen to hour-long mp3 calls where they find out what I'm really like.]
(2) Coaches are busy. Even though they say, “No obligation,” I don’t think it’s ethical to take an hour of someone’s time if you have no intention of buying. Anyway, many of the most successful coaches are too busy to take calls.
(3) Free calls typically don’t help you make a wise decision about hiring a coach. I like to say, “The whole dynamic shifts when money changes hands.”
(4) You can get lots of free info when you visit sites by career coaches: articles, mp3 recordings, even live teleseminars. That’s a legitimate way to get free help.
(5) Not everyone is coach-able. Not every situation benefits from coaching. And no coach is right for everyone.
Please click on the “Comments” button to add your opinion.
Hiring a career coach? Learn what to do…
Posted by CathyG in career advice, career coaching, career planning on 08 17th, 2009An article from the Boston Globe warns career changers anad job seekers to be careful when choosing a career coach. Read more here.
The fact that the industry is unregulated doesn’t bother me. Even when an industry is regulated (such as the medical field) you have to follow the guideline of “Buyer Beware.”
Too few career books offer solid tips about hiring a coach to work with you. I would suggest the following:
(1) Talk to a few career coaches. See which makes the most sense for you.
While some coaches still offer free get-acquainted calls, busy coaches just don’t have time. I would rather pay for a trial hour than get a free consultation and end up in a big program.
(2) The article referred to someone who paid $200 for a resume makeover. That’s cheap! Executives should expect to pay $500 and up. Your experience is complicated and your coach or counselor needs time to explore your background.
(3) The biggest waste of money isn’t related to the competence of the coach, unless you chose a real dud. Typically, I find people spend money to hire me but then realize they (a) don’t have time to do the work or (b) don’t want to do the work.
Career change is not a matter of connect the dots. It’s messy. You have to do a lot of things you aren’t used to doing. You may have to sacrifice personal time.
If your company demands that you work 60-80 hours a week, figure out how you will find time to change careers. When a client says, “I can talk to you only on evenings and weekends,” I have to wonder how that client will find time for informational interviews.
Carving out time from a tight corporate schedule can be a challenge. You need to talk to a consultant who will appreciate the culture of your company. And be realistic. If there’s no way to make time, you may have to save up your money and just take time off.
Check out the Mid-Life Career Change Guide: 21 Day Extreme Career Makeover.
Are you too comfortable?
Posted by CathyG in career coaching, career planning, hate job on 11 29th, 2008That’s what the CFO coach, Cindy Kraft, wants us to ask. Read her post here.
I’ve been saying this for years. Any job can disappear. If you’re not getting more marketable, it’s time to move on.
Getting comfortable is especially dangerous if you hate your job. In my experience, you can sabotage your own career if you secretly want an out.
Hiring a coach takes the cake…
Posted by CathyG in career change, career coaching on 11 12th, 2008As the year winds down, many of us feel like we ought to be doing something– and we wonder if we can hire someone to speed the path to success. What’s the likelihood that an investment will pay off?
Well, before you cut off a slice of cake…er, coaching, read on.
1. Past Experience . How have you made changes in the past? Did you consult a counselor or are you a firm do-it-yourselfer? Do you benefit expertise or do you genuinely believe, “All I ever needed I learned from my cat?” If you’ve always been a pie person, are you ready for cake now?
2. Choice. A craving for chocolate won’t be satisfied by a big slice of carrot cake. And if you’re starting a business, a need for sharp analysis won’t be satisfied by a motivational coach.
3. Space. If you’re supposed to be on a diet, how will you feel after you’ve eaten three slices with extra icing? And if you know you need to move but keep getting distracted…same outcome When you freely, joyously invest time and money in your next move, you’ll probably experience few regrets.
4. Formula. For a special occasion, you place a special order. For your own career, don’t accept one-size-fits-all canned programs
5. Try a bite! Until you’ve tasted, you won’t know if you want a second helping. And once you realize you like cinnamon better than chocolate, you’ll know what to ask for.
My own offerings are here.
Changing careers in 2009? Learn from Obama’s Example
Posted by CathyG in career change, career coaching on 11 11th, 2008With the economy in turmoil, many mid-career executives face tough challeges: career change, relocation, shifting job descriptions or self-employment.
Most of them will view the waning months of 2009 as dead time. So they’ll put career transition on the back burner until January.
That can be a huge mistake. I encourage my clients to begin planning now so they can hit the ground running in 2009.
Many executives and professionals have been distracted by election news and economic forecasts.
It’s more fun to think about politics. But Barack Obama has job security for four years. If you don’t, you have to focus on yourself.
Presidents begin their transitions months before they move to the White House. Executives should do the same. Like Obama, you need a plan, a set of goals and a high-power transition team.
Your transition team does not include recruiters. They work for the employer – not you. You need your own financial, personal and career advisors.
Not everybody’s team should include a career coach. Thousands of people make successful career moves on their own.
You will benefit most from hiring a career expert if
- you haven’t been on the job market for awhile,
- you aren’t sure what steps to take, and/or
- you want a break from corporate life.
Change takes time. And many career-changes under-estimate what’s involved.
Most opportunities are time-sensitive. If you get that big meeting on January 15, you can’t start planning January 14 or even January 1. You need to be working with your team long before.”
Holidays are perfect for career planning. You can justify being away from the office. You have a few days off to do some research. Some career consultants (including me) offer specials on their services.
And occasionally a client will say it’s an excuse to skip another boring party.
