If you feel like your career is stuck in a rut, if you’re looking to make a career change, or you simply don’t know which direction to take your career next, you might need a career coach. Coaches can help you reconnect with your passions and map out a path based on your unique definition of success. However, finding a great career coach is often easier said than done. If you’re thinking about taking the coaching leap, these are the criteria you should use to find a career coach and determine whether they are the right coach for you.
“Career coaches are paid professionals that are trained and certified to help you evaluate your options and guide you on the right options to consider when your advancing or changing your career,” says Sharon Tsao, EVP, Contemporary Staffing Solutions.
They Have A Solid Track Record in Your Field
If you need a coach for your marketing career, you wouldn’t choose someone who has only worked in the healthcare field. It just makes sense to work with a coach who has experience and expertise in your niche. Only someone who really understands market conditions and trends in your field can provide you with solid, long-term career advice. Before taking a leap, ask for references from people in your niche.
They Have A True Desire To Help
Let’s be honest. Coaching can be a lucrative business and there are a lot of people who are just in it for the money. If you want to be sure that a coach is giving you personalized advice, you have to make sure that you’re working with someone who truly has a desire to help others, not just a desire to further their own career or pad their own bank account. Always look for evidence that a coach has truly helped others move their careers forward.
They Listen To You
During your initial conversation with a coach, did you feel like you were being listened to or did the coach talk about himself or herself the whole time? If you’re truly looking for career advice, you want to work with someone who listens. And career coaches can only assess whether they can truly help you by listening to your situation and asking questions about what you hope to gain from the relationship.
They Are Thought Leaders
Excellent career coaches don’t hoard their advice. They spend time providing free resources online for people who want career advice. Thought leadership pieces are important because they can help you evaluate a coach’s knowledge and expertise before you ever connect with them. Someone who doesn’t put their expertise on display might have something to hide.
They Can Actually Help You Find A Job
Career coaches can be helpful, but most don’t actually help you land a job. They’ll give you tools to help you define your career goals, improve your resume, build your skills, etc., but rarely do they connect you with actual professional opportunities.
At Contemporary Staffing Solutions, our recruiters work with candidates to help them map out a path for success, but as a top recruiting agency, we also have the capacity and the expertise to help you find and land a great job, as well. To learn more about the ways we can help you achieve your goals, contact us today.