Using A Career Coach

Many people find themselves needing assistance when they become suddenly unemployed. The reason for this is the uncertainty that comes with the loss of a job. What a career coach can bring to the table for anyone who is unemployed is a partner and a resource in their efforts to secure a new career opportunity.

A career coach often will work with both the recent college graduate as well as with seasoned employees. What the career coach's role is, is to help the individual seek out new opportunities through devising job search strategies and techniques as well as being the one who holds the person accountable during the job search process.

Resume and Cover Letter Review

One of first things a career coach will do will be to review the client's resume and cover letter to ensure that these documents are a true reflection of who they are as far as skill sets and capabilities. A career coach will look at your resume and identify the best way to present this information in writing so it is concise, clear and sells the client's skills and background in the best possible way.

Practice Interviews

Probably the most important role that a career coach can play with any individual, who is seeking employment, is to serve as a practice partner in learning how to interview correctly. I can't tell you how many times I have interviewed people who walked into my office and have totally blown their interview by being overly arrogant or not being able to answer basic interview questions in a professional manner. This can be overcome by practicing basic interview questions with a career coach. By learning how to answer interview questions in a professional, polished and positive manner through the coaching and mentoring of a career coach can greatly enhance one's ability to be successful during the interview process.

Plot Out a Career Path

Many younger people find themselves unsure of how to get from point A, to point B, to point C in their respective career. What a career coach will do is sit with the young person and determine various milestones that they want to achieve within their career within a certain set period of time. By identifying educational expectations as well as essential professional experiences required of a career that are tied to various growth stages of this very career, the career coach can establish a solid timeline and strategy within this timeline to go from point A to point C; thus leading the eventual career success!

For the Unemployed

If a career coach is working with an individual who is unemployed they will put together a strategy to find a solid career position that fits the needs of the particular individual. This strategy will incorporate all the necessary steps and processes to get the individual out in front of perspective employers in the hopes of gaining a new career position in the shortest period of time.

Partner and Coach

What I consider to be the most important aspect of any career coach's job is to be both a partner and coach to the client they are servicing. When one is looking for a new job it can be a very depressing experience, as rejection and self-doubt are constant issues that they will be dealing with. What a career coach brings to the table is positive coaching and feedback to any situation that the individual may encounter during their job search. It is this coaching and feedback that provides an opportunity for the individual to learn from their mistakes and to grow from these experiences to enable them to be more successful in their job search. By partnering up with a career coach, an unemployed person can feel that they are not going into this job search process alone but actually have a partner who is looking out for their best interest and will help guide them to locating and selecting the best possible career opportunity with the least amount of obstacles to overcome.

Need a job? Not sure what the next step should be? Visit our job search information website and receive free information about methods and strategies to find a new job FAST! Visit: http://www.get-employed.org

Career Search - Using A Career Coach Can Really Add Up In Your Career Transition

Are you afraid of the career change conversation with your family, friends, coworkers etc? Does it seem like as soon as you decide to make a positive change, the whole world turns against you and tells you why you can't do it, that it's not possible or something else that's not very encouraging?

One of the biggest challenges that people in career transition face is trying to convince their families, friends, coworkers and the people who know them best, that change is a good thing. At a time when everything is in flux, it's tough for us to reassure people we are headed on the path to success despite any obstacles which may surface along the way. We may even be uncertain ourselves! And because we frequently experience the most resistance to our ideas from the people who mean the most to us, it can FEEL like our core support system is caving in. But don't worry, it's not!

Finding a mentor, coach or someone who has "been there" can be a huge asset for your career search.

Because we are often met with resistance, hit with frightening and discouraging "rumors" about the career marketing or industry of our choosing, we can feel like the wind was just knocked out of us. Finding a career can be scary and isolating. This is not a healthy way to feel when trying to break out of established ruts and make a motion for improvement in our careers.

For this reason, if you're serious about finding a new job that has you springing out of bed each morning, you'll want to invest in a career coach, or career counselor. Many people who decide to make a bold move in their career, start up their own business or return to school to learn a new skill or trade, do so with the help of a career coach or counselor. A career coach can give much needed practical advice and guidance, while offering an objective viewpoint on your personal situation.

A career coach can help you:

Create and implement a transition plan
Set realistic reachable goals
Network effectively and efficiently
Identify the career path you want
Push gremlins aside and step out of the box and your comfort zone
Overcome obstacles
Find a career that's right for you (not what other's think is right for you)
How do you find support?

Professional support from a career coach or career counselor is usually the best place to start. They have the experience and success rates of helping people who have been in your shoes. There are a wide range of career coaches/counselors out there so make sure when you are looking for one to do your homework. Here are some sample questions:

How long have you been a coach?
What is your success rate?
Do you have references I can speak with? (If they are hesitant about this one that is not a good sign)
Do you offer a complimentary consultation where I can get to know you and your style to see if we'd be a fit?
How long does this process usually take?
It isn't always possible to afford a career coach, especially when you are in transition. Other options include finding a career coach who might offer group coaching, which is cheaper. Can you coach with a buddy and split the price? If those options still don't fit your budget, the next step is to try to find someone you know of you can point you in the right direction.

Is there someone in your life who you admire because they didn't follow the status quo, made their own way or just seem to be living out an amazingly full and satisfying life and career? Maybe you have a friend, relative, or acquaintance who started their own business or managed to interweave creativity and flexibility into their professional life in a way that stands out from the crowd. Now is a perfect time to ask for advice and guidance from that person, listen to their story, learn from their mistakes, and apply this knowledge to the changes that you're going through in your own career. Most people are more than happy to share what they have learned. The experience is sure to be enlightening and you will be making a friend and professional contact in the process.

Hallie Crawford, is a Certified Career Coach and CEO of Create Your Career Path with HallieCrawford.com. Her team of coaches help people of all ages nurture their career, identify their ideal career path, and navigate their career transition. She is regularly featured as a career expert for Fox Business Network, CNN, Yahoo Hot Jobs, Entrepreneur Magazine, The Wall Street Journal and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Download a free report "Top Three Tools to Identify Your Ideal Career" here: http://tinyurl.com/2326at6

Career Change and Personality - 5 Ways of Using Your Personality to Guide Your Career Choice

When you are looking for new career ideas, it can be really helpful to start by getting to understand your personality better.  When you know more about the kind of person you are, you will find it easier to evaluate your current job and also to judge new career ideas you may be considering.

The first step is to take a personality test.  My personal favourite is the MBTI which gives you an insight into your preferred ways of behaving.  This can be a real eye opener and can dramatically change the way you think about yourself and others.

Here's how understanding your career personality can help with your career change.

Your current job

You know you are frustrated and unhappy at work, but you can't quite pin it down.  Once you know more about your personal style, you will be able to see why certain aspects of your job are difficult for you.  It is not always just a matter of skill - whether you have or haven't got it.  If a job demands that you regularly work in a way that does not suit your personality, you will find it tough going.

The people you work with

One of the great things about the MBTI personality assessment, is that it gives you the tools to understand not just yourself, but also others around you.  So you can now see that colleague who drives you round the bend in a new light.  You get to value the different approaches people take to their work rather than just being annoyed because they don't do things your way. This makes for better working relationships now and in your future jobs.

New career ideas

Once you know more about your personal style, you can identify what kind of job will be a comfortable 'fit' for you.  When you are considering new career options, you can assess them against your own personality preferences so that you make sure you will have the right kind of work environment, the right approach to work and a management style to suit you. You may not get everything you want n a new job, but you can identify the 'must haves'.

Knowing what to avoid

It is also essential when you are choosing a new career that you do not fall into the same traps as you may have done in the past.  Understanding your personality will also make it possible for you to avoid career areas which will make demands on you that you will find difficult.  For example too hectic a pace or a very unstructured approach to work could be frustrating and exhausting for some, but might be energising and exciting for others.  Make sure you know what will not suit you and avoid careers that will demand working in that way.

Job search strategies

Your personality will influence the way you approach the search for new jobs too.  If you love meeting new people you will probably find networking and using your personal contacts an easy tactic.  Others will prefer to take time doing detailed research on the internet or in books to find out as much as possible about new career ideas.  Both are fine.  Knowing your own preferences will enable you to do some of what you prefer but also know where you must stretch yourself to try other tactics.

Bonus tip
If you are looking for more information about how your personality relates to your career, I invite you to take a look at the How To Change Careers website http://www.how-to-change-careers.com/career-change-test.html. You can take a personality test and read more about what the results mean for you and your career as well as access my ebook, Know Your Personality, Know Your Career.

And if you would like some more ideas about how you can get your career change on the move, you can download my free Career Change Blueprint http://www.how-to-change-careers.com/career-change-blueprint.html which explains the key steps to career change success.

From Cherry Douglas - Your Career Change Guide