13 Pros of Using a Career Coach
Making changes in your professional life can be an emotional and challenging process. It may feel difficult to determine what to pursue next or how to best use your current experience to get what you want out of your next career. However, working with a recruitment professional may help you navigate the process. In this article, we discuss what a career coach is and does and explain some of the potential pros of working with a career coach.
What is a career coach?
A career coach is a professional who specializes in helping others build and advance their careers. They may help other professionals set career goals, find jobs, explore career paths and improve professional skills. They’re often familiar with recruiting and hiring processes to serve as an expert opinion for job applicants seeking advice about finding and securing the right roles for them.
What does a career coach do?
Exact duties for career coaches may vary, but they often:
- Advise clients regarding their personal brands and value
- Assist clients with beginning their own businesses
- Collaborate with clients to establish career goals
- Create effective resumes and cover letters
- Develop personalized career plans
- Find job opportunities for clients
- Help clients understand career problems
- Host mock interviews
- Provide career advice and feedback
What are the pros of using a career coach?
Some of the possible pros of working with a career coach include:
1. Creating an excellent resume
It’s often beneficial to customize your resume for each job you apply for rather than send the same resume to each company. A career coach may help you with this process, especially when attempting to determine what skills and qualifications the role requires. They can advise you regarding which skills to emphasize and how to best demonstrate your value.
2. Developing your skills
Career coaches may help you understand your greatest strengths and potential gaps in your skillset. This may help you identify areas of improvement, and they may advise you on how to develop important skills. Similarly, they may help you specify which of your skills are most compelling to potential employers and position yourself accordingly.
3. Ensuring you’re accountable for your choices
Searching for a new job can be a long process, and it may be difficult to keep up with the time it requires. However, a career coach can help ensure you continue to progress toward your career goals. They can help motivate you to make the correct choices and inspire you to do what your goals require.
4. Establishing career goals
Setting professional goals is important for a successful career. However, it may feel challenging to determine what you want or what you hope to achieve. A career coach can help you determine what you want from your career and understand how to achieve these goals.
5. Gaining honest feedback
Career coaches provide honest, unbiased feedback. They’re a good resource to use when hoping for neutral advice regarding your professional decisions. It’s important to apply their recommendations to your job search to support your efforts to be successful.
6. Growing your professional network
Networking is important for meeting other professionals and gaining access to professional development and career opportunities. Hiring a career coach often helps you connect with their entire network. For example, your career coach may ask their network for advice about opportunities that may be a good option for you, or they may know someone who could be a good mentor for you.
7. Improving your confidence
Applying for jobs can be a long, tiresome process, and it can be easy to feel discouraged. However, a career coach provides you with a professional perspective about your qualifications. This may help you understand how unique your experience truly is, reviving your confidence in your abilities. It may also be an effective way to determine how to separate yourself from other job candidates and develop your value proposition.
8. Learning how to market yourself
A career coach may help you consider details about your personality and qualifications that you may not have previously acknowledged. For example, they may help you understand what the strongest value you provide to organizations is or what your most appealing strengths are. This may help you better position and pitch your yourself to potential employers.
9. Making good career decisions
Career coaches understand your career goals. They’re helpful for determining what’s important for you to do in order to achieve these goals. They can advise you about which roles to pursue based on what may best align with your short-term and long-term career goals.
10. Practicing for interviews
Attending a job interview may be stressful, but preparing for the experience may help ensure you’re successful. A career coach may hold a mock interview with you to practice common questions and provide you with feedback about your performance. They may also know the person who’s interviewing you, so they may provide you with additional advice regarding what to expect.
11. Pursuing a new career field
A career coach may be helpful if you feel stagnant in your current career. They may help you understand your options for pursuing a career in a different field. Based on your options, they may also advise you on how to position your previous experience and skill set to align with your new field.
12. Receiving support and motivation
Working with a career coach may be an expensive endeavor. However, spending the money for their services may motivate you to find a job more quickly so you can eliminate the extra expenses. In return, the career coach provides you with personalized support to find the right career for you and motivates you to succeed.
13. Spending less time looking for jobs
Hiring a career coach may allow you to spend less time looking for jobs and more time working on other areas of professional development. They understand your professional strengths and weaknesses, helping you better understand whether a role may be a good choice for you. This may help you avoid wasting your time on the wrong opportunities and improve the efficiency of your searches.