Why work with a Career Coach?

To someone who has never worked with a career coach, what I do may seem mysterious. What do career coaches offer, exactly, and aren’t there already endless career tools and tips available online? Whether you’re currently searching for a job, eying a promotion, planning a career change, or looking to refine or redefine your professional goals and identity, read on to learn how a career coach like me might support you in each stage of the process.

ACCOUNTABILITY

One of the basic benefits of coaching is the accountability coaches provide. Psychological research has repeatedly shown that being accountable to others for your decision-making processes and actions can have a positive impact on your ability to follow through with your intentions. As with any long-term mission, such as fitness and weight-loss or learning a new language, being held accountable for your professional goals makes it more likely you’ll keep progressing toward them -- especially when things feel difficult or overwhelming.

For example, I had one coaching client who searched on and off for a new role for several years without success. However, after working together and developing clear goals and regular check-ins, he secured a new VP-level role within a couple of months.

ARTICULATING YOUR GOALS AND VALUE PROPOSITION

A career coach can also help you identify and articulate your core values and areas of interest to make sure that the goals you’re working toward are the right ones for you. This is an important starting point for determining what you want to do, and for ensuring that any prospective employer’s values are in alignment with yours. Following this, a coach can help you craft or refine your elevator pitch, value proposition, and game plan to maximize your chances of success.

This year, I worked with one client who was at a crossroads in her career. She knew she needed to make a change but wasn't sure what she wanted or how to articulate her unique value proposition. After working together to clarify her goals, interests, and her 'secret sauce' that enabled organizational success, we developed a robust search strategy that landed her multiple job offers and a new role in a completely different industry.

TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES TO STAND OUT IN A COMPETITIVE MARKET

One of the most useful (and, for many people, ground-breaking) things I offer my coaching clients are the tools and techniques -- based on over a decade of experience as a recruiter and researcher -- to stop relying on applying to job ads as your main job search strategy. A good career coach will be able to help you access the “hidden job market” in addition to helping you stand out in a tall pile of resumes.

SUPPORT TO ACE THE INTERVIEW

When you do get invited for a coveted interview, a career coach can help you prepare so you walk in with confidence as well as craft succinct and compelling answers that accurately represent your strengths while also addressing the employer’s “pain points.” As an executive recruiter, I’ve interviewed thousands of senior managers and executives and heard directly from hiring committees about what resonates and makes certain candidates stand out. I look forward to sharing these insights with you.

NEGOTIATING A PACKAGE THAT REFLECTS YOUR VALUE-ADD

Once you have that offer in sight, a coach can also advise you on negotiating the package, maximizing the value of a proposed compensation package even beyond the base salary (for example, vacation time, health benefits, relocation expenses, professional dues, signing bonuses, etc.). As an example of your ability to negotiate beyond base compensation, I helped one client include formal coaching and mentorship in her contract, as well as a smaller sales target than originally proposed.

Negotiating an offer can feel daunting, but with the right coaching, it can be an empowering and gratifying experience.

AN AMAZING RETURN ON INVESTMENT

A career coach like myself can be an indispensable source of wisdom and encouragement during your job search or transition, and even just a couple of sessions to develop a game plan can be fruitful in getting you on the right track. One of my clients, Seyed (who recently became an Entrepreneur-in-Residence with a Start-up Incubator), said that “working with Heather gave me the best ROI ever!” Another recent client, after working with me over the course of four months, received two job competing job offers - and increased her base compensation by $50,000 (an ROI of over 4000%).

Please reach out to explore how we can work together to land you an exciting new role.