What is Career Coaching?

What is career coaching? The first blog post in the series discussing the benefits of career coaching and what career coaching actually is. Did you know you it isn't limited to the job search process? It supports career advancement and leadership development too.  

What is Career Coaching?

“Professional coaching is empowering and powerful. Professional Coaching is a partnership between the coach and the client. Together they design an alliance of how they want to work together and what they want to accomplish. In order for the coaching relationship to be successful, there needs to be a mutual feeling of trust and confidence. The professional coach holds the client (coachee) naturally resourceful creative and whole and helps the client to unlock their potential and leverage their talents, skills and strengths.”

Welcome to this Career Coaching Awareness Blog series, brought to you by Romy Weiss, Your NextSteps Career Coach, CEO of NextSteps Coaching & Consulting LLC. I have recently noticed misunderstandings and misconceptions about what professional coaching actually is, specifically what career coaching is and who would best benefit from these services. It is fundamentally important to me as a professionally certified coach to debunk myths and spread awareness on the benefits and importance of professional coaching. 

If you’re currently wondering what Career coaching is?

How you can benefit from Career Coaching?

Then this series is for you. 

What is Professional Coaching?

Professional coaching really works from the present and moves forward. A personal coach puts the stake in the ground for you and says YES – you can do this and holds you accountable for your goals and dreams.

 A coach pushes you to be vulnerable and to take risks and holds the mirror up to show you your truths. 

A coach helps you see different perspectives that help you accomplish your goals and dreams.

What is Career Coaching?

A career coach is a professional coach who specializes in helping those who are in some form of career transition. This is not limited to changing jobs, but rather a career coach empowers professionals to make informed choices about their career trajectory. These choices range from the job search process (like resume building and LinkedIn profiles and job interview tips) to career development strategies and career assessments as well as leadership development support. 

Per a report issued by the University of Vermont, the benefits of working a career coach help you to:

• Learn critical skills required in today’s work environment
• Build confidence and define your value proposition
• Build a powerful and relevant resume
• Make informed decisions about your career evolution
• Set goals and build a roadmap to your career destination
• Build connections
• Gain lifelong skills
• Launch new careers
• Prepare for interviews
• Craft your story to launch dream jobs
• Learn how to advance your career

One of the biggest myths I see…

“The only reason to work with a career coach is to find a new job!” MYTH

With career coaching you receive advice, support and guidance regarding all aspects of your career path. It is not limited to just the job search process. Most people work with career coaches for the job search as well as career advancement, career development, leadership development and confidence building.

The job of a career coach is to hold the mirror up and support you in creating the best professional career for you.

Examples of Career Coaching

For instance, I had a client who consistently told me that he wanted to change jobs. Yet, each week he would have an excuse why he hadn’t updated his resume. Finally, I held the mirror and asked, “What is really holding you back from doing the work?”

This question allowed him to reflect on his own behavior and why he was getting in his own way of his success. Through this, he was able to clear his own obstacle, and show up for himself and update his resume and move forward on his career transition.

Another example would be for a client who was struggling to own her voice at work. She would develop strategies as to how she was going to show up as a leader and show her value at meetings in our sessions and then go to the meetings and take on the imposter syndrome.

After a few rounds of this, again, I held the mirror up. Through this self-reflection, she was able to quiet her inner critic and tap into her inner leadership team and show up at work as her best self. She overcame imposter syndrome and claimed her seat at the table.

Career coaches hold you accountable for your goals and your dreams. They help you set realistic actions plans so that you can follow through. They will champion for you and with you and be your advocate.

But, here is the real hard truth, career coaches, don’t do it for you. If you don’t show up and do the work, it doesn’t happen. You will be given the tools and the guidance and the support but you have to apply it and follow through. You can reasonably expect while working with a career coach to gain career clarity, to set career goals, to build career confidence and to develop a career development plan. 

This is why I absolutely love supporting my clients through career coaching.

Stay tuned for the next article, “How Do I Know If Career Coaching Is Right For Me?” of this career coaching educational series.  Click here to read it.

P.S. Want to learn more about Career Coaching and which of my programs would be the best fit for you? Schedule a free strategy session here.