Career Coaching Tips

When Should You Hire a Career Coach?

Many of you are able to see the value in investing money and energy into lessons, training or coaching for your hobbies like golf, tennis and skiing. You should also consider the high-value of such an investment for your career. Face it, you will make your next career move one way or another. Wouldn’t it be better to find the "right job" on your terms in the shortest amount of time?

Hiring a Career Transition Coach can be a wise investment for your immediate career situation and for your future, especially when you are already in career transition or job-search mode.

Most experts say that there are several situations in which a career transition coach can be especially helpful. When you want to change industries, change job responsibilities, change geography and as you move up throughout your career to upper levels of executive management and income levels in the $100k + range, a good career coach can be a trsuted partner during this process.

The Job Search Process...

When you decide it’s time to start looking for a new career position. What needs to be accomplished after that? You need to determine what kind of position you want to find - career assessment. You need to tell select people of your situation - network. You need to create a marketing piece that brags about you as a product - resume. You need to decide which companies or industries to approach - market research. You need to get your resume in front of key decision makers at those target companies. You need to use phone skills to sell yourself for a personal interview. You will need to evaluate a job offer by researching salary surveys and negotiate the best deal possible. It’s a complex process. Who can be expected to be an expert at this when you don’t do it very often?

What about recruiters?

When you are buying a house you know that real estate is all about good location. Being placed by a professional recruiter is all about good timing. Remember, recruiters DO NOT finds jobs for people - they find good people for companies! And don’t kid yourself by saying that you have some good recruiters in your corner. You are not the customer for a recruiter. The true customer is the one paying the bill, and that's the Company! A good recruiter can bring you terrific value when they are searching for a key executive or professional for their client company. However, recruiters are only one tool in your box when you are in a professional job-search campaign.

What's Outplacement?

Some people have had the opportunity to go through this process with the help of an outplacement firm after being downsized from a company. They have seen the value of this type of assistance. But outplacement firms offer their services in a group setting with cookie-cutter curriculum in a "one size fits all" strategy. A single outplacement consultant is typically "personally" handling 35 - 50 individuals at a time! Assembly line production brings nice profit for the outplacement firm, but your career is too important and unique to be "handled" impersonally.

What's individual (one-on-one) career coaching?

An individualized career coaching strategy is specifically tailored to your personal career goals is critical for the greatest success of ensuring that your career continues to move in the direction that you desire. The good news is that you can invest in your own career any time you feel it is an especially key time. I would suggest to you that any time you are in a job-search mode that you give serious consideration to hiring a Career Transition Coach.

How much does career coaching cost?

I have conducted a great deal of research into firms which offer career coaching and learned that a range of $2,000 to $6,000 seems to be typical for most people, although for a C level executive the cost for appropriate service can approach $10,000 or higher. Do the research and ask good questions before you decide to engage any type of coach. For tips on choosing the right career coach: Click Here.

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Hire Consulting Services offers several levels of career transition coaching on an hourly consulting basis and ranging to a full-fledged job search campaign strategy on a monthly basis. For more information on HCS Career Coaching: Click Here.

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So, is career coaching worth it?

Absoultely! Many people have found that career coaching has a very valuable ROI. For instance, when you land a position that is truly the right fit much sooner than you would on your own and increase your salary $10,000 or $20,000 then your $3000 to $6,000 investment in coaching is small price to pay. The short-term results are more immediately realized than the long-range benefits, but it is in the long range where the value truly stands out. With the help of a professional career expert, you will land a better job with higher pay that puts you in position for even greater growth for your next promotion or career move. You make the choice!

“There are two types of knowledge. One is knowing what you need. The other is knowing how and where to find it.”

Good Hunting! Coach Mark