Why You Need a Career Transition Coach?
In the last blog post, I explained some of the first steps of career transition coaching. In this post, I am going to take a deeper dive and talk more about the process and why having a coach can be so helpful.
My career transition coaching clients come to me for several reasons. While they may be accomplished and in senior positions, as they approach the uncertainty of a career transition, they feel vulnerable and unsure of themselves. They may also be looking to make a change because the environment they are currently in is not supportive (and all too often – toxic). All these things can play havoc on one’s self-confidence. By developing self-awareness through the DISC assessment and our coaching sessions, clients can see where and how their confidence has been shaken and how to rebuild it.
Another vital component of our work is compiling a list of at least twenty accomplishments. This simple-sounding exercise can have a profound effect. Often clients have not taken the time to reflect on their lives or their careers from a perspective of accomplishments. Seeing all these achievements written down can boost confidence and allows the client to see that they have much to offer. This exercise not only helps clients build their confidence, but it also allows them to update their resume more accurately, and we begin to look at potential jobs, this list provides specific examples that can be matched to what a future employer is looking for. Feeling comfortable talking about and describing accomplishments provides another layer of confidence in interviews.
When a client is making a career change, they are often faced with the issue of not having all the skills a future employer is looking for. Sometimes this can stop applying for a job that they really want. This is particularly true for women. Research shows that in order to apply for a job, women feel they need to meet 100% of criteria, while men usually apply after meeting 60% of criteria. This means that women are applying for 20% fewer jobs! This is such a limiting factor! I work with my clients to look at their accomplishments and their skills and to see how these may be transferable – how can you demonstrate to a future employer that while you might not have the specific skill they are looking, you do have another skill that can be tweaked or modified to bring value?
Navigating all these challenges on your own can be daunting, and that is why having a coach who can help you to see and articulate your potential, who can advocate for you, who can hold you accountable, who can calm your nerves before an interview and buoy your spirits after disappointment is so valuable.
As one of my career transition coaching clients said:
“Orelle was invaluable in helping to map out my strengths, to understand my weaknesses and, best of all, face networking opportunities, interviews, and outreach with confidence and clarity. There are times in life when an outsider’s perspective proves to be the best stepping stone to realize goals. Hiring Orelle to assist in this important transition is one of those times and I’m grateful for the impact she’s made.”
