Searching for a new job is not an easy task. Careers are a tricky thing; they can be daunting and thrilling at the same time, just like they can lead you to fulfillment and peace. But there are pitfalls to them, too, like being pigeon-holed into a specific industry or career pathway and then not having a viable exit plan. This is where career coaching may come in handy for some people looking to have the most fulfilling life they can have. Here are three reasons you need a career coach.
Staying Updated on the Market
Obviously, this is something that you can and should be doing on your own. But the market is constantly changing and evolving. Whereas you have a day job that keeps you focused on hitting your KPIs, the role of a career coach is literally to study the market as it is now and make educated guesses as to where it is headed in the near future. That is their day job; all of their KPIs revolve around the job market. As such, these career coaches turn into your biggest advocate in the market, once they get to know you.
A career coach worth his salt is going to take the time to understand your values, experiences, skills, and desires. After taking a brief inventory, it becomes a shared responsibility to find you a role or career that matches up well with those criteria. It does not matter if you are looking for a job at the same company or in the same industry, or if you are hoping to switch careers entirely. What does matter is that you will have someone in your corner, praising your abilities and advertising your skills to potential matches in the areas of interest.
By having someone who is in the field, constantly looking at changes and adjustments to the market, you will have a leg up on everyone else looking for those same roles. How and why, you might ask? Because you were smart enough to have a second pair of eyes on the prize the whole time, ensuring that it did not move further and further away from where you are now.
Understanding a Recruiter’s POV
We all come from different perspectives and backgrounds, and we all have differing ideas about how the job search process should go. What career coaching does is it gives you an insider’s perspective. For example, at The Resume Rescue, our career coaches have worked in the recruiting and human resources fields. From those experiences, we can share our insights with candidates and direct them to the job requisition that most closely aligns with their interests.
Likewise, as the mentee, you get the peace of mind that someone who has been in the business is looking out for you. That means analyzing your strengths and weaknesses and figuring out how to get you from point A to point B with little trouble. That might mean making suggestions, tweaking resumes and/or cover letters, or just being a job therapist. Most career coaches share those similar experiences and guiding principles. That is one of the many reasons they make a valuable asset to your team.
Learning the Best Practices of Today’s Market
All of the reasons to go after a career coach are intertwined, but perhaps none are more important than having an inside scoop into the best practices of job hunting we face today. Are thank you notes after interviews still standard fair? Should you include pronouns or microcredentials on your resume? How will knowing the hot topics of the market, both economic and job-related, benefit your search? In what ways can LinkedIn help you connect with recruiters or get you the job you most desire?
When you talk to a career coach, you can learn the answers to all of these questions and more. By taking advantage of these best practices in the job hunting world, you can set yourself up for immediate and long-lasting success. Recruiters and hiring managers will undoubtedly take notice. As such, they can see the seriousness in which you applied for this role. That is never a bad thing, and can only help you along your job hunting journey to a dream role.
Remember that career coaches are in their roles for the same reason you want to jump into yours: they want to make a difference and feel fulfilled. Hiring a career coach is an investment, both in the future and in yourself. It is an investment in your future self. Don’t let that dream slip away – take the leap and the offered hand as you look for a new role and a new future. It does not matter what you have done in the past, as long as you are looking to better yourself. Do you need a career coach?
