Career Coaching
"Capacities clamor to be used and cease their clamor only when they are used well." – Abraham Maslow"Life is to be lived. If you have to support yourself, you had bloody well find some way that is going to be interesting. And you aren't going to do that sitting around wondering about yourself." - Katherine Hepburn
"Continuity of purpose is one of the most essential ingredients of happiness in the long run, and for most men that comes chiefly through their work." - Bertrand Russell
Top 5 Career Satisfaction Components
Using your natural strengths in your job
Having the interest, skills and training to do your job well
Having an element of challenge that keeps you learning
Knowing your supervisor appreciates and cares about you
Knowing you are not "stuck" in a job, you have choices
Goals you may have for working with a career coach:
- Want your current job to be more satisfying
- Want to make a change in what you do for a living
- Not sure what type of job to seek
- Unsure what your transferable skills are
- Want to have a career, not only a job
- Desire to increase your earning potential
- Decrease level of stress at work
- Don't know how to start putting together a resume
- Nervous about interviewing
Career Coaching begins with the coach asking you a question such as:
- Where are things currently at in your career and where would you like them to be?
- How would your life be different if you were doing what you really want to do?
- What would you be doing if you had your dream job?
Subsequent sessions are spent on following the plan you've developed. It may range from determining how to make your current job more satisfying, to developing a resume and preparing for interviews.
The length of career coaching is determined by your needs and goals. It may be as brief as 2-3 weekly sessions scheduled to help you determine a career direction, or it may consist of less frequent sessions (such as quarterly) to regularly monitor and hold you accountable to your career path progress.
As a component of career coaching, concentrating on your current job and your effectiveness in it is also an option. This is sometimes referred to as Job Coaching. Job coaching can include a worksite visit and observational assessment if that is desired by you.
| "I had been feeling restless and dissatisfied with my job for quite a while and decided that I should do something about it. Working with the career coach helped me to identify other jobs that I was both interested in and qualified to do. We developed a resume and she coached me how to answer interview questions. Within a month I was called in for an interview for a position that I really wanted. She did a mock interview with me over the phone. Although I was nervous before the actual interview the next day, I knew that I was well prepared. The interview went well and about a week later I got a call telling me that I got the job. I've been there for a few months now and I just love my new job!" - New employee in a Cornell University job |
Top 10 Things Employees Desire
Appreciation
Trust
Respect
Clear communication
Autonomy
Security
Work/family balance
Wellness
Inclusion in decision making
Opportunities to learn/develop/advance
Top 10 Career Tips
Maintain a positive attitude in your current work
Keep yourself marketable by learning new skills
Be your own free agent
Have an up to date resume prepared and ready
Know what your strengths and skills are
Have a plan for your continued development
Regularly ask for honest feedback and seek self-improvement
Keep building your emotional intelligence and people skills
Do not expect to get all of your needs met at work
Periodically scan the employment ads
