Last week I ended my post recommending that you seek professional help to achieve your career goals, especially if your efforts haven’t been successful. This week I am pleased to provide you with more information in this connection. What follows is my interview with my colleague Richard Kirby a Career Coach. Richard has been helping people achieve their career goals for 20 years, so he is the ideal person to provide insight into the subject.
Jim: Richard, thank you for making time to talk with me. To get started, tell me what a career coach does. Why does someone come to you for help?
Richard: Jim, I help my clients evaluate their strengths and weaknesses and develop a plan to address those weaknesses. A large part of my work is to help them find a role that makes them happy. This may be with their current employer or with a new employer if they are between jobs.
Jim: That is terrific Richard! Can you tell me more about the process you follow to help your clients?
Richard: My process begins by having the client complete a self a valuation. I use a number of online assessments to identify needs for improvement. This helps me focus the client on their objectives. I also help them craft a marketing plan to land their desired role. It could be a role different from their current career path but one that will use the same skill set that is equally fulfilling. So, I help them identify and uncover career opportunities and to go after them.
Jim: After you’ve worked on needs and have developed a marketing plan, what’s next?
Richard: The next phase is to help them prepare for the interview. I began with a five page ‘how to prepare’ worksheet which gets the candidate thinking about answering questions they should expect. I also help the candidate respond to difficult questions which may relate to changing industry segments or gaps in their profile compared to the employer’s expectations for ideal candidate. We’ll conduct mock interviews, which I video, to be reviewed and studied by the candidate. I make notes and comments about their body language, verbal style, and the quality of their answers. Later, we have a follow-up discussion to reinforce the positives and identify work to be done. I am very hands-on with my clients.
Jim: Richard, how important is it to understand the employer’s culture? How do you coach a client in this area?
Richard: I have tools to help the client understand the target’s culture. I suggest they use Glass Door and talk with people who work for or have worked for the company.
Some aspects of the culture will inhibit the candidate from getting the first interview, like educational background or prior employment. There is nothing to do to fix those gaps, at least in the short run. It is different than one looking to improve their situation with their current employer as they are already part of the culture. They know it, live it, and understand it.
In one case a client was able to create his ideal job by finding a need that wasn’t being addressed. I coached him to present the need to the department head and then sell himself as the solution.
I consider myself to be the client’s champion. I am their chief motivator and inspiration. “I believe my clients have more potential and can achieve more than they think they can.” I push them to believe in themselves and to face their fears. A good coach must believe in their clients. I have turned down or canceled contracts with one or two who did not have enough self-confidence or failed to follow through on their assignments.
Jim: What else do you do for your clients, Richard?
Richard: For an additional fee, when appropriate, I help them negotiate an offer to arrive at the best possible outcome.
Jim: Richard, thank you for your time today! I am a big fan of your work, especially for people who find it difficult to achieve their career goals. I will provide links to aid anyone interested in more information about your services.
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Jim Weber, Managing Partner
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Author of: Fighting Alligators, Job Search Strategy For The New Normal