You’ve got roadside assistance, ready for when old Betty starts to splutter or busts a tyre.
You’ve got your best friend on speed-dial for when office politics drive you up the wall.
But with your career change, it’s possible that you’re holding out for some deep-dive, serious support. Career-change coaching is often seen as a last resort: only worth investing in when you’re really at the end of your tether. Maybe it even feels like asking for help in this area of your life is akin to admitting defeat.
And yet, more and more people are finding there’s enormous power in reaching out for help at all stages of the journey. Coaching is increasingly recognised as an exciting and powerful way to invest in yourself and your life, and there are a huge range of ways you can access it.
Some career changers value the energy and peer support in a group coaching programme, like our Career Change Launch Pad. Others love the personal depth of one-on-one sessions.
So, if you’ve decided it’s time for you to step your shift up a gear and get some professional support, where do you start?
Here’s a practical checklist:
1. Know what you’re getting into
Coaching can be an enjoyable, powerful, and enormously effective way of identifying and working toward your goals.
But it’s not right for everyone.
Make sure you understand, first of all, what coaching is not:
- A coach is not a teacher, trainer or consultant. A good coach will not tell you what to do. Many coaches have industry-specific knowledge or experience, which they may choose to offer, but this isn’t the same as coaching and shouldn’t be considered the point of the relationship.
- A coach is not a counsellor. Coaches are not trained in the treatment of poor mental health; if you’re depressed or suffering from other symptoms of emotional or psychological vulnerability, a coach is not the right person to seek support from.
- Coaching also isn’t a rent-a-friend service! Your coach’s job is not to listen to you vent for an hour, or to necessarily accept what you say to be true.
Instead, a coach will help you clarify what you want to achieve, come up with solutions and strategies to reach your goals, and build in a structure to get there.
They will listen to you on a deep and powerful level, and ask artful questions to give you access to a new perspective or set of options to move forward with.
You’ll explore the blockages (both internal and external) that hold you back from making progress, in a space that’s equally safe and challenging.
At every step, you’ll be in the driving seat – expected to hold up your end of the bargain by taking action – and constructing your future in a way that works for you. You’ll need to be brave and committed to doing the legwork to get to where you want to be.