Professional coaching is flourishing worldwide. Career Coaches will take a lost and confused job seeker and help them build a career path based on interests, passions, and abilities.
Career Coaches can help walk you through jobs that exist in the world to determine what type of role would be a good fit for you. They are an excellent resource to use as not everyone knows the answer to the big question “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
With that being said, there is a popular misconception about the role of recruiters and career counselors in the mind of job seekers. Let’s talk about what that differences are and what each can do for you.
Recruiters are not Career Coaches
Recruiters or Headhunters want YOU to tell them what you’re passionate about, what skills and value you offer, and what specific role you’re best suited for. A headhunter does not figure this out for you.
It is important to understand that recruiters and headhunters work for the company that has hired them to fill a vacancy, not the person seeking a job. So don’t call and ask for a conversation about your skills or to have someone review your resume and give you advice. This gives the impression that you are either clueless about the way the company works (meaning you haven’t bothered to look up the agency and how they work), or you do understand how the agency works and you are completely disrespectful of a recruiter’s client-funded time. (Armstrong, 2014)
When SHOULD you call a recruiter? When you have applied for a specific role, when you truly know that you are qualified for the role, and when you know that putting a voice to the name will help to put you in best light. Alternatively, you can ask a few quick questions about the duties of role to clarify whether or not you are qualified, or interested, before applying.
What Career Satisfaction Looks Like
People who are satisfied in their careers believe that their work is a worthy expression of their life and they gain pleasure from it. They enjoy stretching their talents and drawing resourcefully from their personal depths.
They believe the harder they work, the luckier they get. They usually work and play hard. They lead full and balanced lives. They have a strong sense of who they are. They think about how their careers change them as people. (Celia Paul Associates, Inc., 2009)
Where to Begin
Through work history or education, if you can determine what you enjoy, you can make it a career. Setting goals and breaking down the required steps to make it happen are all it takes to be whatever you want to be in this world. However we caution you about going down that rabbit hole without some objective assistance.
How to Select a Career Counselor
Start with asking yourself exactly why you are hiring a career coach. Do you want someone to help you change careers, or do you want advice and coaching on how to move up in the career you already have? Now that you have your goal in hand…
Ask your peers about coaches they know, like and trust (scroll down to view a few we suggest). A word of caution here. Because coaching is highly personal, a certain personality type or set of values might work well for someone else but be a disaster for you. When you search keep in mind your key areas of interest and stay focused on that when interviewing potential coaches.
Also be sure to check for certification from International Coaches Federation (ICF).
If You’re Feeling Lost, Hire a Career Coach!
The right Career Coach will provide you with essential emotional support, helping you to identify your “why”, give input and direction, mentor and teach you skills that lead you to finding, and managing your new career direction. A career counsellor on the other hand will help you match what you love with an assessment of what you are capable of doing.
If you are driven and proactive, hunt for that passion, take the next step to get the qualifications and experience you need, and then call a recruiter to put yourself out there.
Our Picks for a Career Coach or Counsellor:
Lorraine Richmond for Life Career & Leadership Coaching: https://lorrainerichmond.com/
TQM Consulting for Career / Job Counseling: https://www.tqmconsulting.ca/
Works Cited:
Armstrong, K. (2014). About Career Counselling. Retrieved from Katie Armstrong Psychotherapy & Career Counselling: https://katiearmstrong.ca/about-career-counselling/
Celia Paul Associates, Inc. (2009). CAREER RENEWAL: When to do what. Retrieved from Celia Paul Associates: Premium Career Management for Physicians: https://www.careerchangeability.com/doctors/articles/recruiters.html
Barbara Ashton is the CEO and Executive Search Specialist at Ashton & Associates Recruiting Inc
The Ashton team of headhunters and human resource consultants can be reached at 1-800-432-6893 or [email protected]
Offices in Kelowna and Kamloops serving Employers of Choice throughout BC.
Recent Comments