The value of career coaching for new entrants into the job market is often stressed upon, but the same is barely ever done for experienced professionals. The odds of making an incorrect career decision are never truly zero, so why is professional career guidance only treated as a necessary service for novices? The pressure of taking the wrong professional turn is, in fact, higher in case of those candidates who have had a successful career trajectory so far, but are reconsidering their choices due to lack of avenues for growth or professional redundancy. In this article, we have tried to establish the importance of sound career coaching for such experienced professionals.
Though there is no set industry definition for the job, a career coach is someone with expert know-how in general hiring, and is formally trained to provide strategic advice and consultations to clients in the process of their career transition.
A competent career coach is best suited to help professionals with years of experience in restructuring their current career trajectory to ensure maximum growth, or even aid them into making a smooth shift into other employment choices based on their aspirations and aptitudes.
The first few sessions are always introductory ones- the coach will try to gain detailed insights into your past experiences and future goals, through surveys, questionnaires, or other methods. Once the coach has clearly identified the client’s career objectives, a personalized plan of action is drafted to achieve the same. From week to week, your coach will hold you accountable to ensure that you are constantly taking action towards the decided goal.
There is no right answer to this one- as long as you have a career, the services of a career coach will be value-added for you. By treating career coaching as an avoidable expense, you are only missing out on valuable insights into making your career grow.