Although the concept of Career Coaching first emerged in the 90’s, it has only gained momentum and credibility as a valuable career investment in the last decade or so. There are those who remain sceptical, largely due to confusion around the purpose and benefits of engaging a Career Coach. I hope to provide some clarity for those of you exploring this valuable resource.
What is a Career Coach?
A Career Coach is a trained professional who offers their knowledge, experience, and insight to bring direction, focus and momentum to your career path. Whether you are a graduate just leaving university, a mid-level Manager stuck in a career rut, or a senior executive seeking new and exciting career challenges, a collaboration with a Career Coach provides guidance for developing a career strategy that ensures your future success in the professional world.
A Career Coach will assess your current professional situation, your strengths and weaknesses, and your passions and goals for the future. Together you will identify key elements that should be considered and re-engineered in order to enable you to start your renewed and reinvigorated career journey. The Career Coach will also provide you with the tools and methodologies needed to navigate and achieve your career goals.
Of course, it is important to remember that a Career Coach is a facilitator, not a fixer – the work required to achieve your goals will still need to come from you. And the process may feel uncomfortable at times, but in order to gain as much value as possible from a Career Coach, it is important to be honest, transparent, flexible in your thinking, and open to constructive criticism. A good Career Coach should challenge you and will quite likely expose truths about yourself that generate a significant level of discomfort, however, the end result of enlightenment and self-understanding will be invaluable in forging a successful career path.
Think of a Career Coach as a partner – someone who walks beside you and provides ongoing support that will assist you in navigating the professional ladder in a way that meets your personal goals. Also remember that collaboration with a Career Coach does not produce instant results – it is an ongoing journey of learning and enlightenment that may span numerous sessions over a period of time. Some people retain their relationships with their Career Coaches over many years, opting to view the collaboration as an asset that continues to generate good results.
How can a Career Coach help you?
A good Career Coach will assist you to:
- Gain career confidence
- Improve your professional communication skills
- Position yourself successfully in any given professional situation
- Highlight your strengths and minimise your weaknesses
- Set and master your career goals
Marjorie Ngwenya – Career Coaching
Consider the concept of Career Coaching as having an expert in your corner whose sole purpose is to ensure your success in the professional business minefield.
If you would like to learn more about Career Coaching, or are interested in a personal introductory session, I would love to engage with you, so please drop me an email at [email protected].
I look forward to hearing from you and helping you thrive in your professional life.