How to find the career help you need
So you've decided you need to spring for a pro to help you find the right career, land a job, or help you be more successful in your current job. Here's how to find the right kind of help:
First, decide if you want a career counselor or a career coach. While there is overlap (indeed, my own practice is a cross between the two), the two terms aren't synonymous. Career counselors are more oriented toward helping you understand yourself. Career coaches are more focused on helping you set practical goals and follow through onthem.
Career counselors, for instance, are more likely to:
- Help you develop insight into who you are: your strengths, weaknesses, and predilections.
- Help you understand fears that are keeping you from choosing a fully satisfying career or conducting an aggressive job search. It's not psychotherapy, but a career counselor may plumb emotional issues.
- Teach you sound methodology for landing a job.
- Help you craft a résumé and cover letter.
Career coaches are more likely to:
- Ask questions to help you identify goals for improving performance at your current job or for getting promoted.
- Ask questions to help you identify goals and objectives for improving your life outside of work.
- Focus on the here-and-now rather than looking back to childhood-rooted psychological factors in your behavior.
Locating the ideal candidate
Once you've decided whether you want a counselor or coach, how do you find the right person for you?
Sure, ask friends for recommendations, but I urge you to talk with three candidates before choosing one. You're unlikely to get three names from friends, so I recommend you simply Google "career coach" or "career counselor," check out their websites, and then phone those that sound potentially right. Don't worry if they're halfway cross the country. Telephone counseling can work almost as well as in-person meetings. Better to have a superior counselor/coach by phone than a mediocre one in-person. That said, if it's important that your career counselor know the local job market well, search within your nearby area.
On the phone, start with something like, "Hi, my name is Marty, I'm looking for a career coach and liked what I saw on your website. Would you mind answering a few questions?" The person will undoubtedly assent, whereupon you should ask:
"What kinds of clients, in what sorts of careers, are you most and least effective with?" (Do not reveal your situation first. That can tempt the person to shade the answer to match your circumstances.) If the person's strengths don't match your needs, say thanks and move on. Don't be convinced otherwise. There are thousands of counselors and coaches. You have the right to hold out for one who's particularly effective with people in your situation, for example, one that specializes in disgruntled lawyers or stay-at-home moms. I specialize, for instance, in helping successful professionals become happier and more successful in their current career. If the candidate does specialize in people like you, do this:
It's usually recommended that you ask for references. I don't believe that's worth it, however. Even bad counselors can dredge up a few people who will say nice things. And many excellent counselors will refuse to provide references. They need clients' permission to release phone numbers and other info, and many will be reluctant to spend the time or impose on their clients.
At this point, if you haven't yet spoken with three counselors/coaches but like the person, say something like, "I've really liked talking with you and may well call back to schedule an appointment, but I've planned to talk with one or two other people and I feel I should do that. Is that OK?"
If the counselor is anything but supportive of that, beware. At a minimum, it suggests a short fuse that could blow at some point during your work together.
Next up: I'll teach you how to make the most of your work with a career counselor or coach.
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