Have you considered working with a Career Coach?

In 2022, I am committed to sharing tools that have helped me thrive in my personal and professional life. One of the tools that have significantly impacted my professional journey is career coaching. Until a few years ago, I did not know it was for me. I worked with a career coach when I moved to the US, and five years later, I just completed six months of working with another coach. 
 
In this blog post, I will share some of my experiences and lessons learned from working with career coaches. My goal is to help you see that this is a tool that is also accessible and can be beneficial to you. 
 
What is a Career Coach, and when does it make sense to work with one?
Career coaches provide a range of services, from helping you figure out what you want to do to explore opportunities for professional growth to supporting you through the ups and downs of looking for a new job. In my experience, you can work with a coach at any time on your professional journey. If you are planning to keep growing, exploring new things, and taking on new opportunities, working with a coach will help set you up for success. 
 
What were my goals when I worked with a Career Coach?
Interestingly the two times that I have worked with a career coach, I was in very different places in my career and had vastly different needs. 

• 2016: It was my first year in the US, and I realized that the professional environment was very different from what I was familiar with when I worked in Germany. By observing my colleagues, I could see that I was missing some skills that would help me thrive. I wanted to learn more about building my career plan, establishing my professional brand, and understanding the professional culture
• 2021 - 2022: I was preparing for a huge transition at this stage in my career. I knew that I needed to map my 3 - 5 year career plan to have some orientation as I embark on my journey. I needed some support with understanding where I want to go in the long term in my career, framing my new role, and setting myself up for success.

 
How did I approach my search for a Coach?
As I have progressed in my career, I have become more intentional about planning and preparing for the moves I make. Before I started my search for a Coach, I thought about what I wanted to work on with them. I had three goals that I have wanted to accomplish. The actual search for a Coach was different the first time. While taking professional certification classes at UC Berkeley, one of the professors mentioned that she was a coach. We had an introductory call where I learned about her work, decided it was a fit, and we worked together for about six months. My second coaching experience was part of a program at work where we partnered with a company that had coaches in their Network. I was able to select my preferences and was offered a pool of coaches to choose from.
 
Some of the things I look for in a coach include:

• Someone who understands my industry a little. As someone in Tech, I like working with coaches who have worked or coached others in my industry and understands the challenges 
• A person who has worked with people who have similar learning styles. It's easier to work with a coach who knows how to pass information so that you can easily digest it. I learn through studying and doing research. While I'm working with a coach, It helps me a lot when they make recommendations of things I could learn 
• The coach's price works for your budget. It is crucial that you can afford their services and want to invest at that time. Worrying about the money you are investing won't make the experience fun

 
How to make the best of your coaching experience

• Be honest and transparent: working with a coach is the best opportunity to be transparent about things you want to do better in your career. We don't have a lot of spaces where we can be vulnerable, and this is the right place for you to get the support you need 
• Be organized: I strongly believe that if you are organized and manage your time well, you get the most from the experience
• Prepare for your sessions: you need an agenda for each session that is shared with your coach beforehand. This ensures that the time you have together is very productive 
• Document your learnings: take notes during every session, document your next steps and review your notes before the next session
• Take action and be committed: prioritizing sessions was a way to keep your commitment to learning and growing

 
What did I get out of my coaching experiences?
Working with a coach has helped me grow professionally. Some of the outcomes of coaching include:

• Learned more about my strengths and found language to talk about them
• Revamped my professional brand on various platforms such as my blog, LinkedIn and my resume
• Streamlined my view of where I want to go and what I want to do professionally
• Discovered what I really care about in my life and work 
• Found encouragement to ask for what I want professionally and support to work towards my big goals

 
Final Thoughts
I recently talked to one of my colleagues, and she shared that she never thought working with a coach was for her. It got me thinking about how hesitant I was to work with a coach initially and how much my investment has paid off. If you are unsure if coaching is for you, test it and see. A lot of coaches offer info sessions where you can learn more. Coaching is a tool that has helped me a lot, and I hope you will take advantage of it. 
 
Great Resources 

• Benefits of coaching: Purpose, clarity, and passion in daily life
• Here's the Real Deal on What a Coach Can (and Can't) Do for Your Career
• 10 Benefits of Career Coaching
• 11 Benefits of Coaching in the Workplace
• 3 Reasons To Hire A Career Coach
• 7 signs you're ready to hire a career coach — and 3 signs you're not

 
Time for reflection

• In what areas of your career do you want to grow?
• How would you go about searching for a Coach?
• How do you plan to make your coaching experience worth it?