What are your thoughts on career coaching?
Many executives and professionals have preconceived notions about what career coaching is and how it can help them. Regardless of what career stage you’re are in, working with a certified career coach can support you in a variety of ways including exploring your passions, strengths, and values.
In this episode, our host and CEO Porschia, is debunking the five biggest myths that often cloud people’s perceptions about career coaching. These myths are so pervasive that most executives and professionals believe at least one of them, if not more than one. So, whether you’re considering hiring a career coach or you’re already working with one, listen in as we unravel these misconceptions and shed light on the reality behind this invaluable resource.
What you’ll learn:
- The 5 biggest myths people have about career coaching
- The differences between a career coach, recruiter, staffing professional, and executive search consultant
- Why the first 90 days to a year are the most important ones that you’ll ever work for a company
- How career coaches act as a sounding board to help clarify your values
- Why not just anyone can be your career coach
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Episode Transcript
Porschia: [00:00:00] In today’s episode, we’re diving deep into the world of career coaching. We’ll be debunking the five biggest myths that often cloud people’s perceptions about career coaching. These myths are so pervasive that most people I meet really believe at least one of them. If not more than one. So whether you’re considering hiring a career coach or you’re already working with one, stick around as we unravel these [00:01:00] misconceptions and shed light on the reality behind this invaluable resource.
Myth number one is that a career coach is a recruiter. This is simply not true. Both career coaches and recruiters can be allies in your job search, but these are completely different roles. I know this can be confusing because some career coaches have recruiting backgrounds, but again, these are different roles.
Many of you know that I’ve been a certified coach for over 10 years and have a team of professional coaches. Coaches help to take their clients from a functional level to an optimal level. This means you might be going from where you are now to being successful with those specific things that you want to do in your [00:02:00] career.
Career coaches help you get clarity around questions like What really is your dream job? How do you make that a reality in your life? What steps do you need to take to get there? How can you improve with your leadership? How can you position yourself for that next promotion? Those are just some examples of what coaches can help you with.
They provide an open and honest space to work through different challenges. Coaches might also use different assessments and other self discovery tools to help you throughout the process. Career coaches are dedicated to guiding individuals on their professional journeys. They provide personalized support, helping you identify your strengths, clarify your goals, and develop strategies to achieve them.[00:03:00]
As a career coach, my role is to empower our clients to take control of their careers. Unlike recruiters who primarily match candidates with job openings, I work closely with individuals to explore their passions, strengths, and values, guiding them towards fulfilling career paths that align with their aspirations.
Recruiters are professionals that are employed by one or more companies to help them fill skilled jobs and management positions that are open. There are also external recruiters who work in a contract role with many different companies as their clients. Recruiters usually pre screen and interview candidates to make sure that they are a good fit for the role that they’re trying to fill.
Recruiters usually focus on finding candidates for full time positions within organizations. [00:04:00] If a recruiter doesn’t have any jobs that are a good fit for you at the moment, they usually keep your information on file in their database for future positions. Recruiters are usually paid by the organizations they work for, so you should not be charged any fees to work with a recruiter.
Staffing professionals are similar to recruiters, but are usually focused on filling short term roles. Staff level positions or to hire people for specific project work. Many staffing professionals focus on filling clerical and administrative roles that can be temporary in nature. Staffing professionals are also paid by the organizations that they work for, so once again, you shouldn’t be charged any fees to work with a staffing professional.
I also wanna touch on executive search consultants [00:05:00] because many people think of them as being very similar to recruiters. They are employed by organizations to find the most suitable and relevant candidate for a high level position. Regardless of if that candidate is looking for a new role or not, often the best candidates are not actively looking for new positions.
So executive search consultants are proactively going out and building relationships with executives so that when they contact that executive in the future, they might be open to hearing about a new job or opportunity. These consultants are usually engaged to find candidates at the senior director, VP, or C level.
within a company. And most of the executive search firms I know of are usually placing for positions with salaries of around 200, [00:06:00] 000 and up. So these are other professionals that can help you specifically during the job search so that you don’t have to do all of the heavy lifting yourself.
Understanding these different types of professionals is really important because there are people out there that are using these titles interchangeably, and they don’t know some of these distinctions. Our next episode is going to be all about recruiting.
Myth number two is that you only need a career coach when you’re looking for a job. A lot of people think you only need a career coach when you’re actively seeking employment. They only consider career coaching for reviewing resumes and acing interviews. A common misconception many professionals and executives have is that receiving a job offer and starting a new position means that you’ve reached the [00:07:00] finish line.
However, starting a new job is really the beginning of a new opportunity. I’m going to say that again. Starting a new job is really the beginning of a new opportunity. Do you understand the importance of your first 90 days and year as a new hire? Are you prepared to establish yourself as a top performer from the start?
Do you know how to demonstrate that you are a team player who could take on more responsibilities or promotion in the future? The people who understand these things as a new hire can hit the ground running and set themselves up to be successful in their organization. [00:08:00] Your first 90 days to a year are the most important ones that you will ever have.
ever work for a company. After working with hundreds of clients on their careers, we’ve noticed that some clients can quickly become acclimated into their new company and position themselves for even better opportunities internally. At the same time, others who do not 90 days or year might later find themselves stuck in a position and [00:09:00] not understand why.
This belief that you only need a career coach when you’re trying to find a new job overlooks the broader scope of career coaching, whether you’re aiming for a promotion, transitioning to a new industry, seeking greater work life balance. A career coach can provide invaluable support and guidance at every stage of your professional journey.
From refining leadership skills to navigating office politics and team dynamics, our clients gain clarity and confidence in their careers, even when they’re not in the job market. In fact, I find that leadership, communication, and conflict resolution are topics that come up with many of our clients. We work with them in those areas to transform their careers too.
This is when we [00:10:00] see our clients make great strides. They are getting tapped on the shoulder for promotions, even when roles aren’t technically open or they’re empowering their teams to reach higher levels of performance just by focusing on their own leadership development. As a starting place for leadership development, I encourage you to check out episode 46 on designing your leadership development plan.
Myth number three is that a career coach will tell you exactly what to do. In reality, career coaching is not about providing ready made solutions, but empowering you to discover your own path. A skilled career coach facilitates self reflection, asks probing questions, and offers guidance tailored to your unique circumstances, helping you make informed decisions aligned with your goals and values.
[00:11:00] Our approach with career coaching is not to dictate decisions, but to facilitate exploration and growth through active listening and powerful questioning. We empower our clients to tap into their own wisdom, helping them uncover insights and chart a course that resonates with their authentic selves. We might act as sounding boards, helping you explore options, clarify your values, and make decisions aligned with your goals.
Myth number four is that anyone can be your career coach while well meaning friends, family members, or mentors may offer advice. Professional career coaches bring a wealth of expertise and specialized training to the table. They possess in depth knowledge of career development theories, coaching techniques, and industry trends, enabling them to provide tailored guidance and support.
[00:12:00] Becoming a certified career coach requires rigorous training, and ongoing professional development. Those of us that are certified undergo extensive coursework, supervised coaching practice, and adhere to ethical standards to ensure we’re equipped to address diverse career challenges effectively. Now, there are a lot of people out there calling themselves coaches, and some of these people have just read a book and then decided that they can go out and coach people.
Or they did something once for themselves and they want to go tell everyone else how they did it. And that’s not going to make them a coach. Because coaching isn’t regulated, especially in the U S anyone can call themselves a coach. I recommend that you only seriously work with, or take advice from [00:13:00] professional coaches who are certified.
Please check out episode 19 on how to build a support system for your career. If you want to know more about my thoughts on a career support system, Versus your personal support system.
Myth number five is that career coaching will solve all of your problems. While career coaching can be immensely beneficial. It’s not a quick fix for all of your career woes. It’s a collaborative process that requires commitment, self reflection, and action on your part. A career coach can provide guidance, tools, and support.
But ultimately, your success hinges on your willingness to engage fully in the process. You will have to trust the process. I find that this can be difficult for [00:14:00] clients, especially those who are very detail oriented, analytical or have multiple master’s or doctoral degrees. Sometimes those clients have the most trouble trusting the coaching process.
Some people expect career coaches to have all the answers and solve all the problems. And while we and other coaches provide support through courses, resources, and coaching sessions. Real growth takes time and effort from the client. A coach can help you with setting achievable goals and holding you accountable.
As you navigate challenges and opportunities in your career, you might need to take specific courses or training on skill building for different things that you want to learn. Or areas that you want to develop, you might also need to work with a therapist or a counselor. If you have trauma or other [00:15:00] issues from the past that can stop you from moving forward.
We’re going to have a series on mental health soon, where I’ll be talking to some therapists. Creating this episode on the five biggest career coaching myths was extremely important to me. For years, I’ve seen people have these myths and really miss out on understanding how career coaching can support them.
Remember, a career coach is not just a recruiter or problem solver. They’re your partner in professional growth and development. Whether you’re exploring new opportunities, Seeking advancement, developing as a leader, or striving for greater fulfillment in your career. Consider leveraging the expertise of a professional career coach to unlock your full potential.
Now, I want to tell you about our popular masterclass. [00:16:00] Career 911, solving the top five challenges executives and professionals have. We’ve done this event live and so many people told me that they missed it or they wished it was on demand. So now it is. Over the last 10 plus years of working with Thousands of people.
I realized that most of our clients have had one of the same five challenges. If they never understand how to solve those problems, they might end up spinning their wheels for months or even years. I don’t want that to be your story. During the master class, you’ll learn why understanding your own personality is an essential part of planning and managing your career, how having your own customized career plan can help you navigate through your career, the five most common problems executives [00:17:00] and professionals have in their careers and how to overcome them, and what might be going on in the background that stops you from taking action.
If you want to learn more about how career coaching can help with solving the top five challenges, then please be sure to click on the link in the show notes or on our website. I hope you’ll make a little time to join me and focus on yourself and your career. Go and sign up. We look forward to continuing the conversation. [00:18:00]
