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Career Coaching

Elaine

I’m interested in people’s experiences of using a professional career coach as part of their own personal career and development planning. Has anyone used one and did you find it useful? If so how did you find them/identify the right person and (if you don’t mind sharing) how much did it cost?

I have recently tendered my notice on an HR Business Partner role with a very long commute that was starting to impact my health. Due to my long notice period and desire for a short break (1-2 months) to recharge my health and energy levels I decided to resign without a new post to go to. I have never been in this position before, always having moved from one role to the next when I was successful in obtaining a sideways move or promotion to a role that happened to catch my eye at a point I was starting to consider it was time to stretch myself or move on. I’m in the fortunate financial position that if need be I can take a few months to find the right next role and want to take a more planned approach this time round. I have 17 years L&D and generalist HR experience across a range of public sector employers (local government, emergency services, central civil service) which I’ve always been passionate about but wonder if it is time to spread my wings outside this sector. In the past managers and colleagues have informally mentored me/encouraged me to apply for posts but I don’t currently have a good professional mentor who I feel I can brainstorm this with and am considering taking some paid for advice but am trying to decide if this is likely to be a good investment.

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  • Hi Elaine, I've been providing career coaching services for 7 years now and all my clients would testify that the investment is definitely worth it. Things to look for when seeking a coach are:
    - rapport and coaching style (can you trust them, do you feel comfortable sharing, is their style a good match for you i.e. direct vs nurturing);
    - what specific help do you need? and can they demonstrate where they've helped others achieve the same outcome i.e. industry change
    - do they work with people like you, and what background / experience do they have that's important to you? i.e. professional women in their 30s/40s, HR specific clients / experience, public sector etc
    - what's the process? get clear on programme structure, expectations, access to them outside of sessions - identify what's necessary for a successful relationship for you
    - be realistic about how long the process could take, and the effort / time you need to invest to achieve your goal. I say this because you will be tasked with activities outside the session and often "life" gets in the way of this happening. So if you only have a certain amount / budget to invest, you want to make sure you get good ROI.
    - interview 2 or 3 coaches before making your decision, or get a recommendation from someone who's opinion your value (most of my clients back in Sydney came through referral)

    Good luck with your search. This is an exciting time for you. I made the transition into a self employed L&D consultant from a pure in-house recruiter through working with a career coach. It was a very empowering experience and I learnt a lot about myself in the process. It will be tough at times but oh so worth it.

    Let me know if you have any other questions.
    Nicola
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  • Hi Elaine, I've been providing career coaching services for 7 years now and all my clients would testify that the investment is definitely worth it. Things to look for when seeking a coach are:
    - rapport and coaching style (can you trust them, do you feel comfortable sharing, is their style a good match for you i.e. direct vs nurturing);
    - what specific help do you need? and can they demonstrate where they've helped others achieve the same outcome i.e. industry change
    - do they work with people like you, and what background / experience do they have that's important to you? i.e. professional women in their 30s/40s, HR specific clients / experience, public sector etc
    - what's the process? get clear on programme structure, expectations, access to them outside of sessions - identify what's necessary for a successful relationship for you
    - be realistic about how long the process could take, and the effort / time you need to invest to achieve your goal. I say this because you will be tasked with activities outside the session and often "life" gets in the way of this happening. So if you only have a certain amount / budget to invest, you want to make sure you get good ROI.
    - interview 2 or 3 coaches before making your decision, or get a recommendation from someone who's opinion your value (most of my clients back in Sydney came through referral)

    Good luck with your search. This is an exciting time for you. I made the transition into a self employed L&D consultant from a pure in-house recruiter through working with a career coach. It was a very empowering experience and I learnt a lot about myself in the process. It will be tough at times but oh so worth it.

    Let me know if you have any other questions.
    Nicola
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