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.
