Is Career Coaching Helpful?
The short answer. Yes.
A collaborator without judgment is exceptionally invaluable.
A coach is there to help you understand where you are and where you want to go. Then, they help you spotlight the pitfalls and identify hazards. It doesn't sound like much, but it's beneficial in several ways that I'll explain.
When I was a teenage musician with long blond hair, and my wardrobe consisted exclusively of Metallica t-shirts, I had a small council of incredible music teachers who helped me understand every aspect of the craft. Still, even then, I never saw myself as someone who needed help. I felt vulnerable searching for a coach until I recognized it wasn't different from wanting to learn guitar and finding a guitar teacher to curate the process. Hiring a career coach is like hiring an experienced navigator to help you plan a route through challenging waters. There's nothing cowardice or weak about that, and after 6-months of coaching, I feel like a completely different person.
Idea wasteland
Feeling stuck in stagnation with nowhere to go is extremely frustrating; when we think this way, we've already overlooked our most promising next step. The ideas that change your situation are often simple and obvious (to someone else). Sometimes, we need to go backward before we can move forward again. A great coach's perspective will illuminate overlooked strategies and ideas. We've all experienced how it's easier to assess someone outside of yourself; we don't carry the same level of attachment or fear that they do about themselves. Because of this, we gain new insights and revisit old ideas with fresh eyes while collaborating with a coach.
We might think friends, family, and partners are helpful in this way, too, and that's true up to a point. But we're all viewed through our loved ones' emotional preconceptions. It's not that they want to hold us back, but it's hard to watch someone we care about expose themselves to risk. A coach does not view us through the same preconceptions that our family and friends will. This creates space for objective feedback and experimentation. In many cases, we're breaking free from a lifetime of constraints we've placed on ourselves. Ultimately, it's more risky to stay the same than to open ourselves up to the world courageously.
New eyes
Creating a new mental map of values was a side effect I didn't anticipate, but it has been a significant takeaway from working with my coach. When evaluating what I like and dislike in the work environment, initially, company culture ranked low in my value hierarchy. But after investigation, my number one predictor (by a lot) of daily enjoyment and career fulfillment was company culture! I falsely believed that the industry I was in was the most crucial factor for career fulfillment, but that turned out to be the least significant factor.
Understanding that culture is critical to me is valuable. Since I had almost entirely neglected to explore it before that understanding, I now had a new framework for gauging my compatibility with a job.
Moving Forward
We can take coaching as far as we want to go. We will face our fears and anxieties in a measured and controlled way. We will dig deep into our beliefs and values. We are hiring someone to kick our butt (in the most productive way possible). We're bringing in someone to teach us skills and give us the tools we need to go far and build a strategy around our goals, ambitions, and lifestyle. It's akin to being a student college while also deciding what the curriculum should be (and grading our efforts). As we overcome more limiting beliefs and phobias, our confidence grows, and the sphere of anxiety and fear retreats around us.
Was coaching help for me?
A resounding yes: most people would benefit from working with a coach even if they aren't struggling. It's always valuable to prioritize where our energy is going and understand ourselves better.
We all encounter deficits in skill, confidence, and patience along the way, but we will be provided with the tools to manage those challenges. A great coach will meet you exactly where you're at and spotlight what's important to focus on. The subtle shifts in routine, habits, and perspective create a measurable change in our trajectory. Over the course of months, our internal dialogue shifts from desperation to why to how and to what. We discover new capabilities and hone our strengths. Progress isn't a sprint; it's a slow burn over weeks, months, and years.
'The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living' — Socrates
My Coach
My coach, Sarah Glenn, has been fantastic to work with, and I highly recommend her services. Learn more and schedule a free consultation session here: https://www.completelycoaching.com/
