There are many ways to describe the pandemic and the last year so far – unbelievable, crazy, surreal, and definitely stressful. All around the world, people have been put under an enormous amount of stress like never before. How many of us have almost immediately started working from home? How have we suddenly become homeschool teachers and tutors? Even for countries or areas that are not as affected by the pandemic, there is still lingering knowledge of the global virus looming. To say everyone has been affected by extra stress over the past year is an understatement. So, since we can’t completely eliminate stress from our lives, let’s consider how we can manage it instead. Here are a few ways to tackle stress right now:

You fall into one of these categories: you're looking for a job, you're seeking a promotion, you're switching careers, or you want to boost your skills. You may be a little lost, too, so you're thinking about hiring a career coach. To help you out, we've compiled ten things you should know about career coaching.

You Can Hire a Career Coach Even Before You Think You Need Them

Think of this as a preventive measure. When you know you already dislike your job, you could eventually reach a point when you detest it. Go through career coaching before this happens so that you can come up with a plan to deal with the problem.

You can also hire a career coach while you're searching for work or if you'd like to improve your job-related skills. A career coach will help you set goals and guide you as you achieve them.

Career Coaching is Different from Career Counseling

Most people don't know what to expect with a career coach. Some think career coaching and counseling are the same. Career coaches work on the here and now to create holistic solutions to move you forward. Career coaches may help you examine your life as a whole and how your goals and objectives align with your values, strengths, interests, and abilities. Career counselors may focus on figuring out why your past experiences may have caused challenges.

Career coaches help strengthen and further develop your proficiencies. In contrast, career counselors may help overcome your deficiencies and get past psychological things that hold you back in work.

Different Career Coaches Utilize Different Methods

Some coaches prefer a more hands-on approach, while others love giving out charts and statistics to help their clients. A few promote independence with their clients and only provide assistance as needed. Every coach is different, so one coach may approach the same goal differently from another coach.

A Career Coach Can Simplify Things for You

Things can often be overwhelming work-wise. You have goals and items you want to do, responsibilities outside of work, and plenty of other things going on for you. A career coach can help you list everything that matters. While considering your strengths and weaknesses, a career coach will help you figure out the best way to approach everything.

You Can Receive Unbiased and Honest Feedback from a Career Coach

During your job search, everyone around you may not be quite as honest as a career coach. Your friends will continuously encourage and compliment you, but their feedback is often from a subjective view. A career coach will take on an objective view while considering your goals to help you achieve them.

Don't Expect a Career Coach to Instantly Change Your Life.

You can improve your resume with little time, but it takes longer to entirely change your career or enhance your work skills. Undergoing career coaching guarantees a better vision of your career goals and not an instant shift or an immediate job offer.

People Reach Out to Career Coaches for Various Reasons

Some common reasons for undergoing career coaching are:

You're feeling lost career-wise.
You're after a promotion or a skill advancement.
You're not getting hired despite being interviewed plenty of times.
Unbiased, objective advice will help you move forward.
You need someone to remind you of your goals and hold you accountable.

We also had clients that simply wanted more thrill within their workspaces, more rewards in their current jobs, and to start and explore a new venture.

It May Take a While Before You See Results from Career Coaching

Career coaching is a process and not an instant fix. You will not magically solve your career problems with just one session. Still, you will see better results after a few more sessions and some internalizing on your part.

Career Coaching Works as a Good Motivator for Better Career Progress

You will get the most out of career coaching sessions if you wish to progress in your career. Most people are too busy or confused when setting goals and following through with them, so career coaches help you stay on track.

Hiring a Career Coach is a Process

You'll probably go through a few career coaches before finding the right fit. Some career coaches may be great at what they do, but their coaching style and method may not suit you. Think of hiring a career coach like choosing clothes: you need to try them to see if they match you.

Career Coaching in Leadership Lab

Now that you have a better understanding of how career coaching works, what's your next step? If you're thinking of hiring a career coach, feel free to contact us.

Our goal is to collaborate with our clients and promote their ownership over their lives. We carefully listen to your goals and help you create personalized plans to achieve them. We also proactively support and motivate you into continuing and provide you with resources as needed.

The Lab Report