New graduates and young professionals may not fully appreciate the inherent value of career coaching. However, engaging a career management coach early in your career is an investment. We set you up with numerous advantages so you step into the marketplace polished and prepared. You will learn lifelong skills, like networking, negotiating and acing interviews. All of these will serve you well during internships as well as throughout your working career.
In fact, one of the most useful gifts parents can give to their graduating children is a grooming session with a career management coach. Hiring an Equity Career Coach comes with the benefit of cost effectiveness. Our services are custom tailored to meet your needs. And they are also modular. You simply pay for what you need. We will not subject you to high pressure sales or force you to purchase costly all-inclusive packages. We work efficiently with your requirements and set clear outcomes and goals so you understand exactly what you are paying for.
New Graduates and “Inexperience”
The main challenge most new graduates and young professional grapple with is how to manage their inexperience on the resume. You really want the job and believe you can do it. But you lack the experience described in the job description. Or you do not have some of the skills the employer wants.
Our seasoned coaches understand the job market extremely well. We have worked with employers in virtually every employment segment and industry. And we have coached employees from entry level to executive. While recruiters do advertise for specific skills, what they are really looking for is potential and a general repertoire of soft skills. You likely already possess some of them.
Your coach will conduct a self discovery assessment to help identify the assets you already own. They will help you craft a personal narrative that you can use to catapult yourself forward.
Creating Your Personal Brand
Your resume, LinkedIn profile and cover letters are, first and foremost, selling tools. They precede you at job interviews with prospective employers. These are your most important branding assets. They must be created with the singular goal of getting noticed by the gatekeepers so you are invited for a face-to-face interview.
New graduates often struggle with getting this right. Your coach will help you organize the information to look professional and project the right attitude. Resumes and cover letters should be relevant and customized for each job application to include key words the employer is seeking.
Young Professionals: Looking For Work
If you are looking for a job in today’s tough job market, you already know it is not fun. You have probably spent countless hours on the internet emailing hundreds of resumes and customized cover letters. And most likely, they have resulted in a continuous stream of rejections or no responses at all. Job hunting is frustrating, discouraging and demoralizing.
That is, unless you know what you are doing. One of the most valuable skills you will learn from an Equity Career Coach is the art of looking for a work. Which websites and job boards are best? How can social networking channels broaden possibilities? How to utilize recruitment firms effectively. And most importantly, how to approach the “hidden” job market and become known to decision makers, even when no formal job is advertised.
The job hunting and networking skills and insights you stand to gain from your coach will serve you for a lifetime. They will groom you to continuously recognize opportunities and present yourself for promotions and growth throughout your career.
Interviewing
As a new graduate, you will likely have butterflies in your stomach prior to your first big job interview. Why not attend a session with a career coach to harness the energy to benefit, rather than paralyze you?
Most of us will go through career changes multiple times in our lives. Young professionals may not have transitioned through jobs and careers often enough to ace the interview process. You may still lack the confidence to present yourself effectively and sell your abilities.
Not only will your Equity career coach train you in mock interviews, you may also call upon us to practice actual interviews just before they are scheduled. And all the while, we will train you on the proper follow up etiquette to ensure you leave no stone unturned to get to the next phase of the hiring process.
Negotiating Your Compensation
Our younger clients are always surprised to learn that they can and should negotiate compensation. Yes, you should do it, even for entry level jobs. Your salary, according to some, should only represent 70% of your total compensation! Vacation Pay, Health Benefits, RRSP top ups, professional development opportunities are examples of perks many employers will pay to attract and retain top candidates.
Negotiation is a learned skill. Your career coach can help you with the accepted protocols involved with salary negotiations. With clear insight to the marketplace, your coach can also identify when you have a good deal in-hand or whether you are being short changed.
Job On-Boarding
Any experienced career coach will tell you that the first three months, usually the probation term, is a time for learning, fitting in and showcasing your true potential.
You are entering a new and unknown culture. As a new graduate or young professional, you may not know how to act diplomatically in certain situations. While you have to make a good first impression, you may also have to deal with many personalities and pre-existing politics. You will need to understand the local corporate jargon to fit in. And perhaps your communication style requires adjustments?
The relationship with your career coach can continue well after you have landed the job. Having us in your corner, as a trusted confidante, will allow you to work through the growing pains of settling into a new job and sailing onward to possibilities ahead.