One of the most complex life decisions anyone can make involves career changes. Are you feeling unfulfilled at a job that you have been at for years? Maybe the writing is on the wall and you believe it is finally time for a change. Or the worst-case scenario applies. You’ve been given the golden handshake. Your job is obsolete and no longer of value in the modern economy. Statistics suggest that most of us will change careers several times in our adulthood. And depending on the opportunities, some changes will be dramatic and not connected to what you did in the past. Hiring a career coach for professional transitions often makes the whole process streamlined and much easier to navigate.
Career Transition Services
Our coaches have assisted professionals, from virtually every industry, take the leap into different sectors. And yes, some career changes have been drastic. We helped a financial services executive transition to her beloved hobby of furniture restoration, and turn it into a successful profession. Similarly, a career engineer, well qualified for jobs within his field, approached us because he simply desired a more flexible lifestyle. He engaged us to help him settle into a rewarding consulting career. Typically, however, most clients arrive at our door shell-shocked following a corporate restructuring or job loss. The longer they had been at their previous job, the more lost they are about the future.
We created Equity to help them. Our Career Transition Services includes a thorough introspective self-assessment with a personal career coach to help you identify and define your path to success. And through this exercise, some clients conclude that a change is in order. As you muddle through the possibilities to make decisions about your upcoming career, you will eventually arrive at the biggest hurdle associated with this issue – putting it all into action to make it happen.
Hiring a Coach for Career Changes
For many clients, career changes mean starting at the beginning. You may require adult education to brush up on skills to fill a gap. Your resume and digital profile will feature your past life and require a connection to your new career. And then there is the matter of finding opportunities in a field where you may be the new-kid-on-the-block. You will require an incredible amount of motivation to keep going.
This is where hiring a career coach who is well-matched for your needs becomes invaluable. Often, this makes the difference between a smooth and a rough transition. Our coaches have been down this road before with numerous clients. We have seen almost every type of scenario play out and understand what needs doing for a career change. We offer you the advantage of stepping into your new profession, well prepared and focused.
Our Three-Step Process
Whether you are entering a new job or pursuing entrepreneurship, you will need to market yourself. Getting in front of a prospective employer or new client requires you to prepare a resume or brochure. And your digital profile will also require attending to – what will people find when they Google you? Does it reflect your new chosen field of work or do you need to smoothen the gaps? Your coach will help you work through all the steps to get you ready for prime time.
This is the three-step process we generally follow in this situation:
- Create your narrative, a story that is yours to own.
- Thread all the skills you have accumulated to create a picture of continuity.
- Articulate how the sum total of your experiences makes you uniquely qualified for your new career.
Highlighting Your Skills
A career coach will identify the inventory of skills you have acquired throughout your life. These include soft skills, like time management, excellent communication and interpersonal abilities. We will show you how to sequentially thread them together. More importantly, as an impartial third party, we help you identify those aspects of your career you might want to strategically downplay.
Ultimately, the true value of hiring a career coach to remain by your side is to help you create a strong personal brand for yourself.
And when you are ready, your coach will help you embark on your search for a job or your first client.
Does your resume come across as disjointed and lacking continuity? Have you had trouble explaining this at job interviews? We can help you communicate your career change and put that important polished touch on your resume to make you stand out from the crowd.