Let’s say you have been looking for a job for a while; couch surfing at the homes of kind of supportive friends and family while you try to work towards your dream career. Or maybe you have a job, but it certainly isn’t the dream – so you’ve been wistfully looking elsewhere, without much luck or interest from employers in what you have to offer.
What are you doing wrong?
The reality is, you aren’t the only job seeker asking themselves this question. But what you might be lacking is that third party insight that could help to get you exactly where you want to be. Which is where a career coach comes in.
People are relying more and more on matchmakers and relationship coaches to help them find “the one” in terms of love – so why shouldn’t the same logic apply to finding that match in your career? If you have been searching to no avail, it might be time to enlist the help of a coach who can give you that extra boost you need.
The Attitude
Just as with dating, success in a job search has a lot to do with attitude. Your modern resume could speak volumes to what you have to offer, but if you lack the confidence to express that same level of expertise in your interviews – you will almost always be passed over for the job. Even when you might otherwise be a perfect fit.
The flip side of that, of course, is when applicants have a confidence that spills over into arrogance. No one wants to work with the person who thinks they are too good for any give job, either.
A career coach can help you to hone your attitude, and to exude the right level of confidence, without turning hiring managers off. They can aid in working through any job search anxiety you may have, as well as creating realistic expectations for the task at hand.
Job search: find the job that fits your life
Plenty of job applicants make the mistake of applying to any and every opening they find. Particularly when a person has been out of work for a while, there is a desperation that takes over – and that has them sending the same exact cover letter and resume to each and every opening, because they are focused on quantity over quality.
A career coach will help you to better define what you are looking for, and to know where to look in order to find those opportunities. They will also help you to refine your resume and cover letter so that it is job specific, thereby increasing your chances of getting a foot in the door.
The Presentation
Which brings us to the presentation. Yes, making your resume career specific is absolutely important – but so is ensuring that your resume format best exemplifies what you have to offer. Career coaches will work with you to understand what hiring managers are looking for, and how to present yourself in a way that will be irresistible to recruiters. Then, they will guide you in your in-person presentation as well. Because it isn’t just about what you put on paper; but also about how you can back that information up in reality.
The Interview
An overwhelming majority of people suffer from anxiety surrounding public speaking and interview situations. You aren’t alone if the idea of sitting in front of a hiring manager and selling yourself makes you feel uneasy. But a good career coach will go over tools you can use to help dispel that anxiety, while also working with you on your interview skills until you feel confident in your ability to convince any hiring manager of your value.
So if you’ve been searching for a while, it might be time to consider a little extra help. While a career coach won’t ever be able to just hand you a job, they can provide the guidance you need to not only define what it is you want out of your dream career, but to also go out and get it for yourself!
