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Our career takes a substantial time of our lives, 5 out of 7 days a week, and it’s no wonder every one of us dreams of the perfect and fulfilling job. The hard part is understanding this fulfilling job and how to land it. If you have a similar goal but are unsure how to get there – you need a career coach. I asked two coaches, Barbora Hajná and Dagmar Pechová, what are the clear signs that can signal you that now is the perfect time to get a career coach to help with professional development.
The main sign of getting a career coach is feeling stuck and needing to change something in your daily routine. Usually, you're not sure where to begin and what next step to take, and that's where the career coach will help you immensely. Barbora summarises: "Generally, anytime in your career when you are looking for or feel a need for a change and are not quite sure what change it should be, when you are at a career crossroad, not sure which direction to turn – you better talk to a coach.
When on the job, you might be asking yourselves some of the following questions and not find answers quickly. Is this the right job fit for me? What is the next step I would like to take? Am I ready for promotion? Shall I take on the project? Why didn't I get the desired project/promotion? Do I want to keep doing this for the rest of my working career? What do I gain from what I am doing? What am I losing? What else could I do? How does my career fit what I want to do in my life? How do I sharpen the skills I need to do my job even better? Will anyone "out there "be interested in my application? Is this a good time to be changing jobs? Career coaching might not help you find universal answers, but it can help you find YOUR answers."
Imposter Syndrome has become a feeling that more and more workers have when doing their jobs. In the world of accomplishments, achievements, and rewards, it feels like you must work extra 20 hours every day to prove you know your job and deserve praise. Unfortunately, it always comes back with a negative outcome, where no matter what we do feels like it's not enough, and we get deeper into the burnout state.
Dagmar points out: "For people close to burnout or already experiencing burnout, the help of a coach is crucial. A career coach will help you get your bearings, understand your strengths and inner desires, and help guide you so that you move forward and your career continues to bring you not only benefit but also joy and get as much into "flow" as possible."
Another sign of getting a career coach is understanding that your job doesn't bring you joy anymore. You might have opportunities and development options, but the team, the company, or the industry sucks all your energy, no matter what you try.
Barbora says: "A coach can help you uncover what may have been hidden from your attention. Open up new paths. Discover what you need to learn and unlearn to open up the desired door in your career. And, sometimes, you can find you're doing the right things but aiming at the wrong doors. Career coaching can help you stay focused when figuring out what's best to do next."
We often acknowledge we need a fresh start, but it's not always the easiest to understand where to start and how to do it on our own. Women returning from maternity leave and senior professionals looking to change their careers after 45-55 years old have it the hardest.
Dagmar says: "A frequent occurrence in my practice is mothers returning from maternity leave, who have been caring for young children for a long time and have dropped out of the work environment. Their priorities have changed, and therefore their life and career plans have changed. They lack the support of those around them. The interview with the coach and discussing the possibilities will benefit here greatly, as work-life balance is crucial and healthy for all of us.
Additionally, the phenomenon of those working between 45-55 has been extremely interesting in recent years, with many experienced people with high expertise changing fields. Either already because they want to start living differently or have reached a point where the area they have worked in all their lives no longer fulfills them. Still, they are overqualified and, therefore, often unwanted. Support from a coach while making the change is highly beneficial."
Progressing in a career means applying to new jobs within the company or outside and attending the interviews. Although the interview usually takes 30 minutes to one hour, it's the most crucial part of any job application, and a career coach can help you prepare for it. Barbora adds: "A good time for engaging a career coach might be when you've decided to change jobs, started to seek a new one actively, but the response rate to your applications is below your expectations, or you may experience you do not seem to make it past the first interviews and are not sure why.
Career coaching can help you increase your awareness of what's working and what might be blocking you from getting your dream career. Look at issues from different points of view, validate your decisions, and practice for difficult interactions (difficult interviews, discussing challenging topics with peers or supervisors)."
If the signs above remind you of your current career state, don't hesitate to request a call with a Coach and enroll in the Coaching and Mentoring program. The coach will help you understand what is your dream job and define ways how to reach this dream in no time.
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