What Makes a Great Career Coach?
A career coach often serves the role of teacher, trainer, mentor and advisor. They advise professionals who may find themselves:
- Not yet having chosen a career
- Unhappy in their current job role
- Facing a new career opportunity
Many career coaches will have a degree in social work, psychology, mental health, career counseling or a related field. While the industry of career coaching is not regulated, most will have a degree in one of these areas or in a specialized industry such as medicine, business or law, in which case they are seeking to leverage their industry experience to assist you within that particular field.
What Should a Career Coach Know About You?
- Your Job History: Time spent in each role, reasons for leaving each position, degrees and certifications.
- What Motivates You: This may include money, autonomy, acceptance or recognition.
- External Influences: Peer and family pressures related to title, budget, location and work/life balance.
- Knowledge of Current Events, Economics and Market Conditions: Your coach should know the lay of the land when it comes to cost of living, what you can expect to earn, and the job market in your industry and town.
- Your Personality: How you get along with people, how you are best managed, your aspirations regarding upward mobility, and what leaves you feeling satisfied after a day's work.
After an initial assessment, your coach will leverage this information and industry knowledge to recommend areas that may require additional training or expertise. IMPACT Group's consultants specialize in working with leaders and key contributors to help define the organization’s leadership pipeline, develop talent and coach C-level executives in strategy or through change.
For comprehensive career consulting solutions at your organization, contact IMPACT Group today.