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Top 5 Signs You Need a Career Coach

As a life and career coach, I am often asked what kind of people hire me to coach them and why do they come to me in the first place.

I can pretty much answer that question in three words – THEY ARE STUCK.

It doesn’t matter if someone is laid off, fired or just sick of their current job, the time to get a career coach is when you’re not making the progress you need to make in finding the dream career you truly want.

Based on my experience working with hundreds of clients, here are my top 5 signs you need a career coach:

1. The hamster wheel keeps spinning

Ever felt like you’re on a hamster wheel? You’re looking online, applying for jobs, getting a couple callbacks for interviews, but not landing the job. You feel you’re on an endless cycle of applying and being rejected. And quite frankly, you’re not even getting a rejection, you’re just hearing crickets because no one is getting back to you at all in today’s HR world.

A career coach can help pinpoint what might not be working and help you through the steps to get the job you want. This can be through updating your resume, sharpening your interview skills or arming you with the courage to look at a whole new career path that might be more fulfilling but scares the heck out of you—it all depends on your needs.

2. You’re not a good accountability partner for yourself

Are you not doing what you know you should be doing? According to executive coach Brian Whetten, one of the main reasons people hire a career coach is for accountability. They needed someone to help them lay out a plan and stick to it. If you’re letting days and weeks go by without taking action, a career coach can help you get the ball rolling.

3. You begin to settle for second best

This is a big no-no. The job offers don’t start coming in so you begin to apply for any job or tell yourself that you’ll take anything just to be employed or get out of your current crappy job. This is just kicking the proverbial can down the road and you’ll regret it within months of taking a position. Usually the problem is some kind of fear or block that’s keeping you from doing what it takes to boldly go after the job you really want. Get support from a career coach to help figure that out.

4. Everyone’s got an opinion and you need an unbiased view

Isn’t it great that when you say you want to find a new job everyone has an opinion to share with you? The problem is their opinion is just that – theirs. Often people are thinking through the filter of their own life experiences or their own needs and wants. If they want financial security themselves, they might suggest you stay at your job even if you don’t like it. If they’re a risk taker, they might encourage you to do something that is totally out of your comfort zone. Or it could be a loved one who worries about how your career change affects them. A career coach can be that objective third party that helps you think through all your options and provide support and guidance without all the baggage a friend or family member carries with them.

5. Your mind goes blank as you ask yourself what you want to do next

This is probably one of the biggest reasons I see for hiring a career coach. People know they want to leave their current job but they are so burnt out or discouraged from their work that they can’t even think clearly about what might make them happy in a new job. A great career coach has the tools, resources and ability to draw out your passions, gifts and values to help you think through career options that will fulfill you.

No major life change is done alone or in isolation. So don’t look at a job change as something you need to do on your own. If you’re not getting the results you want, then reach out and find a career coach that is a good fit for you. They can help you take that step towards finding the dream job you know is out there waiting for you.

Thinking of hiring a career coach to help you make a career transition? Browse our directory of career coaches and get a FREE consultation or request a personalized coach recommendation!

About the Author Kathleen Murray

Kathleen Murray is a career and life coach and an expert at guiding women (and some brave men) on the journey to living a fearless fulfilling life and loving Monday mornings! She can be found on Noomii and her website

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