When you decide you need the assistance of a career coach making the correct decision will determine whether it is a good investment or not. The following are a few factors to consider while in the decision process.
Ask friends and colleagues for recommendations. A personal referral is always better than just searching on-line. When you contact the coach talk about what you need is and if they have experience working with people with a similar objective. Ask for references that you can talk with to verify results.
Clarify your expectations in terms of time commitment, method of communications and availability of your coach. You should have a specific plan of what you and your coach will do during your first few meetings together.
Share as much information about you and your situation as you can with your coach. The better your coach knows you, both the good and bad, the better he can assist you.
Decide whom you will tell you are working with a coach. There is nothing wrong with working with a coach but different people will react differently. Test the waters with your boss. You maybe surprised at the support both in terms of effort and funding.
Need someone to help you in your career planning? Want to talk to someone who has the experience to provide valuable guidance? Visit the Career Networking Pro website, http://www.CareerNetworkingPro.com, to learn how to get hooked up with an experienced career coach. Read about the job search process in the new book, People Hire People – Not Resumes, http://www.careernetworkingpro.com/book.
