Do you feel unfulfilled or stuck in your current role?

Are you considering a career change in 2023 but don’t know where to start? Are you scrolling through article after article without getting the help you might need? Read our blog post about finding career help in 2022 to find some of the answers you’ve been looking for. And it just might be the last career help blog post you’ll need to read!

But first, a bit about us…

Career Academy was formed with the purpose to help candidates in the creative, marketing, PR and digital sectors and people with advice and support in their career and recruitment or job seeking enquiries.

It brings together decades of recruitment experience from our founders Liz Gadd and Rebecca Hodgson and individual support from career and HR experts, including our Community Manager, Celia Gadd. Something we’ve been getting a lot at Moxie and Mettle and Rustic and Rural, however, is that candidates are often unsure of what they want to do next. And we know how difficult it is to find good resources and advice online.

Therefore…

Today, Sarah Archer, an expert in career coaching and author of two books ‘Developing Your Inner Coach’ and ‘How to Boost Your Wellbeing at Work” shares her expertise and knowledge of working with a career coach. As well as the reasons someone might consider career coaching and the benefits of it too!

Find out more about Sarah Archer here.

What is a career coach then?

A career coach can provide a one-on-one consultation and offer useful resources and tools if you are feeling stuck in your role, career, or professional life. Engaging with a career coach can also help you identify specific career goals, help with interviewing techniques and marketing yourself and your CV better. You might also want to get in touch with a career coach when you want to be more successful, either in your current job or a future one! A career coach is there to empower you and make you look out for the necessary answers.

According to Sarah Archer “a good coach will help you reach clarity and insight into your situation and what you need to do next. They also provide encouragement and inspiration whilst helping manage any anxiety around change and challenge”.

But you may ask, how is a career coach exactly going to help you?

The truth is you shouldn’t expect a career coach will solve all your problems without any work from your side. A career coach is there to support you, make you think in the right direction, using a variety of tools and exercises along the way.

Career coaches “often use a range of tools chosen specifically for your situation. These can include personality tests, skills and strengths analyses, self-awareness exercises or practical tools to support job search – CV, LinkedIn, Interviews”, mentioned Sarah Archer. So, if you really want to succeed and benefit from using a coach, you should be ready to engage with the process and walk the full walk.

When should you contact a career coach?

Now that you know how a career coach can help you, you might want to consider when you should approach a career coach. According to Sarah, “you can work with a career coach if you feel stuck, unfulfilled or lack direction in your current role. Or you may decide to get in touch if your CV’s not working for you, you’ve been unsuccessful at interview, are wondering if you’re on the right career path or aren’t sure how to progress in your career”.

But while you might think you should only get in touch with a coach when things aren’t going your way, the truth is, you can also contact one when you are feeling happy! Sarah Archer believes that you should be proactive and engage a career coach even when you are looking to achieve a career objective. That might be finding a new job, changing your career out of curiosity, or just looking for more success.

At the same time, “finding a coach because you want to be more successful and increase your impact, visibility and prepare for a promotion or step up in a new job can help you stand out and get to where you want to be faster”. It’s all about managing your expectations!

In that case, what should you expect when working with a career coach?

The most important expectation you can have is that career coaches are there to help you! They use a range of tools and exercises, listen to your concerns, and guide you in the right direction. So, if you enforce everything you learn, your expectations will be met!

“Career coaches are generally solution focused, working with you to achieve a specific goal. They can also help you identify any behavioural or emotional issues that may be blocking your career success, such as a bullying manager, a bad work experience or low confidence”, explains Sarah.

What are some of the benefits of using a career coach?

Apart from achieving your goals, career coaches can help you move forward and make progress in your careers! They can also change your mindset and help you build a stronger personality.

Sarah also adds that, “your career coach is your cheerleader and your brand awareness team – they can see what you offer and help you promote it successfully.

“They’re also your guide and someone who can help you be objective and make decisions that are right for you. As well as become more assertive, have more influence and ultimately more career happiness and success”.

What sort of exercises and techniques do career coaches use?

This depends on the coach! For Sarah that is through personality tests, research, strength analysis and CV/LinkedIn workshops.

She explains: “I have a few tools I use with clients to help increase their self-awareness, build their career criteria and then I support them through the research phase, so they can make a robust decision about their new career direction. At the same time, I also use several positive psychology techniques to help build their confidence and positivity about the change”.

So, what should I do next?

Well, if you are looking to find answers to any of these problems, then career coaching is for you! You can get in touch with Sarah Archer too.

She’s offering free consultations to anyone who is unsure of whether career coaching is for them! Just follow the link to her website and book yours today! You can find her website here.

And if you are still unsure or are looking for more resources, check our blog to find information about CVs, cover letters and interview techniques.

You can also read more about the differences between career coaching and recruitment on our partner company’s, Moxie and Mettle, blog post. Check the blog post here.