Did you know that fewer than two-thirds of employees (64%) in the UK are satisfied with their jobs? This is according to the findings of the 2019 survey by Mercer Human Resource Consulting.
Even more worrying is that this has gone DOWN since the survey was last conducted in 2016.
If you’re one of that 64%, what can you do to improve your job satisfaction?
Of course, as a career coach specialising in working with ambitious women, I’m bound to say “work with a career coach”.
And you’re probably thinking …
But how exactly does career coaching work?
It’s going to vary from coach to coach so I’ll tell you how I work.
I offer a range of options depending on where you are in your career.
It could be that it’s just the CV or LinkedIn piece that needs fixing. Or you need some clear cool-headed advice for your job interview next week.
Or maybe you want to start job hunting but you’re feeling so overwhelmed that you don’t know where to start; you’re not sure you’re in the right career; and you don’t even know what you want any more.
Or you are frustrated because you keep being overlooked for promotion and you don’t know what you’re doing wrong. But on the other hand, you keep wondering when you’re going to get found out.
Or you might simply want to get your career questions answered each month by one of the UK’s leading career coaches in live sessions and weekly accountability to keep you on track.
How does career coaching start?
Again every career coach will work slightly differently.
With me, it starts with an initial conversation to explore what you want, whether you’re ready to take action, if I’m the right person to help you do that and which of my programmes would be the best fit.
From here on in, I’m talking specifically about my Fast Track Your Career coaching programme.
If we both agree that yes, this is a good fit, I’ll send you an agreement, a link to a Getting Started questionnaire, Frequently Asked Questions and an invoice.
Once you have completed the paperwork, we’ll agree a date and time for the first session.
That first session is SUPER critical. THIS is when we discuss what you want to focus on i.e. what’s the career goal you want to work towards. Is it about promotion, a new job, career change, more responsibility, a sideways move or something else.
At the end of the first session, you decide two or three actions you will take and we book the next session.
How often do the coaching sessions take place?
To keep the momentum, I recommend that the sessions are every couple of weeks.
Though sometimes we might need a longer gap between sessions because of holiday or sickness. That’s ok too.
And whether you prefer early morning, daytime or evening sessions, there’ll be something to suit you.
What happens during the coaching session?
Coaching is a one-to-one relationship that supports the individual in a non-directive way so that you get clear on your goals and decide how you want to achieve them.
At its heart, coaching is about using powerful and effective questioning alongside other coaching ‘tools’.
Now you might think “Well anyone can ask a few questions” but the trick is to ask the right questions.
And it’s not just your answers that I’m listening to. I’m also listening to what you don’t say.
This is me holding a safe space where you can say what you really think; what you really feel; without worrying whether I might get angry or upset or confused (which is what happens sometimes if you ask friends or family for careers advice).
And of course it’s completely confidential.
I typically use the GROW model which stands for GOAL – RESOURCES – OPTIONS and WAY FORWARD.
At the start of each session, you’ll update me on how you got on with your actions from last time. And if they didn’t happen, we’ll talk about that too.
And then I’ll ask you what you want to focus on for the current session.
During the session, I will invite you take notes. At the end, I will ask you to review your goal and summarise the actions you have decide to take.
Sometimes I’ll suggest ‘homework’ for you to do in between sessions. For example, one of the most popular workbooks in my Career Club is about identifying your core values.
What is the role of the career coach
I am not your counsellor, your psychiatrist, your mentor or your teacher.
As a coach, I have absolute faith that you have all the answers within, and that you are the expert in your own life.
A coach, like me, will help you unlock doors in your mind that maybe you didn’t even know were closed.
I truly believe you can do ANYTHING you believe you can do. Sometimes we might need to explore unhelpful thoughts and beliefs that are getting in your way. Your inner critic might be shouting so loud, you’re not thinking straight.
Trust in the process. It works. Believe me.
My role, as coach, is to facilitate the process, to ask the questions, to keep us on time and to keep you on track.
Your role, as client, is to take responsibility for what you want to focus on in each session, turn up on time and take action.
How career coaching works
In a nutshell, that’s how career coaching works.
I ask questions, you answer. You decide on what you will do. You take action. We both celebrate when you achieve your goals.
The more you prepare for each session in advance, the more value you’ll get from career coaching.
I’d love to hear from you if you have tried career coaching? What did you most value from the experience?
p.s. To find out more about career coaching with me and the programmes I offer, click here.
Or if you prefer, let’s have a quick conversation.
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