I have a confession: It’s lonely being a career coach.
Unlike most corporate workers, I don't work in an office, see my colleagues or have casual work lunches.
Which is why last week was so exciting - General Assembly invited me to be on a panel alongside other incredible career coaches including Jason Ho, Elaine Bernalyn S. Cercado, and Geetika Agarwal, ACC (ICF)!
It was a GA event by career coaches for career coaches, and a great opportunity to be surrounded by my peers!
We spoke candidly about the realities of being a career coach & how we (as career coaches) help people thrive beyond layoffs.
Here are some thoughts I had shared. I hope it helps you too.
🔥 Job security doesn’t exist?
People are realising that their jobs aren't as secure as they thought. “Lifers” are an increasing rarity & very few people intend to stick to one company for their entire company.
Instead, people are looking inwards to discover what they truly value and want to do for the rest of their lives.
And sometimes, they need help doing so. That’s where we career coaches come in!
🔥Don’t follow trends
Everyone is crazy about AI / ML now but trends die.
My advice to anyone seeking to pivot into a new career is to ignore trends. Instead, select a job that aligns with your strengths and interests.
You might be earning a high 6-figure income at a prestigious job now but sooner or later, it will no longer be enough.
You’ll hit the next rung of Maslow’s Hierarchy and want more than just income and job security.
🔥Personal brand is critical
I became a career coach in 2020 but in 3 years, I’ve had the privilege of working with incredible clients from ByteDance, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and BlackRock (to name a few) and also got invited to speak at the GA panel (despite being the youngest on the panel)!
That all boils down to my personal brand.
Because I’m unafraid to share my personal views, career advice and personality, people have gotten to know me well and over time, even trust me to help them find their dream jobs!
I have just crossed 6,500 followers on LinkedIn but managed to build a business that sustains me while allowing me to hire others.
Anything is possible.
Just keep putting yourself out there, be authentic and know that numbers aren't always everything.
Value is.
🔥Ask the right questions
My clients come from many different industries and companies. It’s impossible for me to be an expert in all of them, and I don’t try.
Instead, I focus on listening well and asking the right questions.
Often enough, my clients already know the answer.
They just need the right person (i.e. me) to listen, pick out keywords and focus their attention on those areas to identify the path to take to find their dream career.
Do you have any questions for me on how to find your dream career / what it’s like running a career coaching business?
Feel free to leave a comment below!
📥 And if you need help finding your dream career, DM me HELP!
