If you’ve been struggling with finding a job, sometimes it pays to invest in some professional help from a career coach or counselor. They can help you polish your resume, clean up your interview skills, and help you figure out how to get what you want out of your future. Career coaches are sort of like a cross between a traditional sports coach, drilling you on your skills and pushing you to be your best, and a counselor, who asks you the questions to help you figure things out on your own.

Understanding What it Is- And ISN’T

Understanding the purpose of a career coach and what they can do for you is critical to having a successful relationship with one. A career coach is not there to find you a job. A career coach is there to help you figure out the skills you need to find a job for yourself. The goal of a career coach is to assist you in evaluating yourself and offer you tools to help you move your career forward. You will only get as much out of the process as you put in yourself. It is also not a magic fix, where one visit will solve all of your problems. There is homework to be done in between sessions, and you should expect to spend at least a few months working with a career coach for the process to pay off.

Success

Know What You Want to Accomplish

Having a set of goals that you want to accomplish is necessary to guide the process and to track your progress. Simply saying that you want to improve your situation is not sufficient. What do you hope to gain from this process? How long do you expect it to take? How will you know when you’ve accomplished your goals? These are questions that you will need to have answers to either upon beginning the process, or within the first few visits. Having a specific goal helps you develop a clear cut plan for achieving that goal.

Pick the right coach

Finding a coach that shares your values and outlook can be essential to making the process work. If you’re someone who does best with a direct challenge, and the coach has a softer, more encouraging approach, you may not get as much out of the process as you would like. Knowing these things ahead of time is critical to finding the right person to help you through the process. If you find that you and the counselor you are working with don’t click, or aren’t a good match, it is completely fine for you to choose to go in a different direction. Don’t settle for a relationship that doesn’t fit for you- it’s your money and your career.

Leave your self-doubt and skepticism at the door

Sometimes by the time you reach out to a coach for help, you’ve become so frustrated by your lack of progress on your own, that you have become hardened and cynical about your prospects. If you’re finances are strapped, you may have difficulty forking over the cash for the process, and may be wondering about the value of such a decision. Remember that cynicism is not the way to enter the process and that negativity will only cloud it. You are here to move forward and build on your strengths, not dwell on your weaknesses or the struggle you’ve had so far. Being fully committed to the process is the best way for you to get the most out of it.

Be Honest, Especially with Yourself

The advice that a career coach can offer is only as good as the information that they receive. Being completely honest with them is essential to the process working. Don’t inflate your abilities, or lie about how hard you’ve tried to find a job. If you’re a quiet introvert, don’t tell them that you are an outgoing and social person- it may cause them to spend time focusing on the wrong issues. Make sure everything is on the table- if you have a negative issue in your past, the coach can help you find a way to meet that challenge head on- don’t hide it.

Think Participant, Not Recipient

This is a process you are paying for, not a product. You are not purchasing a job interview, you are learning skills to help you determine your course of action. Don’t expect to show up and have them do all of the work. If you don’t put any effort into making changes or seriously evaluating yourself, you will find yourself very disappointed. This is an educational experience, where you are expected to think, learn, and do your homework. Your counselor will be there to help you figure out goals and a plan of action for the week, and to help you evaluate at the end. It is your job to enact the plan and meet your goals.