Job search game plan: Call in a career coach
For many, a job search can be a lonely and gut-wrenching endeavor, requiring both stamina and a strong ego to withstand the constant churn of submitting applications and receiving rejections.
But finding a new gig doesn’t have to be a solitary affair. In fact, more job seekers — especially millennials — are taking a team approach and hiring career coaches to help guide their efforts.
Kolby Goodman, founder of thejobhuntr.com and a career coach, said there is an increased demand for his services because people now understand that they have to be proactive when it comes to their careers.
“After 2008, people realized there is no company loyalty,” he said. “It’s not like our parents or our parents’ parents, where they worked somewhere for 30 years. No one is getting a gold watch anymore. People now know they need to be proactive if they want to get a good job.”
But career coaches don’t come cheap, with some charging as much as $400 per session. Still, in this competitive job market, some extra advice can be worth its weight in gold. Here are the key things you should expect a career coach to help you with:
Understand your real value
You might be a great computer programmer, but in today’s market that might not be enough, Goodman said. You need to be able to articulate both why you do what you do and how you do it if you want to impress a would-be employer.
“You need to really be able to articulate where your value comes from,” he said. “Every product needs a sales pitch, and so does every job candidate.”
Develop documents that deliver that message
Although everyone needs to have a short and sound sales pitch, talk alone can be cheap. You need to demonstrate your worth — and underpin your message — in your résumé, cover letter, LinkedIn profile and in all your communications, including your interviews. Getting that messaging right is easier said than done, because many professionals aren’t comfortable singing their own praises, Goodman said.
Set up a structure for your search
Find a new job is often a long and laborious process that is fraught with fits and starts.
“I always tell my clients that finding a job takes a lot longer than you think it will,” Goodman said. “People have good intentions, but then three, six, 12, 24 months later, they find themselves in the same job.” A career coach should be able to provide both structure and accountability when it comes to a person’s job search, detailing both deadlines and next steps.
“Career coaches should be able to propel you to a new job and then to the next job after that,” Goodman said.
Jennifer Davies is the assistant dean of external affairs for UCSD Extension. She can be reached at jadavies@ucsd.edu.
