Career coaches hit us with their best shots
In sports, even great athletes need coaches
to ensure peak performance. Coaches keep athletes motivated
and focused, identify the position they're best suited for
and help them fine-tune their skills.
Think of a career coach as someone who does the same for
your work life. They can keep you on track by offering assessment,
strategies and motivation. They're a great resource, but can
be pricey.
I asked a few top career coaches for a free sampling of their
favorite pointers. Here's what they came up with:
Marty Nemko: Use your creative spark.
"Don't sell out for money," says Marty Nemko, a
career and personal coach and author of Cool Careers for
Dummies. "Be authentic."
Nemko says he often coaches people who feel unsatisfied with
the path they've chosen.
"Too many people have taken jobs they know in their
heart are just going to be a paycheck and give their whole
lives to it," he says. "Ultimately, they end up
living lives of empty desperation."
Fortunately, there are ways out. The key, according to Nemko,
is finding work that requires creativity. He helps clients
brainstorm practical ways to use their inspiration without
forgoing a paycheck.
"My philosophy is to keep your head in the sky and your
feet on the ground," Nemko says.
Someone stuck in a consulting job who dreams of becoming
an author, for example, probably shouldn't quit to write the
great American novel. But switching to a less demanding job
to free up some time for that novel might work. Transferring
to a role that involves more writing could be another option.
Sharon Jordan-Evans: Look before you leap.
"Many frustrated workers jump ship too quickly, only
to find the grass wasn't greener after all," says Sharon
Jordan-Evans, president of the Jordan Evans Group and co-author
of Love 'Em or Lose 'Em. "When the thrill is
gone, so are they."
Rather than accepting any job you're offered, make sure you
know exactly what you're looking for. Clarify the setting,
type of work and other aspects of your ideal job, and examine
the sources of discontent in your current position.
Then, look around. "Before you leave, do some investigating
right in your current workplace," Jordan-Evans says.
In many cases, you may be able to fix the job you have.
If you long for new learning opportunities, for example,
look into on-the-job training or volunteer for a committee
or new project.
If the problem is your direct supervisor, consider whether
you can improve that relationship. If not, find out who the
good bosses are and see if you can work for one of them.
"Maybe what you want is right where you are," Jordan-Evans
says. At the very least, you owe it to yourself to investigate
options in your current organization so you can compare them
to outside opportunities.
Pat Alea: Beware the easy way out.
Finding a new job is hard work. It's so hard, in fact, that
it can be tempting to stay in an unsatisfying position rather
than face resumes, interviews and networking.
Wouldn't it be nice if your next job would find you?
Perhaps.
Beware of the longing for "somebody riding in to save
you from the very hard work of having to create your next
job," says Pat Alea, a career coach and co-author of
The Best Work of Your Life.
"That ride takes you three, five or 10 years away from
yourself."
Sure, it feels good to be wanted. It's flattering and avoids
risking rejection. But the path of least resistance is unlikely
to lead to your dream.
"You need to navigate your own career," Alea says.
Define what you want from your career and then don't allow
yourself to be sidetracked by other people's plans for you.
Even if an employer does track you down with a great job
offer, tailor it so you're positioned to achieve top performance.
"Don't just try to fit into a shape that already exists
without negotiating the finer points," Alea says.
Michael Salmon: Peel the onion.
"You've got to start utilizing your network," says
Michael Salmon, president of M. Salmon & Associates. "Seventy-five
percent of jobs are unpublished and those are the best jobs
out there."
Salmon says your network is like an onion. The outer layers
are the contacts you already have. As you begin to discuss
your goals with them, ask for additional contacts who work
in your field or know someone who does. They bring you closer
to the onion's core — the employer or position that's
right for you.
"You just don't know how many layers you're going to
go through until you get what you're looking for," Salmon
says.
When asking for someone's help, always have an objective
in mind beforehand — like learning about a new field
or getting the names of two more contacts. Afterwards, evaluate
whether you've accomplished your goal.
Also, work on your "elevator pitch," Salmon says.
Prepare to clearly articulate what you're good at and where
you want to do it — in 25 to 45 seconds.
Barbara McRae: Stop your energy leaks.
"Most people have energy tied up in unproductive strategies
that produce unnecessary drama," says Barbara McRae,
a master certified coach and author of Less Drama, More Fun.
"If they can't harness their energy they won't be able
to sustain the pace that's required in our complex modern
world."
Maximizing your energy and efficiency requires minimizing
drama and unnecessary stress. McRae works with clients to
identify how they "leak their energy."
A common energy leak is comparing oneself to someone else,
McRae says. People who do so are "allowing the drama,
the stress, the worry to take over."
Rather than zeroing in on what someone else does —
which you can't control anyway -compare your current accomplishments
with your own past performances, and chart your development.
"That causes you to be the best you're capable of being,"
McRae says.
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