What are some of the best practices for self-care and wellness for job coaches?

Setting healthy boundaries is crucial for self-care and wellness. Be clear about your availability, expectations, and limits with clients and colleagues. Communicate assertively and respectfully. Learn to say no when necessary, delegate tasks, and avoid overcommitting. These boundaries prevent burnout, stress, and resentment, allowing you to focus on quality work and relationships.

As a Recruiter and Job Search Strategist, I emphasize that self-care and wellness are paramount for job coaches to maintain their effectiveness and personal well-being. In addition to setting healthy boundaries, here are some best practices: 1. Prioritize Personal Time 2. Engage in Continuous Learning 3. Develop a Support Network 4. Practice Mindfulness and Stress Reduction Technique 5. Regular Physical Activity 6. Monitor Workload and Delegate When Necessary 7. Reflect and Adjust Regularly Adopting these practices ensures job coaches can maintain their own well-being while effectively supporting others in their career journeys. #careerbff ??

Early in my career, I took on clients that were not a good fit for my coaching style and strengths. Blinded by my good intentions, I overlooked red flags that would present themselves in the alignment process with clients. These client relationships would end up zapping my energy and have me questioning my value. Through hard won experience, I have learned that if there are "red flags" early on, do not enter into a coaching relationship. Instead, help the potential client find a coach that is a good fit and make it a win-win for all three of you.

Boundaries are essential, but it's not just "telling." From the consultation to pricing, and especially in the onboarding process, there are moments along the way to ensure you get buy-in on the boundaries, processes, and behavior you want. That doesn't equate to rigidity, but it does mean that you set up the guardrails you need to be successful. You also have to believe that if you turn away a client for not being the right fit, that a new one will come in right behind them and end up as the best client you have ever had. It's a cliche, but no is always a complete sentence.

My favorite hack to manage my energy is to protect time on my calendar to do activities that make me feel centered and balanced in both my personal and work life. As a mother of 3, busy weekends result in a cluttered house, empty fridge and piles of laundry. In my business, Monday is a slow day anyway, so I take advantage of it and blocked my calendar to do whatever is most pressing. Sometimes, it is laundry, a grocery run, or all the proposals from the week before. This week, I got a 90 minute Swedish Massage and met with my Financial Advisor. (Fancy, I know!) "Do What You Want Mondays" is great way to start the week and the best hack out of my playbook!

I am in career coaching for job search. I know how many resumes a week I can handle, how many hours I can spend on the phone back to back, and what hours are my best for writing and productivity. I use a block schedule to make sure I stay on track and don't overextend myself. It's basic, but I use a weekly calendar and colored pencils to shade in all the hours I am committed to for my clients; then, I layer in what I want to do personally, meditation, workouts, riding my horses, and time with my husband. There have been Sunday nights when I have to tell my admin not to set one more appointment that week because there is no time. The Sunday night planning is so vital for my business and relationships. I'm sunk if I don't do it.

I can not express how much continuing education and joining a professional network help if you are a solopreneur or coach working at home trying to figure out if you are on the right track. Even after working in my coaching business for ten years, my professional networks, peers, and paid memberships are everything. Imposter syndrome looks for you if you are trying to do all of this alone. Surround yourself with people in your industry, and everyone thrives. Trust me when I say there is plenty of business to go around for all of us, and we need each other.

Bring back sending snail mail! Using beautiful, high-quality stationary (moo.com is a great source) and a luxurious pen, I sit down on Friday mornings and express my appreciation to whomever gave me the opportunity to coach them that week. To stay organized, I make a list of "Sent Items" in my journal and it brings a serious mood boost to see the collective amount of cards I send over the period of a month or quarter.

Como en toda carrera profesional, el entrenamiento laboral no está exento de mantenerse vigente y al día con los conocimientos necesarios para ejercer de manera eficiente dicha profesión. La capacitación constante a través de diversos medios es la clave.

One thing I have found helpful is investing in my own professional development. In doing this I have acquired new skills to then be able to better serve clients. By doing this you are showing your clients that you value continuous learning and are staying up to date on trends in the industry.