8 Reasons You Need A Career Coach

I’ll preface this blog with a piece of very important information. I am a career coach and work with professionals from all industries on their career planning and creating fulfilling professional and personal lives.

Much like my work in recruitment, I have heard every reason under the sun to not work with a coach. So I thought instead of listing out the many millions of reasons that career coaches could benefit you, I’d list some of the reasons a career coach might not be the right fit.

1.    Your business/life/career is going perfectly and there is absolutely no way for it to get better.

Career coaches work with you on defining your professional and personal goals, and then creating practical strategies to make those goals a reality. So, if you’re in the group of people who is on the perfect track to achieve all of your dreams right on time, a career coach won’t be very much use! Alternatively, if you feel a little lost, overwhelmed, confused, or even apathetic about the best way to get what you want it may be a little clue that a coach could make a real difference.

2.    You’re already the best version of yourself.

A coach is not just an advisor on all things work related. Great career coaches take a holistic approach to you as a person and work with you to identify areas that you could bring to the next level. If you are as good as you’re going to get at communication, motivation, health, relationships, applying yourself, and making the most of your unique set of skills then rest assured a coach is not the person for you. However, if you read that little list and can feel there might be some work to be done….I have an idea of who could help ;)

3.    You know exactly what is happening next for your career, down to the minute.

One of the most common things that past clients mention when talking about their experience with a coach is the clarity and direction they bring to your career journey and aspirations. So, if you have a 10 year plan, mapped to the day with goals, insights, dates, connections and relevant networks that will help you get there – I’d be confident in saying a coach might not be as valuable for you as the majority of the working population.

4.    There is nothing left for you to achieve.

Success is staring straight back at you from the mirror each morning. Everything on your career and personal vision board is reality, and when it comes to a making a wish you struggle to come up with anything that you don’t already have. Career coaches work with you to unlock the next phase of what success looks like in your own life. Success is different to all of us, so their job is to help you define and refine the things you truly aspire to, and then start making a plan to turn dreams into reality. 

 5.    Your life is filled to the brim with purpose and meaning.

Alternatively, if you’re someone that takes jobs without a huge amount of thought, or is risk-averse when it comes to career planning then a career coach would be perfect for you. Career coaches work with people who don’t wake up each morning fuelled by a perfectly defined ‘why’. They use their experience and network to help you find the meaning in your decision making, and align your action with what you truly want to contribute value to in your lifetime.

6.    Your self-care is off the charts and work/life balance comes naturally.

Working with someone like myself turns a focus to your ability to be your own best caretaker. We work together to find the practises and actions which truly recharge you and have you feeling in sync and in balance. Self-care is more than a day at the beach or an impulse purchase, it speaks to our ability to connect with what we really need physically and mentally in order to be the best version of ourselves in life and in work.

 7.    You’re as financially successful as you’re ever going to be.

This one is easy! You’ve had to stop carrying around a wallet because it just got way too heavy. This, of course, is a bit of a generalisation as financial freedom looks different to everyone, but it clarifies an important point. A career coach helps you prioritise your goals and align your decision making and next steps to make sure you are working towards setting yourself up for life. If you have no desire to see a bump in your savings, investment portfolio, or ability to splurge, a career coach is not for you. 

8.    You’ve invested enough into yourself.

Last but not least, working with a career coach is an investment in yourself. When asked about the proportion of our days or weeks that we actively spend on self-development, a lot of us would name a few hours at the gym or some down time to recharge as the most common activities. Very few can name the active steps they are taking to constantly audit their direction in life, purpose and meaning, or even fulfilment in their work. A career coach is a tangible investment into making the absolute most of the skill sets and unique value you can offer the world around you.

I’ve heard all of the excuses in the book when it comes to people’s hesitations to work with career coaches. From lack of time to lack of money to perceptions about life coaches who shower you in crystals, and I’ve realised that all of the reasons not to begin a journey with a coach comes down to not realising the benefits that people deserve to experience in their own life.

Another important note should accompany this list: No one in the world could say that each point applies to them. We are all on a continual journey of development and growth, we all have aspirations which we’re unclear on how to achieve, or have dreams we’d like to see become reality. Working with a coach is having someone in your corner who believes you deserve the things you want even more than you do, and who wouldn’t see the value in that?