Career Coaching - why is this only accessible to the C-suite?

I’ve always thought that it was strange that most companies don’t bother to invest in career coaching for their employees until they’ve reached the C-suite. At that point, people are probably entrenched in their work habits and leadership styles — for better and for worse.

One of the biggest transitions one makes in their career is when they move from being an individual contributor to becoming a people leader.

Leading people is hard, and scaling as a leader is even harder. When I first became a manager, I struggled with so many questions that a coach might have been able to help me answer. People need coaching the most when they are still growing and aspiring to get to the top. Career coaching is inaccessible when people need it the most!?

But don’t let that discourage you. You should never stop learning and growing. Instead of waiting for your company to invest in reskilling or upskilling, seek the support you need right now and see if your organization will reimburse you.??

When should you get career coaching?

Career coaches can be helpful from your first job as a manager to a mid-career reassessment or career change consideration, all the way to the C-suite. Contrary to popular belief, the most important career learning starts AFTER we graduate from school and start working. And not everyone needs to follow a traditional path of attending prestigious colleges to have a great career.

There are many paths to success and opportunities. That is why I strongly believe that EVERYONE deserves and should have access to career coaches—not just the C-suite.?

How does a career coach help you??

Coaches are subject matter experts who are trained in instruction and skill development.?

They’ll help you upskill or reskill, and prepare you for career advancement. While each of us may choose a different skill set that we want to improve, we can all aim to be better at some universal career skills. Unfortunately, none of these universal skills are taught at colleges and universities, and few companies take the time to teach them to their employees.?

Career coaches are most helpful for teaching professionals universal skills that are valuable across any company, any industry, and any geography.?

Here are some examples of universal skills:

• How do I lead with confidence?
• How do I lead with empathy?
• How do I communicate with candor?
• How do I communicate effectively??
• How do I build a great team in a hybrid work environment?
• How do I create a sense of belonging in our workplace culture?
• How and when should I join a board?
• How do I tackle interpersonal dynamics?

All of these skills are helpful in taking your career to the next level. Unfortunately, career coaching can be incredibly expensive. There are a few ways to get around this, starting with asking your company to reimburse you.?

If you want more details on getting affordable career coaching, check this out .

Have you ever worked with a career coach? Tell me what was the most valuable part of that experience.