Is Coaching a Scam? ...How To Identify Legit Coaches and Avoid Fake Gurus

? Grow your career with clarity & confidence!

? Download my FREE “5-Day Career Growth Guide” today! ??

? https://www.meiphing.com ?

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People always wonder if the work I do is "legit".

What exactly is this whole "career coaching" thing?

Can a career coach really help others succeed in their careers? Or is it all just talk with questionable results?

As a career coach, I also receive a lot of questions about what I do and the people I help. Which is not so surprising considering that career coaching is not quite mainstream in many parts of Asia.

Well, I can't speak for other career coaches but I have personally found career coaching a very fulfilling way to share insights, perspectives and actionable strategies that I have implemented that helped me climb up the corporate ladder to senior leadership positions in my 20's.

So, let me share further by answering the most frequent questions I have received.

Do take note that these are my personal definitions with my experience as a former Corporate Leader. Here it goes:

Q: What is career coaching??

Mei Phing: It is a two-way partnership with my clients where I guide ambitious (and sometimes struggling) corporate professionals to achieve their career goals in the most effective way possible.

We focus on working hard and working smart!

I also share my personal career insights and corporate experiences that can serve as a much-needed perspective as not everyone has been in positions of a Business Leader or Hiring Manager, like myself.

While there are a lot of courses on platforms like Udemy and even YouTube to learn from, it is important to note that these are usually generalised. One-on-one coaching tailored to your specific requirements may be more effective if you have been spending time on such online platforms without getting real results.?

I also created the "6-Step Strategy to Plan and Grow Your Career" based on the roadmap and strategies that I experimented with in my corporate career in the past decade.

Q: How did I become a career coach?

Mei Phing: Contrary to popular belief, I do not have an inspirational story about quitting my 9-5 corporate job to become a career coach.

In 2019, I choose to leave my senior leadership role in a global multinational company to return to Penang, Malaysia to care for my mum who was terminally ill.

Interestingly, during my break period, a lot of connections reached out to me on LinkedIn seeking career advice as they are struggling to navigate their corporate jobs and overall career direction. It was something I jumped on as mentoring and coaching came so naturally to me as I had picked up the skill when I used to lead teams at several global multinational companies.?

I found it fairly easy to transition from coaching my former direct reports in a corporate setting to coaching directly to clients who seek guidance in their professional development and career growth.?

Q: What inspires you to help young professionals out there?

Mei Phing: Well, why struggle at your corporate job or career journey if you could plan and grow your career smoothly?

I work with a lot of corporate professionals below the age of 40 y.o. and I am inspired by the enthusiasm, motivation and ambition in young people!

But I noticed many of them were not getting the proper career advice to succeed at their jobs - it's easy to get lost in the "influencer culture" out there where everyone is dishing out career tips without experience much career success, thus sharing theory more than real strategies.

Which is where I come in to help them gain a better understanding of the realities of the corporate world.?That's why I always say I share "real insights and real experiences".

Speak to me if you're ready for honest perspectives and tough love!

Q: Do you have a coaching style or method?

Mei Phing: One of the things I always tell my clients is that leadership is self-management.

So, I approach each coaching client and session with my signature coaching method to lead with called the ‘PHING Method’.

P is for personality because if you do not know who you are, there is no self-awareness. Without self-awareness, you are unable to find room for growth.

H is for hacking your mindset to embrace growth.

I is for the ideas we can explore together to open doors to new opportunities.

N is for navigating dynamic work environments - people dynamics, corporate culture and learning how to deal with problems in the most effective ways.

And finally, G is for being a go-getter. At the end of the day, it is about being consistent in your actions.

It's important to me that my clients gain the real practical skills to excel in their careers; skills that no one teaches you back in university (and what your bosses don't tell you), and how you should apply all of this knowledge and skillset at your corporate job.

If you want to be successful, you must ensure that you have a clear roadmap to get you further and faster.

Plan your career and set your GPS direction.

Grow your career without getting stuck with my 6-step strategy.

Don't forget to create more opportunities by having an online and offline career strategy.

Q: What advice can you give to those who are still unsure about career coaching?

Mei Phing: First, ask yourself what you want to get out of it. I'll be honest that not everyone is ready to work with a coach, especially if they are still fixated on being "right" and not ready to listen to a new or different perspective.

If you are ready, then the next step is to do background research on the coach to see if you resonate with their career tips, personality, communication style, experiences and client results. Checking out a coach's free content is a great way to get a flavour of the coach's style and expertise - it's a great way for you to weed out "influencer coaches" who focus more on popularity but not necessarily results.

To gain the most out of your career coaching experience, choose a coach whom you believe that he/she can understand your situation and you feel comfortable sharing your challenges.

As cliche as it sounds, trust matters.

You should trust your coach's abilities to help you in your career.

All of the corporate professional clients who choose to work with me have a strong belief that I am the best person to help them get a job or grow their careers.

That's why and how we achieve results together!

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Remember...

Hope is not a strategy, and that confidence comes from competence.

Inspiring your career growth in 3-2-1!

—?Mei Phing

? Grow your career with clarity & confidence!

? Download my FREE “5-Day Career Growth Guide” today! ??

? https://www.meiphing.com ?