Got a Career Problem? Think About It Like a Career Coach

Part of Kathy Caprino's series "Building a Better, Happier Career"?

In today's fast-paced and unpredictable professional world, career challenges are not just inevitable—they can feel like a constant. Whether it's feeling stuck in a job that no longer fulfills you, navigating difficult office politics or a problematic manager, or coping with an unexpected career setback, these problems can often feel insurmountable. However, what if instead of letting these challenges overwhelm you, you approached them with the mindset of a seasoned, objective career coach who has helped many folks navigate these types of problems and more?

A career coach’s job is to guide clients through their professional challenges, helping them find clarity, confidence, strength and the best path forward in the most effective manner possible. By adopting some of the strategies career coaches use (including some of my favorite approaches below, gleaned through 18 years in corporate life, my later work as a therapist, and during the past 17 years of career and leadership coaching globally), you can turn your career problems into opportunities for growth and transformation.?

Here are 6 ways you can begin thinking about and addressing your career challenges in ways a career coach would likely explore:

1. Reframe the Problem

One of the core principles I learned during my training as a therapist and career and leadership coach is the power of perspective. When confronted with a problem, it’s easy to see it as a huge roadblock standing in the way of our success. And it can seem very difficult to see the possibilities and opportunities that are embedded within this challenge. This kind of thinking can lead to frustration, anxiety, fear, paralysis, and a sense of defeat and hopelessness.?

But what if you reframed the problem as an opportunity?

An experienced career coach would encourage you to ask: “What is this situation really offering me?” Instead of viewing a challenge as a setback, see it as a chance to learn something new, to develop a skill or ability you might be lacking, or clarify your values and priorities about who you want to be going forward.?

For instance, if you’re feeling deeply unfulfilled in your current role, consider what this dissatisfaction is trying to tell you about your deeper career aspirations. Are you in the wrong industry? Is your work not aligned with your values? Have you changed over time as a person and those changes are calling you to a new direction now??

Reframing the problem shifts your focus from what’s wrong to what’s possible.

2. Identify the Root Cause

Another critical approach that career coaches take is identifying the root cause of a problem, rather than just addressing its symptoms. This requires deep, honest self-reflection, which can sometimes be uncomfortable and disconcerting. But it's essential for finding a lasting solution.

Let’s say you’re consistently unhappy at work. A career coach wouldn’t just accept “I hate my job” as the end of the conversation. Instead, they’d dig deeper.?

They’d ask: “What specifically about your job is causing this dissatisfaction?” Is it the tasks you’re engaged in, the people you work with, or perhaps the company culture? Or is it something more personal, like a misalignment between your work and your core values?

A coach would also examine the question,” How old is this problem?” This line of inquiry helps you look at whether this is a chronic pattern or experience that has deeper roots from earlier in life, or a problem rooted in the here and now and is more of a contextual issue.

3. Seek Out Objective Feedback

A key service career coaches provide is an external perspective—an objective and non-judgmental view that can help clients see things they might not notice themselves. When you're deep in a career problem, it’s easy to have tunnel vision and miss alternative solutions or perspectives.?

Reach out to trusted colleagues, mentors, friends or a coaching buddy who can offer you honest, constructive but non-biased feedback. Ask them how they perceive your situation and whether they see any patterns or issues you might be overlooking.?

It’s important though to be selective about the individuals from whom you request feedback. Choose people you know and trust, who will give you honest, unbiased opinions, and have a strong understanding of you and your professional context. Feedback from the right sources can illuminate blind spots and provide great new insights to help you navigate your career challenges more effectively.

Choose to receive helpful feedback from inspiring people who are 10 steps ahead of you, and who can see the "future vision of you before it's hatched."

4. Create a S.M.A.R.T. Strategic Action Plan

Once you’ve reframed the problem, identified the root cause, and gathered feedback, it’s time to move into empowered action. The best action tends to be steps that stretch you and allow you to experience more confidence, self-esteem and self-trust.?

It’s also helpful to create a S.M.A.R.T plan. This type of plan is a powerful tool for setting and achieving goals by ensuring they are clearly defined and actionable.

S.M.A.R.T. stands for:

• Specific: Clearly define what you want to accomplish, focusing on a single objective.
• Measurable: Establish criteria to track your progress and determine when the goal is achieved.
• Achievable: Ensure the goal is realistic and attainable given your resources and constraints.
• Relevant: Align the goal with your broader career objectives or personal values.
• Time-bound: Set deadlines for goals, to create a sense of urgency and keep you motivated.

The 5-step career growth process that I’ve personally developed in my coaching work (and via my training courses such as The Amazing Career Project ?and The Most Powerful You ) takes clients through career growth and career change process in this way:?

1. STEP BACK: This involves taking a step back from your current situation to objectively assess where you are today in your career and life. The goal is to get clearer about your great talents, abilities and accomplishments (everyone has a set of unique abilities and experiences that are highly valuable, whether they recognize it or not) and also understand what’s not working and why, so you can identify the changes you wish to make. (To help you take this step, download my free Career Path Self-Assessment ).
2. LET GO: In this step, we work to help you let go of the thinking, patterns and behaviors that are keeping you stuck or are in the way of what you most long for. The process helps you release the limiting beliefs, fears, and behaviors that are holding you back. Letting go of what no longer serves you is crucial for creating space for new opportunities and growth. (For help with this, take my Power Gap Survey .)
3. SAY YES!: This step encourages you to say YES! to your most compelling visions for the future, and helps you accept that you’re indeed worthy and deserving of what you dream of. It’s about embracing opportunities that align with your values and passions, even if they push you out of your comfort zone. Saying YES! is about committing to positive change - and to your highest visions and potential – and taking empowered action towards them.
4. Explore It and Try It On: Here, you actively explore and “try on” different career options and experiment with new roles, organizations or industries, in risk-free, doable ways. This step involves research, networking, powering up your personal brand and sharing your thought leadership, and exploring taking on side projects or temporary roles and potentially gaining further education or training, to see what feels right and aligns best with your strengths and interests.
5. Create It S.M.A.R.T.: The final phase is about making your career changes a reality through consistent S.M.A.R.T. planning and evaluation.?

5. Embrace the Discomfort

Change is never easy, and career transitions—whether big or small—can be uncomfortable and a bit anxiety-producing. However, as career coaches often remind their clients, growth rarely happens within your comfort zone. The discomfort you feel when tackling a career challenge is often a sign that you’re pushing yourself in the right direction.

Embracing discomfort doesn’t mean ignoring fear or anxiety—it means acknowledging those feelings but not letting them shut you down. It’s about understanding that discomfort is a natural part of the growth process and using it as fuel to keep moving forward.

6. Stay Open to New and Different Possibilities

Finally, career coaches encourage staying open to new possibilities, even if these possibilities don’t seem to align perfectly with your initial expectations. Sometimes, the best opportunities come from the least expected places. If you’re too rigid in your thinking, you might miss out on a career path that could bring you tremendous satisfaction and success.

For instance, if you’re focused solely on climbing the corporate ladder, you might overlook opportunities in smaller companies or startups where you could have a greater impact and faster growth. Staying open to these new possibilities requires a flexible mindset and a willingness to explore paths that aren’t on your original radar.

In the end, navigating career challenges isn’t easy, but by adopting the mindset of a career coach who is helping you learn and grow, you can navigate these challenges with greater clarity, confidence, and success.?

These strategies will help you not only overcome your current career challenges but also empower you to do what’s necessary to build a more rewarding professional life that is resilient and growth-oriented for years to come.?

And remember, every career problem isn’t just a hurdle—it’s a stepping stone to the next stage of your growth.

For more information, visit Kathy’s free career growth training ?and assessments and sign up for her weekly newsletter . For hands-on, personalized coaching support to build a better, happier career, join Kathy in a one-on-one Career & Leadership Breakthrough coaching program, her The Most Powerful You course, and her Amazing Career Projec t video training.

For FREE hands-on career guidance, join Kathy's monthly free Career Coaching/Advice call - Ask Coach Kathy. Bring your questions to this monthly Zoom call and I'll do my best to offer career guidance that will move you forward! CLICK HERE to register.

And for ongoing inspiration and insights from top experts and bestselling authors in fields essential to professional success, tune into her biweekly podcast Finding Brave and watch her video interviews and content.