Should You Hire A Career Coach? Probably Not.

I have a story for you.

It came to mind because every other person I meet, when I tell them what I do almost immediately says this: "Oh my god, I need you so badly" or "Oh my goodness, my friend needs you so badly...can I please have your card immediately if not sooner?"

And I have a hard time not rolling my eyes because honestly, most of them won't even check out my website, much less sign onto one of the RevClub career coaching programs.

It got me thinking about my fitness level. (I promise this story will make sense in a second).

So, I finally signed up to work with a personal trainer at a local gym, after years of "working out in my mind" but yet not seeing any changes in my body.

I was a fan of the "sitting on the couch" workout, the "lazy walks up the hill" workout and the "eat more cookies while *thinking* about the gym" nutritional diet :).

It *was not* awesome.

Anyway, on my way home yesterday, in pain from ALL OF THE CRAZY WEIGHTS HE MADE ME LIFT, I thought to myself: "This isn't fun. Ugh."

But then I had another thought, which was, "but I feel great now."

And that was followed by: "Some things are worth doing even when they are hard."

So let's talk about you for a second, because this relates.

Here's the thing: You may think you need help in your career, but until you are ready to really do the work, nothing will change no matter how much money you throw at the problem.

I wasn't ready to workout seriously until recently. I am a smart person, and I was able to find all sorts of reasons why "now isn't the time" or why sitting on the couch would eventually work, or why eating more chocolate is French, so therefore good for me.

Honestly, I wasn't ready to do the work.

I finally had to face the fact that fitness is a process, that sometimes it sucks, and that even though I like my trainer, it doesn't always feel good to go to the gym...and I've got to do this for months before I see real results.

But most importantly: If I want to make a change I have to do the work.

Working with a career coach is the same.

If you aren't ready to learn some hard truths about yourself, if you aren't ready for the time it's going to take to figure things out, if you are just hoping for a few quick answers and problem solved...then hiring a coach is a huge waste of time. 

So, if you are thinking about finding your passion before the new year (because let's face it, January 2nd is literally the WORST day of the year for most people), ask yourself: "Am I ready do to this for real?" and be honest with your answer.

If the answer is no, that's okay. Sometimes you just need to stay stuck in your rut for awhile longer, before you have the energy to break free.

And if the answer is HELL YES, then sign up for our amazing private coaching program here.

If you are ready for work you love, my team can get you there. Truly.

Learn more here.

Now, I'm off to stretch because holy crap, I hurt :).

Christie Mims is a Forbes Top 100 for careers, and can be found working magic on your career over here. Want more career help that's also free? Grab our guide on the 6 simple steps to find work you love right here, click.