Listen to the coach

As much as we don't like to think about it, time is indeed slowly winding its way through our summer season. Although we have been missing our usual sun and heat, I hope you've at least had a few days off to enjoy your family and friends and of course, a relaxed surrounding.

I always encourage people as well to use this down time to reflect on their personal satisfaction at this stage of their life. It's time to think about whether or not your current career is still right for you.

Are you doing what you are really good at and love to do, 80 per cent of the time? Do your current job tasks match who you are today and who you want to be? Are you excited or apprehensive about going back to work? Is your boss/employee relationship creating such stress that you get headaches thinking about it? Are there any changes you would wish to make?

Many people I meet might have moments of self-reflection but they aren't able to find resolution to their new personal wants and needs. They seem to know what they want but can't quite take things to the next step. Sometimes they seem frozen with apprehension and fear, while others just don't know where to begin. On the other hand, it's only normal that when we return to the fast pace of today's lifestyle, we get so busy that our own personal needs are put on the backburner.

However, if you don't deal with the career issues now, they'll begin to create a "slow burn" inside your psyche and before you know it, you'll be frustrated and anxious to the point of being incapacitated. And no one makes good decisions when they are in that position.

At the same time, making a career change itself needs to be a slow and careful process. And this is where a good career coach comes in. While many people were previously reluctant to seek the help of a career coach, it is now widely recognized that having an objective third party who can help you sort through personal career issues is an invaluable service. After all, we've always consulted and used coaches for various sports, for weight loss and/or for health and fitness. So, why not for career fitness?

The first question you might ask is, "Well, what will a career coach do for me?" First of all, let me advise you that although there is a growing proliferation of various coaching certifications in both Canada and the United States, it is not as regulated a profession as others, such as law or accounting. Therefore, you need to be extra cautious when you begin seeking out services. Start by learning more about what a career coach can do:

Facilitate an ability to tap into life/work experience -- Career coaches are typically senior-level professionals who have extensive life/work experience, sometimes in more than one profession and often in a series of progressively responsible jobs. They have been involved in all aspects of a business cycle, including growth, downsizing and restructuring as well as encountering an entourage of different bosses and leadership styles.

They probably have survived one or two political takeovers or mergers and if not, they have certainly learned some valuable lessons along the way. Guaranteed, these individuals can provide you with wise words of wisdom as they listen to your challenges and frustrations. Their guidance on any workplace issue is invaluable.

Help you to learn about and match your skills and motivation -- If you haven't already engaged in some sort of self-assessment, then it will take you a long time in your career to finally figure out what you are good at, what you like to do and what motivates you. A career coach can facilitate several personal assessments that will help to identify these elements of your personality and help to determine and/or confirm your current frustrations and what to do about them.

Keep in mind that as life changes, so too does your motivation. Yet at the same time, your skills and talents are concrete and need to be applied so that you always enjoy job satisfaction.

Resumé writing -- In many cases, you don't want to stay in the same type of job; you want change, you want challenge. A good career coach will help you to write a resumé that goes beyond simply listing the chronological order of your working career and enable you to sell your specific skills. The skills-based resumé is always successful in helping people to increase their self-esteem by recognizing and taking advantage of the skills they've gained throughout their career. Most are surprised with the extent of what they have to offer.

Evaluating career search strategies -- When individuals encounter workplace challenges they don't feel they can change, they will often look for a job and jump to the first one offered. But this isn't career management; in fact, it might even be career suicide! That's because quite often the first job following an unsatisfactory work experience is not the right job because decisions have been made while emotionally distraught and without proper analysis.

In other words, as your mother might say, don't jump from the frying pan into the fire. Seek out a career counsellor with whom you can share ideas and discuss options. Take time to weigh the pros/cons of taking another position with another company. Never jump ship for the sake of "getting out."

Making a decision about your career is no different than buying that first house, getting married or having children. Career management is serious business. A career coach can provide you with the skills and a process that will enable you to continually monitor your job satisfaction and develop a plan for dealing with the issues that you confront in your working world.

A good coach doesn't do your thinking for you, instead they are facilitators who can help you to sort out your thinking and develop a plan for moving toward the future. A good coach helps to empower you to take control of your career and live life to its fullest.

Look for seasoned professionals with a good reputation and a knack for mentoring and coaching others. Meet with the individual to test out compatibility, style and process and then ask for references. With career coaching being such a new profession, concentrate on experience rather than academic qualifications.

Barbara J. Bowes, is president of Legacy Bowes Group,

a leading HR, executive search and career coaching firm. She is also author of three books

and host of the weekly BowesKnows radio show.

She can be reached at barb@legacybowes.com

Ask Barbara

Got a problem at work with your boss or a fellow employee? Concerned some of your employees aren't pulling their weight? Free Press careers columnist Barbara Bowes is willing to help with some of the more straightforward problems that may arise in the workplace. On the last Saturday of every month, Barbara will answer some of the questions submitted by Free Press readers. E-mail questions to barb@bowesgroup.com. Please provide name, address and phone number for confirmation purposes. Pseudonyms may be used for publication to protect author's identity.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 8, 2009 G1