Introduction

One of the many things that has stood out for me as a Career Coach since the Tech job market went south is potential clients who contact me hoping for a magic formula which will land them a new role. The uncomfortable truth, however, is that in the current job market, landing a new role requires a non-trivial amount of both time and effort.

Any knowledgable career coach can provide guidance, tools, and support. The key to landing a new role, however, lies within your own dedication. In this post I hope to touch on the realities of working with a career coach to find a new role, and talk about the commitment required to achieve your goals, as well as the transformative power of investing in yourself.

There is a role awaiting you, but it starts with understanding the real work involved. The skillset required to get a new role is different to the skillset required to succeed at that role. Like any skill, to become good at it requires dedication and patience.

The Reality of Employing a Career Coach

Utilizing the services of a Career Coach when searching for a new role is not, in and of itself, a magic solution. Rather, a Career Coach is a partner who provides guidance, support, and accountability.

As a coach I can help refine the job search strategy, optimize your resume and your personal online brand, and prepare you for interviews. However, significant results only come from clients who fully engage. Clients who succeed at landing a new role are most often those who are persistent, patient, and willing to step out of their comfort zone to acquire new skills.

Some clients pay, and disappear once they realize that they are the ones who are going to have to put in the time and effort. Some start, and then get disheartened by the ghosting, rejections, and effort required to network and apply for roles. A coach's role as an accountability partner is to be there to help navigate those challenges and stay focussed on the goal. My role is not to hand my clients a new role, but to empower them with tools and confidence.

Career coaching is a partnership requiring effort from both coach and client. The reality is that to land a new role, you need to stand out from the crowd of other applicants, and this takes intentional commitment.

The Time Investment

Searching for a new role is, unfortunately, time-consuming, especially when you're unemployed in the current job market, and feeling that pressure to find work quickly. The reality is that you're going to have to invest significantly more than an hour a day to find a position, and allocate time to work with your Career Coach and do the tasks that come with being coached.

Desperation might tempt you to apply for every job posting without considering fit. This approach is wasted effort, and will almost certainly lead to frustration. You will need to dedicate time to research companies, tailor your applications, and follow up on those applications diligently if you want to increase your chances of landing a role that aligns with your skills, talent, goals, and values.

A good career coach will also want you to be doing reflection exercises on interviews you're doing, as well as skill development activities and networking. This adds to the time burden of job searching, but is no less important than submitting those applications.

As a Coach, my role is helping you use your time efficiently and effectively, focussing on the most impactful activities and avoiding common pitfalls. It is, however, up to you, the client, to fully commit to the process and dedicate the necessary time to achieve your goals and secure a fulfilling new role.

The Energy Investment

The search for a new role requires a significant investment of mental and emotional energy. This is especially true for those who are currently unemployed and facing the added pressures of financial stress and uncertainty. Dealing with the inevitable rejections, even for roles you reach the final round of interviews for, is emotionally taxing and may lead to feelings of discouragement, frustration, and anxiety. It is therefore important to develop coping strategies, maintain a growth mindset, and seek support from friends, family, or a therapist.

In addition to the emotional challenges, you may need to invest mental energy in learning new skills and adapting to changes in the job market. While this requires mental energy, I believe this personal development is an investment in yourself and your future, and well worth the effort.

As a Career Coach, I'm here to help you maximize your mental effort, focus on what you can control, and remind you not to neglect your mental health and well-being.

The Payoff and Maximizing Your Coaching Experience

While the search for a new role is challenging and time-consuming, the payoff of investing in yourself and your career is significant. Enhancing your time and effort by leveraging the experience of a Career Coach who has actually worked in your industry will better position you to secure a role.

To maximize the return on your investment in a career coach, it's important to understand that you have to master a set of skills you may not use often, and even then there is going to be some drudgery involved. There will be some good days, and some not-so-good days, and you need to commit to working through all of them to achieve your goals.

An additional key element to successfully landing that next role is consistency. Scheduling regular coaching sessions, completing the tasks you've committed to, on time, and following through on action items are crucial to maintain momentum and making progress.

Conclusion

In today's job market, investing in yourself and your career is more important than ever. If you're going to partner with a career coach you need to be willing to commit the time and energy required.

The job search process is a journey, and success rarely happens overnight. Your success is ultimately in your hands. Career success is seldom serendipitous: it requires intent, perseverance, and focus. A Career Coach is there to be a catalyst for all of that, not a magician.