Career Coaches

During this difficult economic period from which there is no end in sight, some people seek to gain an advantage over others competing for the same opportunities. In some cases they are turning to consultants and personalized services; some are seeking help from people calling themselves career coaches. In and of itself there is nothing wrong with this approach, if indeed someone you are putting your trust in can effectively assist. However, I notice many have nothing to truly offer their clients and are often psychologists (not to be confused with psychiatrists who are physician specialists).

 

If you seek advice from a career counselor then, like any other specialist, you’d better qualify and check out their credentials and claims. It is possible that these career coaches haven’t an ounce of real world business experience and they are only creating another business model upon which to draw clients. In just such a situation it would be about as useful as your high school guidance counselor was when they spoke with you for a while, gave you a test and based career advice on the results. Sorry, but if you turn to someone for career coaching or counseling advice, they should be able to provide you with more than an ear and a shoulder; who knows, maybe they’ll tell you your current situation is your mother’s fault.

 

Ensure that any third party you ask for career advice has something worthwhile to offer, like real world, hands-on business experience. Utilize the right tool for the job. No doubt, Dr. Phil and Jack Welch are both very good at what they do, but who would you choose as your career coach? If they don’t have a track record of documented success in business, then they have nothing to offer to you.

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