4 Tips To Set proper Expectations From Career Coaching Relationships

I don’t know about you, but right before I graduated college, my advisor suggested that I visit the career center to seek help with writing my resume, looking through the alumni job database, and working out any “real world” anxiety I had. Unfortunately, it was a robotic experience because I was one of many, and I didn’t get much out of it.

Some people compare career coaching to hiring a personal therapist. We only do it when we’ve exhausted all of our options on our own and are stuck in a rut. Whatever the reason, it’s important to set proper expectations in order to avoid disappointment and find what you need to get unstuck.

Not all career coaches are created equal. We don’t all offer the same services or expect the same things from their clients. It doesn’t matter if you hire the best career coach in the world if you’re not prepared to get the most out of the experience. When you’re ready to hire a coach, here are 4 tips to ensure the career coaching relationship runs smoothly.

1 | Expect To Discuss Your Professional Gaps & Roadblocks In Detail

Be honest with your career coach, preferably before you hire them. It’s important to acknowledge, understand, and communicate your professional gaps – i.e., you don’t know how to communicate your expertise on your résumé, you freeze up in interviews, you don’t know how to transition to a career that you love, you don’t know why companies won’t hire you – and let them build a customized plan of action. Depending on the gap you’re experiencing, they may be more suited to help with one roadblock and not the other. You’re making an investment with time and money, so it’s important to maximize this experience by being open and selective.

2 | Expect To Answer A Lot Of Questions

Your career coach may ask you a lot of open-ended questions and require you to complete several assessments during your initial sessions. It’s important for coaches to get a clear picture of your career story and better understand your best learning and coaching style. The information collected will help both of you develop a customized roadmap to follow for you to achieve your desired outcome.

3 | Expect To Put In Some Work

Don’t hire a career coach thinking they’ll do everything for you, from resume writing to the interview itself, without you performing any work at all. A coach is there to coach you, not do it all while you sit back and relax. Know that you may need to rewrite your résumé, practice answering interview questions, or take a class to get a certification that will qualify you for a certain type of job. Having a career coach is not an excuse to slack off.

4 | Expect To Remain Open And Coachable

Any form of coaching is meant to challenge your way of thinking and push you out of your comfort zone. Even though you’ve invested in hiring a coach, it may be hard to do what they ask of you, especially if it doesn’t immediately make sense. You’re hiring a coach because you believe that this person can facilitate the transformation. To do that, you must remain open to constructive criticism, implement the guidance given, and do the work.

So, let me ask you a question. What do Oprah Winfrey, Barack Obama, Serena Williams, Steve Bennett (former CEO of Intuit), and Eric Schmidt (former CEO of Google) all have in common? They all have or had coaches and believe that coaching is vital to professional development and advancement. Some of the world’s most successful six- and seven-figure athletes, entertainers, innovators, and entrepreneurs have a coach or mentor to help them learn new skills, navigate challenges, and go to the next level of success. Now it’s your turn. When you find the right coach and set realistic expectations, it can be a match made in career success heaven.

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