Sylvia NicolasGrant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. Courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Reinhold Niebuhr
Maybe you’re thinking of hiring a career coach and wondering if it’s the right time, or the right circumstances, for career coaching.
Broadly speaking, there are 3 main reasons that clients come to me for coaching:
- They are thinking about a complete change of career
- They want more success in their current career
- They want to leave employment to start a business of their own
But as you’ll see from the cases below, there are more than three and the motivation can vary – sometimes it’s for emotional reward and sometimes financial. They can be at different stages too; some clients have already decided what they want but don’t know how to make the change, whereas some clients are completely stuck and need inspiration.
Here are 10 examples of people I’ve coached from around the world, why they came to me and what happened after finishing the coaching sessions.
A Project Manager in Spain wanted to become a successful leader in his field.
Firstly I helped him define what ‘a successful leader’ meant to him, the qualities and strengths that a successful leader would have. We looked at where his lack of confidence was coming from and worked on ways to develop confidence and believe in himself.
Where is he now?
After a year working together, he was ready to take the jump and managed to secure a senior position managing an international team.
An Import & Export Coordinator in France wanted a complete change.
Not only did he want a complete career change, he also wanted to live in Portugal. He felt overwhelmed by this and wasn’t sure what career would bring him a sense of fulfillment. We reflected on his career journey and what impact he wanted to make. I helped him to define clear goals and determine how he could make the change as smooth as possible.
Where is he now?
He is learning Portuguese and now works as an independent Instructional Designer in Porto.
A business owner in Germany was unsure to pursue her career in hospitality or to try other sectors.
Through her coaching sessions, she discovered she had a passion for IT, specifically programming. We identified the skills she already had that could be emphasised, how she could acquire the new skills necessary, and how long it would take to be in a position to start applying for jobs.
Where is she now?
She is taking an online programming course and has found an experienced programmer to shadow.
A recruiter in Austria was looking for her calling.
We discussed at length what was important to her, to really define what her values were. We explored several other potential professions and worked through her tendency to procrastinate and doubts about finding a fulfilling career.
Where is she now?
After seven months of coaching with me, she found her calling and now works in Learning & Development.
An administrator in Portugal wanted to become an aid worker.
He had admin experience within the private sector but wanted a role where he felt he was helping others. We explored the different types of aid work he could potentially do and identified roles where he could leverage his previous experience. We worked on how to network with people from the non-profit sector, and reworked his CV and LinkedIn profile.
Where is he now?
After volunteering for an organisation helping children get a better education, he secured a role abroad within 8 months.
A Finance Analyst from Nigeria hadn’t worked for 2 years.
He needed to regain confidence in himself to get a job. We explored what he could do to update his skills and how to show potential employers that he was keeping up to date. We practiced interview techniques to make sure he was well prepared.
Where is he now?
He is now working for a start up in France.
An HR Assistant in France wanted to become an entrepreneur.
We worked on changing her mindset from being an employee to an entrepreneur, explored potential products, identified who the clients would be and how she would market it to them.
Where is she now?
After 2 years of research, mindset development and planning, she launched her product.
A journalist in France wanted to transition to marketing.
Already taking a course on marketing, she needed guidance through her career change. She was nervous about not being able to explain the transition to prospective employers and worried that she wouldn’t find a job. We started by defining her ‘why’ and her values, and then explored the types of jobs in marketing that would align with them.
Where is she now?
She is now working as a Product Manager.
A teacher from Ireland wanted to become a translator.
My client was dealing with lots of self-doubts and procrastination, and needed support to help her deal with them in order to succeed in what she wanted to become. I helped her develop the right habits to overcome them.
Where is she now?
She is now working as a translator in Spain.
An Engineer from Spain wanted to move to the private sector.
This client was working within the humanitarian sector and wanted to switch to the private sector. I helped him with goal setting and the mindset changes necessary to prepare for a corporate job.
Where is he now?
Working in the private sector, in Mexico.
How does career coaching work?
I don’t tell my clients what to do. Instead, I help them work out what it is they really want (which is not always what they think it is), define goals and overcome the obstacles to achieving them.
This usually involves helping clients work through their limiting beliefs, fears and procrastination, and to develop confidence. As well as providing support, a big part of career coaching is challenging clients when they are reluctant to move forward.
Seeing clients come alive in coaching sessions and take action towards their goals is what makes my job so rewarding!
Join a group coaching session
Thinking about a career move sideways, upwards or radically different?
I’ve started hosting one-off group coaching sessions to help you take the first step towards a career change. Click here to sign up.
Free seminar for the coaching-curious
If you’re curious about how coaching works, join my free seminar on 22nd March where I’ll be giving a demonstration and answering questions. Click here to register.
That was amazing, Sylvia. If people have been unemployed for years, it is quite hard to boost their confidence and keep them updated with the latest knowledge in the industry. You’ve been doing a great job!
Thank you for your message Priya.