5 Reasons Why You Need A Career Coach

Forget the saying ‘life is a roller coaster’ our careers can be roller coasters too! It doesn’t matter if you are at the beginning of your chosen profession, at the top of your game or somewhere in between. There will be twists and turns all the way, and if there isn’t then surely you should be questioning why you are not growing, and how much risk you are taking by remaining stagnant in your career?

The problem is that sometimes these high’s, lows, twists and turns or even the decisions we make in our careers can create issues, challenges and missed opportunities. Problems and challenges are tough but with an optimistic mind, you’ll overcome them. Missed opportunities, however, could be costly financially, professionally and sometimes psychologically!

Sometimes we need somebody on our side, who can help us make better decisions. Or to see the strengths and weaknesses we have but are blind to, so that we can maximise our opportunities and performance. Other times we need somebody who can help us navigate the highs and lows that we all experience in our careers and it’s really easy to find somebody like this. By finding a career coach to help you take over your industry (ahem, or at least sail smoothly through your chosen career path).

If you’ve heard of a career coach before and have asked yourself ‘why do I need a career coach?’ or ‘what does a career coach do’ then we have some inspiration for you right here with five reasons why you need a career coach.

1: Avoid Missed Opportunities

If you are constantly overlooked for a promotion, if you avoid applying for positions because you are unsure if you can handle a new role, are afraid of change, or don’t like to attend interviews. Or if you have deeper issues that can cause missed opportunities such as an untapped talent, difficulty in expressing your talents or a tendency to step aside for others or to put yourself down. A career coach can help you. This is what a career coach does – they work with you to help you overcome some of these frustrating and often very expensive opportunities that we miss in our careers and help us find and chase the right opportunities.

2: Adjust To New Positions and Circumstances

It doesn’t matter what role you advance toward, whether that be the next step up from a trainee position or if you are applying to be CEO, each new step will bring new challenges, responsibilities and pressure to perform at your best. But, as we all know, when we are new to anything we are not experienced enough to be able to do our best work.

If you can find a career coach who can help you adjust to change and step into your new role fast – without stress then you’ll soon be on top of your game. And if you pick a career coach who has experience in your field, then you also get to tap into their experience and have it tailored to your needs.

Similar problems can occur when we are changing companies, and also when we are forced into change by company adjustments.

3: Manage Your Strengths & Weaknesses

We are all blindsided to our own strengths and weaknesses for many reasons, and while we might be able to manage that effectively in our personal life and can be happy anyway, it’s not always the same in your career. Especially if you hold a position with great responsibility. Learning about your strengths and weaknesses gives you the opportunity to embrace the strengths and manage the weaknesses. Once again this is what a career coach does. They help you to understand your strengths and weaknesses and then teach you strategies to embrace and manage them, in turn maximising your career potential.

4: Stay Happy In Your Role

There are so many reasons why you might not be happy in your role, whether it’s the internal dynamics of the company; issues with a boss or colleague; feeling undervalued; you have unfulfilled potential; or you’re just flat out bored, a career coach can help you address and get to the bottom of the causes of your unhappiness or potential risks that could crop up in your career.

5: Create A Balanced Life

It’s simple and goes without saying that a balanced lifestyle is a healthy one. Being overworked or not motivated to work at all can cause a host of issues. A career coach can enlighten you to help you work smarter and grab hold of opportunites that truly excite you.