The Hong Kong Education Bureau has announced a three-year plan to implement life coaching into primary and secondary school education. You might be thinking, what does this have to do with you? After all, you're probably about to enter the job market or are already part of the workforce.
This initiative by the bureau signals the growing belief and the importance of life coaching, which has been a fast-rising service overseas for over a decade and for people of all ages.
Career coaching, as the name suggests, is a form of life coaching specializing in career development. Below are some tips and thoughts after my sessions with a career coach.
1. Your value through the lens of HR and headhunters
"I don't get paid enough."
"I never hear back from my job applications."
"There's no upward mobility within my department."
I'm sure you've heard these from friends that are stuck in the mud at work, or maybe the above are the little voices in your own head. Sometimes less than ideal career situations are due to bad luck. Perhaps you have yet to meet a supervisor that sees your strengths or found the right organizational fit.
However, often you're stagnating in mediocrity because of a lack of self-awareness of your value and strengths.
When you're job hunting, the hiring managers won't take the time to break down the reasons for not selecting you. Yet, through career coaching, you can learn directly from senior human resource professionals and headhunters.
You might think you're quite the catch, but it's safe to say that there are always people with more impressive experiences fighting for that same dream job. It's a competitive world out there.
Hence, it's crucial to get a third-person perspective about your CV or job interview interaction. Be confident, but make sure the confidence stems from a genuine place.
2. Secrets of drafting CV and job interview
Just because you're a decent writer doesn't mean you automatically know how to put together an attractive CV.
You have to highlight your strengths in a logical manner and within 1 or 2 pages max. On top of that, the job market, your industry sector, and of course, the global market are all constantly changing, meaning what was in those 1 to 2 pages a year ago may no longer be relevant today.
However, quantifiable achievements written with active verbs never go out of style. Drafting a CV is more complicated than most people think, and we can all use another set of eyes, especially from experts in the HR field.
As for job interviews, there are learnable skills and tricks to foster communication and interaction. Understand the real meaning behind each question and provide clear and concise responses that highlight your strengths but avoid exposing weaknesses.
A career coach with expertise in the hiring process can certainly help you develop the know-how and give you a leg up during job hunting.
3. Career planning the proper way
A career development plan is a must-have regardless of your experience and position.
Many fresh graduates are clueless about what is the "right fit." A proper plan can help you discover your interest and apply your strengths. Not to mention setting a meaningful goal and planning out the steps to get there.
For those stuck at the same job for a while and are unsure of what's ahead? Or even a bit burnt out? Career coaching, which offers a third-person perspective, can be what you need to blaze a path that feels right.
A career coach recently shared a case with me. One of his clients has always looked for jobs based on distance from home because the shorter commute gives him time for more meaningful activities outside the office. Over several coaching sessions, the client eventually realized a job near home wasn't what he needed.
What he truly needed was a more meaningful career.
Career coaching is a fast-growing service, so there are plenty of options out there varying in cost and quality. sofasoda is the home of an expanding list of experienced and reputable coaches and mentors. Highly qualified experts from the real world.
