When you’re thinking undertaking career counselling there will be questions that you’re wondering about. As well as needing information about the logistics, like where are the sessions held, how long they last and how many you need, you want to know how working with a specialist career coach will help you achieve your career goals.
We recently met with Nicole, one of Let’s Talk Career’s skilled and experienced career coaches, and chatted to her about what to expect when you work with a career coach. We’ve included her answers below.
What is career counselling?
Great question to start with! Career counselling involves working with a career counsellor to find your passion, understand your work preferences, work through a career dilemma, work on your resume, cover letter and key selection criteria, practice for job interviews, plan a career path or whatever area of your career you need help with most.
At Let’s Talk Career rather than taking a ‘cookie cutter’ approach, every session is tailored to your specific needs. Our ultimate aim is to identify exactly what you would like to achieve within your career/job/situation and set up a plan to make that happen.
Read more about our Career Coaching services.
Can anyone use a career coach, at any stage of their career, or at any age?
Yes, Yes and Yes!
Although there is a perception that career counselling is only suitable for executives it can benefit anyone who wants to take a more focused, deliberate and strategic approach to their career. At Let’s Talk Career we’re happy to work with individuals at all levels.
Read more about How to Change Your Career At Any Age
What outcomes can I expect from career coaching?
Your outcome will depend on your goal. No two clients are the same. Some people want clarity around their career path, while others want to gain employment and others want to position themselves for a promotion. Everyone is individual. You can expect to have clarity around how to get to your goal, and you can expect to have developed the confidence to get there.
How will I know if I’m ready for a career change?
Signs that you’re ready for a career change include being unmotivated and bored at work, not being excited or challenged by any of the items on your ‘to do’ list and physical symptoms like difficulty sleeping and being tired all the time.
And if you’re at the stage where you get Monday-itis on a Friday night, and you don’t mind your colleagues seeing that you’re spending all day on seek.com, then you’re definitely ready!
Read more about the Signs That You’re Ready for a Career Change.
Why should I choose to work with a counsellor from Let’s Talk Career?
As well as being competent coaches, Let’s Talk Career’s team members are all experienced career counsellors. This means that they are highly skilled in dissecting what you need and then putting a strategy in place to help you achieve your goals, from a real life perspective.
Where are the Let’s Talk Career counsellors located?
Our coaches are located across Australia in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Far North Queensland. We also have a Coach in New Zealand.
Find out more about Our Team.
Do you have career coaches available with experience in my industry?
Our counsellors have all worked across a range of industries and sectors. We choose the coach from our team who will best service your needs. However, it’s important to note that even if a coach may not have specifically worked in your industry or area of expertise, he or she will still be well-armed with the tools and support you need because the principles and techniques used to coach individuals are, often, the same.
Are the sessions held face-to-face? Do you have an option for remote coaching?
Sessions can be held face-to-face or by phone/skype in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Auckland in New Zealand.
We also offer career counselling to clients in more remote locations via Skype or Telephone.
How long is a career coaching session?
All sessions, whether face-to-face or via Skype or telephone are for one hour duration. To get the best results we recommend sessions being scheduled weekly or fortnightly.
How many sessions will I need?
The number of sessions you take up depends on your goals. A lot of clients find that four sessions are enough to get them well on their way towards the result they want. And many clients opt to come back to us after a period of time to reset and review. Everyone is different!
Outside the career coaching sessions, how much additional time do I need to commit to achieving my career goals?
Throughout the coaching process it’s important to take ownership of completing any skills and abilities tests, research or reading that your coach suggests and actioning agreed items from your sessions. The more you put in the greater output you will get.
Can you help me get a job?
The beauty and uniqueness of what Let’s Talk Career does is that we are totally independent from recruitment companies and hiring managers. This allows the individual more scope to determine their way forward. We can certainly work with you in looking at jobs you find and also provide you with some valuable tools to assist with your job search – making the most out of the process. We understand Key Selection Criteria, we know what a great resume looks like and we know how organisations interview so can anticipate likely questions.
Do you have contacts to help me network?
No we don’t. Again, it is important that we coach you in utilising your contacts to get the best results. There is a whole hidden world of contacts there that people often don’t tap into!
How much does career coaching cost?
The cost of coaching varies depending on your level of position (Executive or General) and whether you choose to purchase a package of four or eight sessions or pay as you go. Call us to discuss what will best suit your needs.
What testing can you provide?
Our coaches are accredited in (almost) every assessment tool available including SHL, MBTI, TMS, Saville, Wave, Realise2, disc and more.
We don’t sell assessments to our clients, unless we feel they will add considerable value to their coaching experience. Unlike some of our competitors we don’t make you buy (and pay for) something that you don’t need!
Got more questions about career coaching?
We’re happy to answer them.
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