Does career coaching really work?
From redirecting why you’re applying to 100+ jobs to understanding your strengths, here are 11 answers to the question, “What’s your best career coaching success story?”
- Stop Applying for Jobs Now
- Get Out of a Toxic, Overworked Environment
- Break Your Fears and Unleash Your Potential
- Heal After Pandemic Burnout
- Keep a List of What Makes You Valuable as an Employee
- Sometimes What You Want Is What You Already Have
- Transition Smoothly into a New Career
- Motivation and Networking Equals Job Search Success
- Do What You Love to Do All Day
- Find Creative Connection
- From Learning Disorder to Internship With Tesla
Stop Applying for Jobs Now
I worked with an individual who lamented that he had applied for 100+ jobs in the prior month and was discouraged and frankly exhausted. I told him to stop applying—he wasn’t right for 100+ jobs (nobody is), and 100+ jobs weren’t right for him.
He took what he thought was an enormous risk and stopped. I’m sure he was more terrified by not applying for dozens of jobs per week than he was by applying and getting no interviews. We revamped his resume and customized his job search strategy, and in short order, he got six interviews from 12 applications—one of which became his dream role—because he focused on his approach.
Amy L. Adler, President, Five Strengths Career Transition Experts
Get Out of a Toxic, Overworked Environment
Gary was a member of my first-ever group coaching cohort on how to get “unstuck” and advance one’s career. Gary was in such a negative place he had a hard time finding the time and energy to look for a new job.
Through my process, I helped him regain positivity, trust in his skills and strengths, and accountability to carve out time every week to make forward progress so that he landed a new role at another firm shortly after completing my program. With the tools I provided, he gained clarity, confidence, and momentum.
Jaime Chambron, CEO, Career Agility System
Break Your Fears and Unleash Your Potential
My client came to me with big doubts about his career choices, realizing he was good at the job he was doing, but not passionate. After changing three companies in four years, he was ready to break the pattern, and we identified two choices—change completely into an unknown field or be bold at work and ask for the changes that could make his career more meaningful and satisfying to him.
He realized the potential and expertise he was bringing and cleared his fears of loss, rejection, and judgment. His newly gained self-confidence and bravery brought him amazing results: first, he changed roles to a position much more aligned with his interests and strengths and got a promotion within the first four months of working together.
Furthermore, he decided to accept a position abroad, which opens completely new opportunities and a new life for him. It is not always about changing everything and starting from scratch, but about shining your strengths and potential inside out.
Laura Timm, Career Purpose Coach, BraveMinds Coaching
Heal After Pandemic Burnout
One of the most rewarding career coaching successes I have experienced is with Callie (name changed), a burned-out, anxiety-ridden, introverted social worker. She reached such a level of anxiety during the pandemic that she finally resigned and took time off to heal. Her values wouldn’t allow her to tolerate “getting by” and “giving average care” any longer.
After working with Callie over the course of three to six months, she gained self-confidence and realized she had skills, knowledge, and abilities to draw upon from her social work career and found opportunities to work differently that offered greater empowerment, aligned with her values, and fulfilled her dream to stay in the healthcare industry in a way that was not as toxic to her mental health, and she made more money.
When I asked her if it was time for us to close our time together , she said, “No, I have learned so much about myself that I want to continue to see what is next for me. I can’t wait either.”
Sue Wilburn, CEO, Urise Consulting
Keep a List of What Makes You Valuable as An Employee
I received a panicked voicemail from a client: “Our company has been purchased, and my position is being evaluated for elimination, pending a review of what I bring to the organization. Can you help me?”
We developed a detailed list of their strengths and bulleted specific accomplishments focusing on ROI to the company. The client not only kept their position, they were given a 20% raise and the opportunity for an annual bonus based on performance.
Linda Baker, President, Linda Baker Coaching
Sometimes What You Want Is What You Already Have
A late 40s gentleman came to me seeking a career change; he’d been in mortgage banking for years, left that, and bought into one store in an entertainment franchise. He wasn’t sure what to do next.
We did reflective exercises and interest inventories, and he did some genuine soul-searching. He decided he liked the entertainment franchise business and wanted to pursue that. He bought three additional franchise locations and was successful. Just yesterday, he and four partners bought the whole franchise; success!
Katie McGinty, Career Coach & Owner, Creating Life Options
Transition Smoothly into a New Career
In May 2022, a client of mine joined my cohort for career development coaching. Even though she had over ten years of administrative management expertise, she was struggling and feeling dissatisfied.
My team developed a two-month career development plan after determining the client’s needs and made sure she adhered to it strictly. Recently, she said, “I am happy at my new job, and I feel the need to let you know how much your career coaching has benefited my career advancement.”
I could make a smooth transition into tech as a scrum master, and I soon received an offer for a fully remote position with twice the pay. I now have a wider view of the world because of my work as a career development coach, and I’m even more passionate about helping people reach their full potential in their careers.
Wisdom Agbon, Career Development Coach, Self Employed
Motivation and Networking Equals Job Search Success
Nick hired me as his career coach shortly after being laid off from a consulting firm. His goals included determining which career path to pursue next and improving his networking and interviewing skills.
As well, he wanted to identify organizations that offer training and development to allow him to grow his skill set. Despite feeling lost when we first started our coaching engagement, Nick started interviewing after our second meeting. It motivated him throughout the job search process and opened him to networking.
After a month of working together, Nick’s networking efforts secured him an offer from one of his target companies that aligned with his goals and his values.
Gina Studer, Owner & Career Coach, First Penguin Coaching
Do What You Love to Do All Day
Self-reflection is hard, and if it were easy, everyone would do it. If you want to truly thrive at work and find the “more” you’ve been looking for, you have to do the work to figure out what lights you up.
My client K got quiet, looked inward, and with clarity and confidence, she discovered why she loves to do what she loves to do. What drives us is often not clear at first, so you must ask yourself, “Why do I love to do this?” a few times to really get to your genuine passion and purpose.
With this new, deeper understanding, it was only a matter of time (three weeks, to be exact) until K stepped into her strengths, changed her career trajectory, and landed her “unicorn” job working for a high-profile government agency. Now she does what she loves to do and only what she loves to do all day long!
Nancy Medoff, Speaker, Author, Coach, & Podcast Host, Nancy Medoff
Find Creative Connection
After engaging me for an 8-week coaching program, my client, Nik, went from feeling unfulfilled and disengaged in his 11-year career as a product marketing manager to feeling more alive with purpose after shifting into a creative design role.
Nik came to me with a goal to figure out his next move: a new challenge doing something more creative in the same industry or something completely different. His reinvention plan took hold after we explored what mattered most in his work life now, and mined his experiences for activities, projects, and interests that had him feeling purposeful and in flow.
We set out to create an action plan that was super aligned with his new vision, which included gathering training and experiences that would help him validate the fresh path and guide him to his dream role.
Cori Caldwell, Founder & Coach, Cori Caldwell
From Learning Disorder to Internship With Tesla
When I met with Andrea a few years ago, she was a college student looking for a summer internship. A Mechanical Engineering major, Andrea loved everything about cars and told me her dream was to work for an automobile company. She confided in me that her learning disorder made her classes difficult and that her grades weren’t super high.
I could see immediately upon meeting her she could be successful despite her challenges. “Your passion really shines through when you speak, and it tells a story that is way more compelling than your GPA,” I told her. “Employers aren’t just looking for skills,” I explained. “They want to hire someone who shows positivity, humility, passion, and who communicates well.”
Together, we developed an interviewing strategy in which she could convey her enthusiasm and positivity and let her passion shine through. It thrilled me when she landed an internship with Tesla!
Leslie Speidel, Owner, Career Exploration Company
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