Do I Need A Career Coach?

Congratulations on continuing to make progress in your career exploration and checking out additional resources to help you succeed. And well, this is my favorite topic to speak about and I think you're going to love what we're going to talk about. 

We're going to talk about “what is coaching?”

Now, coaching could be any kind of coaching. It could be life coaching, could be nutrition, sports, parenting coaching, relationship coaching. 

Here we're going to focus on career coaching and what great career coaching is. 

Use this video, this training, to go out and evaluate other programs that you might be considering, and just check, “Hey, is this program going to fit me in this respect?”

I’m going to talk about four aspects or “4 C’s” of Coaching, and one of the important things for you to consider when you're out getting a job is knowing why someone would hire you.

Why would someone hire you?

And if you can't answer that question right now, that's okay,...

Networking is awful and doesn’t work!

This is how it feels, and that is the conclusion - for most people.

Online applications don’t seem to work either, so the only option is to go to grad school.

Is that how you’re feeling?

When done well, networking is no different than generating interviews on demand. That’s how we treat it among members of my Career Accelerator program. The result is that we are generating interviews on-demand.

Have questions about networking?

Shoot me a message and let’s chat!

Would you hire you? No one wants to hire a worker that doesn’t believe in themselves!

Yet, you can’t control feelings. And if you’re like me and most people, there’s a non-stop flow of thoughts and feelings that come in uninvited and attack.

It’s feelings first - they come and go, and, if left unattended, or indulged, lead to thinking. And then there’s the thinking that leads to more thinking until you’ve spun the entire story of how you’ll never get a job.

This is why it’s important to nurture mindfulness in the job hunt: there are thoughts and there are feelings. And while we can’t control the feelings from visiting or the content of thought, we can learn to observe both.

Once observed, we can selectively choose which to let go (the unwholesome “I can’t”s) and which to cultivate (the uplifting “I can”s).

You could say, “I’m terrible at networking,” or you could say, “Networking is scary, but it’s worth it, and I’m going to get better at it”.

And the more you do it the better ...

Here are seven mistakes international students do when they try to secure a job in the US:

1. Planning to graduate, but not beyond that

2. Getting caught in the label, “international student”

3. Confusing certifications and more tests with job hunting

4. Expecting campus competitions to open doors

5. Not choosing a focus (decide who you want to serve and how!)

6. Not following up on job applications (persistence is a positive)

7. Obsessing over resumes (no one hires a resume).

The good news is that you can do something about it!

I was a student in exactly the same situation.

Some parts I loved - Some parts such as my terrible first attempt at the job hunt I'd prefer not to repeat!

What insights about jobs, career, or the market would be the most helpful to you?

Losing my job as an executive, I had to job hunt again. Yes, frustrating and often depressing, and yet it brought an amazing insight: experienced professionals don’t know how to job hunt.

That was me, but that was also every other ex-CEO, ex-CFO, ex-CMO in my group job coaching training for executives.

The confusion about the job hunt extends beyond individuals. Entire companies are unsure how to find talent and when they do, it doesn’t stay long.

Wondering how unsure companies are? Just look at the extensive processes attached to each job post, and the grinder they run you through when you apply online.

Meanwhile, it was the chap who got to know the hiring manager a bit better than you did with not quite your skills that got the job.

Does that convince you that things are a bit mixed up?

Now, you could throw up your hands in frustration, or you could see this chaos as your opportunity.

Since people hire people, not your legal status or your GPA. It’s important to implement a ...

Recently, I posted about “shaving” weeks or months off of a job hunt.

Someone messaged me back asking what I meant: “Shaving?” she asked?

I can’t imagine what she was thinking. 🤷

No, not like shaving a goat. 🪒🐏

“Shaving” means saving time. It also means cutting through illusions, installing a professional mindset.

For example, some people think it takes weeks, months, even academic years to get a job. Some think the summer job hunt is “over” since it’s now June, not realizing that internships in July and August are still possible with a bit of efficient messaging and advocating for your own goals.

Are you advocating for your own goals? If you’re not, let’s get you doing that. It’s a habit that strengthens with practice. One way to start is to reach out and ask for the advice you need.

Usually, a call can be quite helpful for this - and I'm happy to find a time.

Just DM me and we can find a time.

Stuart

The freedom to travel, visit with friends and family - this is one immediate joy of a new job offer.

The skill to secure offers “on-demand” - that’s one of the great skills to master.

Where we get stuck is at this step: demanding academics solve the job hunt.

People hire people, not resumes or GPAs, or school pedigrees.

It’s unfair to ourselves and the schools to expect GPA to lead to offers.

Are you interested in saving weeks, months - even years - in the job hunt?

What if you could aim higher and achieve more than you thought possible?

DM me and I can show you how it works. No cost to do that.

I’ll be glad to understand your situation and share some advice.

#Hiring #JobOffer #JobAlert #CareerCoach #CareerAdvice

Are international students getting screwed at the offer stage? Yes and No.

I help international students master the job hunt. The BIG BANG comes at the end when my clients don't have to be alone during offer negotiation.

Situation: Offered $70k, $72k LESS than the median.

Problem: Identified with client that JOB TITLE does NOT match responsibilities. Here, NOT a case of intentional malice, but definitely a low-ball based on playing games with the job title.

SOLUTION: Stage the discussion. Don't go right to salary. I stay behind the scenes guiding client while they:

1) Get agreement on job description (JD). We'll draft the JD, not wait for the firm to do that. DONE.

2) Share market data on comp for the agreed title. We'll not "say" we need more money. Point out the difference and engage. Big shift in salary will ensue.

Having a coach is not only investing in yourself, not only avoiding isolation. It's often about adding 5-figures to your annual salary.

What if you only had “30 days” to get a job? Then your career center said this:

We don’t see your experience as relevant.
We don’t see your resume as “good enough”

Crushing, right?

What do we say about this kind of counseling?

Surprisingly, it comes from good intentions - wants the focus to be on doing well in school.

And it’s trying to be honest and “reasonable”: at this frozen moment, OK, the student doesn’t have experience.

At this frozen moment, the student doesn’t have a good enough resume. Fine.

But can this change?
Is the student doomed?

What if she took a step forward?

How might this career counselor handle a situation in THEIR life where things are new, untested, where she wasn’t “ready”?

Maybe it’s a new S.O. or a dream.

Would they offer that same self-talk? Can’t do?

What if from “I can’t” we shift to “I think I can”?

A rush of feelings, many unwanted, will come from “maybe I can”.

Courage is the absence of fear.

Said NO ONE.

Thinking we can, taking steps to sa...