Has anybody used a career coach?

[Terribleluck]

I just has a phone call with one and it seems to me (at least this type) that they almost take you through a "self discovery journey"? I mean for the most part I just want help with what jobs to apply for (I have a serious of blockers that definitely don't give me the option to go and chase my "dreams"). I ended up feeling more deflated which is is bizarre!

They can't tell you what job to apply for without knowing your strengths and preferences

I guess I'm taking a very pragmatic approach. I need to get a job ASAP, it needs to pay the bills, yes I'd like some career satisfaction but that has become secondary.

Hi - I work in this area. A good career coach will help you clarify your career goals (whatever they are) and then support you in achieving them. I would speak with a few different career coaches to find the best fit. You should feel energised and positive after your initial chat not deflated so don't go with that one!

Coaching is client-led in approach so no direct advice giving more facilitating you to find your own way forward. You might prefer a career consultant/coach. Have a look at a few profiles on Linkedin to get a sense of background, training and approach. Good luck!

It's not for everyone and it isn't always the right kind of intervention.

A coach does not tell you what to do. Coaching is about you coming to your own conclusions through the coach asking you questions and getting you to explore assumptions etc.

Thanks @apple! So would a consultant be more likely what I need? Again it's fairly simple (IMO) look at my CV, ask what I'd ideally like to do, ask for what salary I expect to get... Then give suggestions. I mean I've always dreamt of being an astronomer, but without retraining obviously I can't!

I would need a much more solution based approach, does that exist?

Is it more a recruitment consultant you need?

@ohmycrump maybe not "recruitment" but definitely a consultant rather than a coach

Yeah, I guess i was thinking they'd definitely match your skills to potential jobs they have on their books or line you up with certain companies that are using them for recruitment.
But I don't know, maybe I'm over estimating what recruitment consultants do!

I think a (decent) career coach or consultant should be able to help you based on what you've just shared. You would need to start by exploring what sectors/roles you're interested in and the careers person will then help you highlight skills/strengths to identify roles to apply for (taking into account salary, practicalities etc.) and then help you put together a CV/cover letter etc.

I think lots of career coaches like the exploration part of the process but be really clear in future calls that you want to get a job quickly, no retraining and want some practical advice and resources as part of the sessions. Also, don't let them tie you into a long programme of 10-12 sessions - you can probably achieve what you want in less.

Maybe have a look at the prospects website and do their quiz to get some career option ideas initially. It's really quick and generates a top ten jobs list based on your answers. It's also a good starting place for sector/role ideas and they have 1000's of job profiles on there where you can read about salary, training etc.

www.prospects.ac.uk/planner

There are also people who will just write a CV for you that you can find with a google search.

Thanks @apple! I think I have some clarity on what I want need a) job that pays enough b) remote c) that lets me keep a foot in some sort of career until we can relocate one day. In an ideal world it would be for a multinational/global company. Managing people is a plus! I know I would be best suited for a role in software/technology/digital either hospitality, reputation management, or music distribution. Machine learning/translation would also work for me. Maybe do something about my CV as I the first seven years of my career although in a big .com with good pedigree don't make a lot of sense to people outside of that field. The problem is that I think that narrows it down too much, and I need a job ASAP.

Oh great! You should maybe talk to recruiters in those sectors rather than a career coach then. They would be able to advise you on what kind of roles are currently available and also help you with your CV. A coach won't tell you about the labour market or specific roles available so I think @OhMyCrump was onto something in her earlier post, perhaps?

Wouldn't a recruiter only help if they have available roles? That has been my experience anyways. Even the recruiter who got me the role I was made redundant from didn't offer anything beyond "talking to some of her clients". Unless I'm missing a massive piece in the recruitment puzzle.

Yes, you would probably need to speak to lots of recruiters and also carry out online research to look at current job vacancies e.g company websites, target jobs, glass door etc. I don’t think there is one professional who is going to be able to give you that info. Speaking to people in your network about opportunities and looking in LinkedIn for roles might also be a good idea. It’s a bit of a slog but that’s what it takes to find a role that’s right for you. Career consultants and coaches can help you clarify what you want to do and give you some job search strategy support but you will need to do the search.

I think it's more about the 'job title" than anything else. I think I'm doing an Ok job at it (no pun intended), but everything I've read says that my "numbers" approach is wrong, but I think it's just simple probability