Let’s be honest, job hunting is not the easiest and funniest thing in the world… We’ve all been there and we’ve all struggled through the job search and job application process. From the first internships to CEOs position, this is one of the most uncomfortable things to do.
Over the past 4 years I’ve been a career coach and mentor mostly for young people who want to enter the fashion industry for the first time or who are struggling to get a new job after some experience in the field so let’s see how to know if and when you need a career coach.
But first of all, what is a career coach????
A career coach is an expert who helps you get clarity on your best next career move, builds an action plan for your job hunt, strategizes your networking efforts, develops your LinkedIn profile, helps you write your resume, cover letter and emails, and guides you toward the goals of your professional life. It’s your career ally. Consider a career coach as your best friend that will give you all the tips and tricks to make it in your career. A career coach is up to date with current hiring practices because they are constantly working to help job seekers.
But note that career coaches are not headhunters. Their goal is not simply to get you a job, their goal is to help you level up in order to give yourself the best chance for getting the job.
As a career coach, in fact I work a lot on the strategies but also on the mindset and motivation, helping you become more confident in yourself and your skills, pinpointing the best aspects of your professional experience, know how to see beyond what you see in yourself, and identify the best of what others notice in you to market it in the most attractive way possible to potential employers.
A career coach minimizes stress and anxiety and gets you out of the confusion, frustration and struggle.
If you are at the beginning of your career you might not have a clear idea of how to approach the job search process especially in a competitive field such as fashion.
Being unemployed, a recent graduate looking for a career opportunity, often fosters difficult emotions, including doubt, low self-esteem, and lack of confidence. When you learn the correct system and roadmap for your career you will accelerate it, get more opportunities, feel happier and more confident. A career coach will give you clarity and a step-by-step roadmap so you know exactly what to do, what and when, helping you also channeling feelings like rejection and self-doubt in healthy ways rather than allowing them to sabotage your progress. The right career coach empowers you to take action, overcome setbacks and keep the focus on the end goal.
When do you need a career coach?
Let me first say that I’ve noticed that people who acknowledge they need a career coach are already on the right path to success and much closer to their job because investing in a coach and mentorship is a sign that your mind is correctly set up for success and the growth you need to make it happen.
Many people believe that a coach is someone for senior people who have already started a career and want to get to higher positions such as CEOs, but that’s not true. In the past 7 years, I’ve helped and guided thousands of students, recent graduates and people with no or little experience. A career coach is useful in every stage of your career. It’s when you are not where you want to be that you need the most help with and this includes also still being a student and not knowing how to enter the working world without wasting years of your precious life so you can get into a prestigious and senior role already at a young age (hello managers before their 30s!) . I’m very happy that I’ve worked with many people who have been mature enough to recognize the need to invest in their career from the earliest stage (yes even from college) to be successful. If you are reading this and you are one of my students I’m so proud of you ambitious girl!
It’s not new in fact that all the people who have a successful career have not gotten where they are today all by themselves, they have invested a lot in their education and career to get where they are. Many people believe they should be able to figure everything out on their own. But this could lead to a waste of time and career opportunities. Oftentimes people are hesitant to spend money on developing their careers when in reality they probably spend more at Zara on their mobile phone bill each month. And when you think about the number of hours in your life you spend doing your job, it’s worth investing a little to make the most of those hours.
Most people usually search for the help of a career coach after several failed attempts to get a job. But actually you should hire one before you even think you need one.
This is usually when you need a career coach:
- you have applied to multiple jobs without success
- you can’t find jobs and opportunities you can apply for or that you like
- you have not landed any interview
- you are not where you want to be in your career
- You don’t want to waste time and want a proven roadmap to get a job faster
- you’re unsure how to build an effective resume and cover letter
- you’re unsure what job is made for you
- you have not passed the interview steps
- you lack confidence
- you don’t have connections and don’t know how to build your network
How to choose a career coach
Nowadays it’s easy to get into coaches online, but it’s not as easy finding the right one. And as you can imagine, finding the right one is key to get results. Anyone can start an Instagram profile and define themselves as a coach, during the pandemic especially many people had to reinvent themselves by doing some other jobs remotely and they wanted to try this coaching path, so be careful when taking your decisions and look for people who are in the coaching business for years.
Do a quick research online, Google their names: who is talking about them? Are they experts who published a book or have been interviewed by recognized industry media?
Look at testimonials on their website see what results they are getting for other people. What field are they into? Are they general career coaches or are they specialized in a field? The more specialized they are, the better as they can give you specific tips on that field. Follow them on social media. Do you think they are smart people who know their thing or just someone else who labeled themselves as coach/mentor?
Are these coaches constantly being coached as well? In order to be a good coach, you need to study as well. I spend one hour each day on things such as courses, coaching sessions, podcast, reading books because I’m always looking for new strategies and tips so I can help and serve those I coach better!
How much does a coach cost?
Prices for career coaches vary a lot depending on the experience, results, field etc..
For a single session, a career coach can charge you between 500-1000€ (and even higher)….
For a recent graduate, a student, or someone who is unemployed this is a lot to invest in, I totally get it because I’ve been there. I was a student with a strong passion for the fashion industry and I desperately wanted to get a job but I had no idea how to get started.
So when I launched the course Break into the fashion industry years ago, in which I’ve included all my 7-year knowledge as a fashion coach and mentor, I decided to make it super affordable compared to the cost of a career coach.
If you are looking for a career coach/mentor check out the online course Break into the fashion industry that includes everything you need for your career in fashion! I’ve included in the course my system of strategies, cv, cover letter and other templates you need for your career so by the end of the course you’ll feel like you have a clear path on what are the steps and what are the actions to take plus the HOW without spending a fortune!
If you are not sure about the course yet, click here to register for my free masterclass and I’ll teach you 3 strategies to stand out and land your dream job in fashion.
