Do I Need An Employment Coach?

A coach can add value and help you expedite your search process if you are willing to stretch your comfort zone and do the necessary work to get you to where you want to be. If you are not willing to try this then it’s best that you stop reading now.

If you are interested in making either a career change or if you are in transition, a coach may be a worthwhile investment. And it is an investment. If you are viewing a coaching relationship as an expense then it’s best that you stop reading now.

Sometimes the hardest part is the start part. Here are a few areas where a coach can help.

Help you assess and articulate your strengths thus your value proposition. You can be better. You can be different. Or you can be cheaper. The last one is no fun.
Guide you through the resume writing process which is an arduous task at best. An accomplishment based resume can go where you can’t go and it can sell when you’re not there.
Identify and select your target companies and networking prospects. There are no easy answers to this process, but there some simple ones.
Develop a marketing plan that will get you noticed. Would you rather sell or have people buy from you?
Give you a place to go when you feel like you hair is on fire.
Act as your Accountability Partner.
Help youput tough things in perspective.
Teach you skills that will stay with you for the rest of your career.

In an interview after losing a playoff game, Dick Motta, the former coach of the NBA Washington Wizards, was asked, “You missed a lot of shots out there tonight, coach. What are your plans for shooting better in the next game?” To which Motta replied, “I didn’t miss any shots.”

A coach can prepare you and help you get in the right place at the right time, but you have to take the shot.

This program includes:

A career assessment the covers your interests, skills, motivation and how you process information. (optional)
The analysis is offered in a recorded two hour session with hard copy.
Two hours with a technical writer to polish your resume.
Two hours with a Linkedin expert to help build your profile.
Ten hours of one-on-personalized coaching to expedite your transition process.
24/7 availability because this is what I would expect.

The late John Wooden, basketball coach at UCLA who won more NCAA titles than any coach to date, never talked about winning. He preached preparation.

Consider these preparation questions:

Is your next step, in fact, another position?
If not, what is it?
Where do you see yourself in the next three years? The next year? The next six months?
What new skills or new perspectives do you need to acquire to support achievement of your goals?
What have you tried/thought of already?
What are your key differentiators in the marketplace?
If asked tomorrow, how would you articulate your value?
What does your executive networking base look like?
What resources do you need?
What are the road blocks you expect or know about?
What is your worth in today’s job market?
How do you plan to achieve the top end of the salary range?
What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?
What are the barriers from preventing you from being where you want to be?
Who do you go to when your hair is “on fire”?
Why should someone hire you?

You should choose your coach carefully. Do your due diligence. This is a business decision. Choose wisely as this is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ relationship.

I ask only three things from the people who I accept as clients:

Come prepared to our meetings
Make a concentrated effort to implement your agreement upon plan
Play straight with me

This is crucial if, and only if, you are interested in a return on your investment.

This is a high touch transition coaching service. Our goal is to create a set of honest definitions so we can actually do what we set out to do—provide you clarity and confidence as well as establish a framework for the rest of your career.

Confidence gives you the courage to extend your reach.

Brad Smith
bradsmith@bsmithcc.com
www.bsmithcc.com
469-995-5459