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Photo by bionicteaching.
It's tough to say what a career coach can do for you if you've never had one; lucky Alboher has, and she's here to share her experience:
When I changed careers nearly 10 years ago, hiring a coach completely jumpstarted my process. Career changes and job searches take a long time and I'm impatient. I also had a lot of fear and anxiety about the process and I didn't want to overburden supportive friends and family with my constant need to talk about my process. I figured that working with a professional who'd seen hundreds of others through transitions was a way to speed things up. And it did. I used my coach for about 8 sessions to come up with a plan and a strategy; after that, I called her for advice now and then, but mostly felt comfortable on my own.
Pulling from her experience, Alboher walks through how to go about finding and hiring a career coach. It may seem like quite an extravagance to hire a career coach right now, but if a little coaching may mean the difference between finding a job you love and the unemployment line, it could be worth a try. If you've got any experience with a career coach, let's hear how you found your coach—and whether or not you found the experience worthwhile—in the comments. If you really don't feel like you've got the cash but would love to get a little of what a career coach might offer, you can always try to be your own career coach.
