Author: Liz Frome
With unemployment still high, there are more candidates seeking jobs than ever before. That means you need to find a way to stand out from the competition when searching for a new job. What does that really mean? Where do you start? What makes your resume superior to someone else’s? This can all be incredibly daunting, but there’s assistance available you may not know about.
These are just a few of the ways career coaches can be helpful. Let’s start with what a career coach is and does. A career coach will work with you to customize, develop, and implement a well-rounded transition plan designed to meet your short- and long-term career goals. They will provide you guidance and tools to help you stand out from your competition.
A big reminder is that you need to interview your possible career coach so they will be on the correct path. Come prepared with a set of questions and make sure you are making a connection.
A career coach can help you in a variety of ways:
Assessments
There are several assessments a career coach can use to help you when searching for a job. Some assess your abilities, some your personality, others evaluate your interests – this is just to name a few. By utilizing assessments, a career coach will be able to help guide you into new opportunities or provide you direction on how to showcase your strengths during networking or interviewing.
Updated Resume
On average, hiring managers spend approximately 20 seconds reviewing each resume before deciding whether a candidate should move forward in the hiring process. This means your resume needs to stand out. From the design, the summary paragraph, to keywords used throughout, all of these elements can help you access the interview stage. Many career coaches have been trained and certified to provide you with resume expertise.
LinkedIn Profile
Your LinkedIn profile is another key opportunity to differentiate yourself. How you utilize the summary section and showcase your experience is an important step in the evaluation process. LinkedIn shouldn’t be a duplicate of your resume. It is a platform to tell your story in a more personal way, yet still being professional. Career coaches can help you find that balance.
There are many other powerful methods that career coaches will use throughout the process. They are there to help you achieve success – through the initial steps of finding a job, to the time you’re hired at a new company. The key thing to remember is a career coach won’t get you a job. They will be there to provide you with the right tools, lead you throughout the process and help you achieve your short- and long-term goals.
“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” — Milton Berle
Stay tuned for more job searching tips.