The Top 3 Benefits of Virtual Career Coaching
Ours is an age of endless opportunities. No matter who you are, with enough hard work and determination, you can build a career that would have been but a pipe dream for your ancestors. That said, with so many options available, it can be incredibly hard to know which direction to take. That’s where a career coach can help.
Whether you’re entering the workforce for the first time, rejoining it after a long break, transitioning to another job or industry, or looking to climb higher on the corporate ladder, a skilled career coach can help you achieve your professional goals by offering support, guidance, and advice, all based on their experience and expertise. They will make their clients feel safe enough to share their doubts and fears and empower them to make the best decisions for themselves by nurturing their motivation, creativity, and curiosity. A career coach won’t tell you what to do—they’ll help you figure it out for yourself, using their years of experience to coax your thoughts and feelings out of you.
With the rising availability of remote jobs and the advancement of communication technologies, consulting with a virtual career coach has never been easier or more accessible. All you need is an internet connection stable enough to handle a real-time call, ideally but not obligatorily with video. So, whether you’re working from an exotic location or cozying up in your home office, your coach will always be available to help you through big decisions and challenging moments. They’ll be there to offer support, guidance, and encouragement and hold you accountable when you stray from your chosen path.
As career coaches become more popular and demand for their services grows, there has also been a surge in offers, making it harder to choose the right coach for you. To talk to an experienced professional today, contact our team and learn more about working with a career coach. We boast a diverse selection of career coaches from around the world specializing in different industries, and we can match you to the best one for you and your unique situation.
Wondering how a virtual career coach can help you achieve professional growth? Here are the top three benefits of working with one.
1. Objectivity
Hiring a virtual career coach means you’ll be working with someone you’ve never met in person, so they won’t know enough about you or your employment history to make a snap judgment. You have much more control over how you present yourself in a virtual setting than in real life, which may help you feel more comfortable holding a conversation about your professional ambitions with a complete stranger. Having virtual rather than face-to-face sessions with your coach also adds to the sense of objectivity and anonymity, which can help you open up and explore topics you might have more trouble discussing with someone in person.
It’s also up to you whether to use a webcam. You may feel more relaxed if your career coach can’t see you, which also means they can’t make any judgments—conscious or otherwise—based on your appearance. The drawback is that pertinent information about your goals and desires may be hidden in your body language, which your career coach won’t see if you have voice-only calls. So, consider carefully how to conduct your virtual career coaching sessions.
Being in a comfortable, safe space of your choosing can be instrumental in getting the most out of your career coaching sessions. This helps most clients feel more at ease and open to sharing their worries and issues honestly, which may be challenging to do with people they have a relationship with. Knowing that their coach is there to help and not to judge usually makes people more open to being vulnerable and enables them to get to the heart of the issues stopping them from taking the next step in their career. Don’t forget that your coach’s sole objective is to help you figure out what you want and how to achieve it—they’re there for you.
2. Accountability
If you struggle with holding yourself accountable or are more likely to follow through on a promise you made to someone other than yourself, don’t worry—you’re not alone! Learning to be accountable to ourselves requires practice and patience, and a trained career coach can help you get there by challenging you to stay on track with your plans. Not only will a skilled career coach help you set realistic, attainable goals, but they’ll also hold you accountable when you stray from the path, offering gentle guidance and support to help you get back and stay on track.
Having someone other than yourself equally invested in your career can be a huge motivator—you feel that you have to be accountable to that person and that they’re counting on you to do your part so they can do theirs, so you don’t want to let them down. It’s true that you’re paying them for their support and guidance, but you can still develop a close relationship with them that genuinely motivates you to work hard.
3. Personalized guidance
One of the greatest advantages of working with a career coach is the personalized guidance you get. It is tailored exactly to your needs and flexible enough to grow along with you as you progress. You simply can’t find such guidance in blog posts, podcasts, group classes, or other methods of instruction—working with a career coach means all the advice is customized in accordance with what you want, and the person providing it is deeply invested in your journey.
Whether you’re thinking about a life-changing transition or going through a rough patch in your current job, a career coach can guide you through the obstacles that prevent you from having a fulfilling professional life. You may be grappling with a big decision or perhaps struggling to move forward professionally and can’t pinpoint why. Maybe you’re dissatisfied with your work life and want to make a fundamental change but don’t know where to begin. If you’re looking for a new job, a career coach can guide you through the process and help you prepare for interviews. If you’re after a promotion, they can advise you on negotiation strategies. Whatever your endgame is, having a coach focused on your individual experience is key to succeeding and accomplishing your career goals.
By building up your confidence and guiding you to find clarity, a career coach can help you confront your weaknesses, grow your strengths, learn new skills, and change the way you feel about your work and, ultimately, your life. You need to be willing to open up and be honest, but the rewards you stand to reap can completely transform your career. To learn more about working with a career coach, check out our professional services for job success.
