How can you find the right career development coach?

Before anyone, myself included, sources and hires a career coach, I advise them to really dig into their own personal SWOT evaluation. I made this mistake early in my career. After selecting a "coach", I realized I had created my own echo chamber, and not much else. After developing and analyzing my own SWOT (not my business SWOT), I realized what I needed help with (WO), and what I needed to understand (T). Focus on your education-to-leverage approach, and learn to create differentiation, not education.

There is a key question, in my opinion, that probably requires a significant amount of introspection and reflection: who are you? Starting from self-awareness, describing our strengths, areas for improvement, our personal superpowers that have a professional impact, we certainly have an advantage that will enable us to explore all other dimensions later on. Who are you? Who am I? Three words that open up a world.

In my opinion it is about self awareness first....know who you are, your strenths and development areas. Then I would consider professional career guidance based on interests and personality. Once all of these pieces of the puzzle are in front of you are you starting to understand which way your career needs to go. When you have that, it would be good to chat to people actually in that career you are considering. Doing proper 'homework' first, opens the door to follow the next steps.....

There are coaches who specialize in career re-orientation. It’s not always necessary to already know where you are heading. Also, good coaches will take a holistic approach and take health and family issues into account when working with you. Most coaches offer a free initial chemistry call. Try to get a sense if you feel you can trust this person and open up to them. Also, check their background, certifications and coaching experience.

One thing I found helpful in my personal journey was to first do the inner work. I had to realistically look at my desired career goal and where I was at that moment. The gap between where I was and my intended outcome gave me clear idea of the modality I had to use to facilitate change. Sometimes people need training instead of coaching, others need career counseling or even Mentoring. Narrow the search according to your needs and specifications.

The relevant coaching certification is a good way to determine the Coach’s commitment to continuous growth and learning as certifications from ICF and similar certifying bodies involve rigorous trainings, mentoring and assessment process. Also, such coach can access a larger community for knowledge and experience sharing while staying committed to the profession through coaching. Before making any decision, please have a discovery call to ascertain fit for establishing a coaching relationship.

Working with a Registered Career Development Professional (RCDP) ensures you are working with someone suitably qualified, experienced, committed to their ongoing professional development and adheres to rigorous professional standards and ethics. Accreditation with professional coaching associations such as the EMCC (European Mentoring & Coaching Council), AC (Association for Coaching) or ICF (International Coaching Federation) are additional credentials worth looking out for. Don't commit to coaching without first speaking with the coach you will be working with. Most coaches offer a free 'discovery' or 'chemistry' call so it's worth speaking to a few to see who is the best fit.

The research of a coach for me would rely on not the number of qualifications or number of clients, but their personal experiences, highs and lows and how they handled it. Its easy to get online degrees, and are success stories really success stories and for who, the coach or the client? Coaching relationships are based on trust. If i am unable to trust you with my deepest feelings and challenges, without being judged in any form. If I'm not the freest me when I engage with my coach, both parties are damaged at the end of a chat.

Coaching has become a profession, at least in the enterprise sector (i.e. Fortune 100), so suggest researching an experienced (i.e. > 1500 hrs) professional coach accredited by the main global coaching bodies such as ICF or EMCC, this will ensure a quality management process, ethical boundaries and others enabling the full exploration of new and broader perspectives, learning and actions. Career development coaching outside of above assessment on situation can also involve understanding the talent management process of your organisation and developing leadership competencies for a specific leadership transition.

Never underestimate the importance of chemistry between an individual and a career coach. "Chemistry" in this context is mutual understanding, trust, rapport between the two parties. Your career coach needs to be an ally in your professional journey. The depth of the relationship will influence the effectiveness of the coaching experience. Schedule a 'chemistry call' to see if a coach genuinely understands your aspirations. While references and testimonials are important, trust your instincts. If something feels off, the coach may not be the right fit for you. Having chemistry ensures a positive coaching experience. When the coach's energy resonates with yours, it will likely lead to a productive partnership throughout the journey.

Una sesión gratuita o una prive del trabajo es una gran forma de validar la experiencia pero también el “acercamiento” que el profesional dará a la situación plantada por el mentee. Aquí es igual de importante su experiencia como la empatía

Services, Fees and approached can all be done online, without even seeing the coach. Free consultation, a sample session and having an opportunity to ask questions would be awesome. We may or maynot click but it is only one engagement. Are you really getting everything you need or is it too short a period to make a decision on. Their flexibility and accessibility is crucial in my opinion. However, if the coach has not personally experienced my challenges and come out sparkling, im not sure I want the advice.

While assessing the coach, one of things that you should also look for is how much do they see/recognize your potential and how much are they challenging you. Not an easy thing to assess but unless the coach challenges you to go above and beyond your own limits, career development might a tough thing to go about.

I use a crib sheet to track and grade the influencers and career coaches I am considering. It enables a holistic look at a wide range of options and what each brings to the table. I include things like dissenting opinions, how they respond to criticism, area(s) of expertise, area(s) of "fluff", what they focus on posting, and industry-wise, licensures/certifications, etc.

Select 2 or 3 coaches and have a free-of-charge session with each of them. Instead of talking about the coaching, you will experience their style. If there is a personal fit, and if the session adds to your ask. Based on these sessions, select your coach. And while doing so, trust your intuition. If you have any doubts, don't go for it.

A good coach can help you with your goals. A fantastic coach will help you tap into your hidden potential and help you reach heights you never thought possible. The most expensive career development coach may not be the best coach for you. Read their LinkedIn content and speak with their existing clients. Choose wisely and participate to your fullest when you start. Bon voyage!

Cualquiera que sean los criterios… pero decide! Es una tragedia buscar y buscar, evaluar y analizar pero nunca tomar una decisión. Hazlo sin miedo al posible fracaso, después de todo, puedes suspender o pedir reorientar el acompañamiento.

When choosing a coach who inspires your trust and confidence, make sure to take stock of their testimonials, reviews, and recommendations. LinkedIn is an excellent platform for this, for a few reasons: You can evaluate the recommendations without the coach knowing. You can contact the person who issued the testimonial and have a candid discussion. You can view the work history of the person and see whether they were recently hired. Because there's such transparency when it comes to recommendations on the LinkedIn platform, make sure to incorporate this into your decision-making process.

While making the final decision, watch out for the red flags in the form of promises about things they don't really have control over. Coaches who promise a promotion or salary hike or industry change in 3/6 months or similar things ... beware of them or take it with a pinch of salt.

Siempre es posible que lo que te ofrezcan no sea lo que tú necesitas en ese momento. Sin embargo la oportunidad de encontrar algo muy valioso vale la pena el intento. Raúl Galindo es un gran coach no solo financiero sino de vida, su basta experiencia lo habilita para hacer diferencia y orientar con un impacto muy positivo! Lo recomiendo ampliamente!

Look for a mentor who has both walked in the path(s) you are exploring and/or has demonstrated experience in successfully and consistently guiding others along these paths. There is no substitute for first-hand experience.

I’d recommend you look for career coaches who you are - relatable to you - aspirational to you - from cross-disciplinary background / expertise so can give you a perspective that challenges you or compliments what you have exposure to

There's no cookie-cutter approach when it comes to finding a Career Coach. Apart from the experience one might be looking for in a professional (e.g. someone who worked in a specific industry or graduated in this or that field), a sense of proximity and connection (a.k.a. “the click”) must happen between the coach and the client Without that chemistry and the mutual feeling of trust, the work to be done will likely not be successful

Career Development is a multi-faceted subject and a good career development coach will help you develop all the different facets by making you aware and also helping you find ways to develop them. Any coach focusing on a narrow set of things for your career development might deliver results in short term but might be counter-productive in long term. Might prepare you for the promotion but not the role that you get after the promotion.

And... ask your network whom you trust. Whom have they worked with, whom would they recommend, whom made the impact they where looking for?