Coaching is all the rage. More and more people are turning to a coach to break bad habits and achieve their goals. In this context, career coaching is one of the most deeply rooted in society, as many professionals use it as a springboard to help propel their careers.
In fact, a study conducted by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development revealed that despite the economic crisis, 70% of organizations in the United States that had used a career coach not only continued to work with these professionals but had even increased their demand.
Without a doubt, in these times, career coaching is a very valuable tool, as it offers an opportunity for people who are professionally disenchanted, those who have lost motivation, those who need to re-enter the workforce, or those who have just finished their studies and don’t know which path to take. Of course, it is also useful for companies that want to motivate their employees and help them achieve their full potential.
What can you expect from a career coaching process?
The essential objective of career coaching is to help people make informed decisions about their career and/or job. To achieve this, the coach provides various tools, not only psychological but also practical, such as teaching them how to create a more attractive resume or how to complete their profile on social media like LinkedIn in a more professional manner.
Generally, the career coaching process has a very practical outcome, as it focuses on finding solutions and designing strategies that deliver concrete results. The coach acts as a mentor and helps the individual plan the steps they need to take to achieve their goal.
However, career coaching isn’t just aimed at finding solutions at the professional level. The individual will also gain confidence, greater self-awareness, find new sources of inspiration, and discover their skills and passions.
Coaching will also help you relax, as the job search or career choice process often generates a great deal of stress and anxiety. In addition, the coach will help you deal with negative emotions you experience, such as vulnerability, fear of failure, or frustration.
Throughout the process, the coach will try to open the individual to new experiences so they can find the job or profession that truly meets their needs and expectations. To achieve this, they also work on the erroneous beliefs and habits that become obstacles to the individual’s ability to fully realize their potential.
Of course, career coaching can also be applied at the group and company levels. In fact, it’s very effective for analyzing and resolving organizational conflicts that cause a decrease in productivity or create a poor work environment. In this regard, it’s important to point out that until recently, companies needed human resources solutions to sustain their growth, but today the challenge is to make better use of those resources. That’s why they turn to coaching.
Is there a university education that prepares you for career coaching?
The coaching process is barely explored in psychology programs. Therefore, most professionals who specialize in career coaching typically have completed a master’s degree.
This specialization aims to enable professionals to identify the new needs and demands of individuals, groups, and organizations in the labor market, as well as to design and implement intervention and intermediation programs in various employment-related processes.
This training focuses specifically on psychosocial aspects and the development of strategies to enhance personal, organizational, and social resources as intervention tools. These professionals will develop the skills necessary to intervene in social and work situations, in order to energize them.
In fact, we cannot forget that we are living in different times, with new challenges that demand innovative interventions that combine advice and support in job placement processes with guidance and training in new organizational models (teamwork, collaborative environments, leadership, conflict negotiation).
However, if you prefer a shorter training program, postgraduate and specialized diplomas are also offered. These career coaching courses open the door to various career opportunities, from the possibility of working in public administrations in employment services to placement agencies, job placement companies, job placement firms, or even NGOs.
Source:
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (2009) Taking the temperature of coaching: coaching summer survey . London: CIPD.
