Three Ways a Career Coach Helped Me Find My True Purpose

Posted on December 19, 2013 by Stefanie McGary, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.

At the risk of sounding overly dramatic, my commitment to reinventing my professional self was largely influenced by my 40th birthday. I’ve never really been someone who struggled with getting older, but for some reason, this year was different. Realizing that I had at least another 20 career years looming before me, I found myself asking if I was I really doing what I wanted to do. And if I wasn’t, what was I waiting for? I knew it was time to make some changes, and thought I could benefit from working with a Career Coach.

Enlisting the assistance of an outside advisor was a new idea for me in terms of managing my employment. After all, for the past eighteen years I had successfully administered the growth and development of my career, and particularly as a Human Resources professional, there was a part of me that felt I should be able to handle it on my own. Looking back now, however, I can clearly see the ways in which our coaching relationship significantly contributed to finding the path to my true professional purpose. So what did my Career Coach do that I hadn’t been able to do on my own?

1. She forced me to clearly define my goals

While exploring the goals for my career, it was easy to think of the big picture. What did I want to do? I wanted to help people, I wanted to be my own boss, and I wanted to make a difference. Although that all sounded great, what exactly did that mean? As important as it is to have a big picture goal, at some point it’s necessary to dig down and take a closer look at exactly what it is you want to be doing in your day to day life.

2. She helped me establish a workable plan to achieve those goals

Once I evaluated my options and clearly defined the new career path that I wanted to follow, I needed to figure out how to get there. That meant establishing specific goals and setting realistic timeframes as well as determining how I would measure my progress along the way. During our weekly calls, my Career Coach offered her guidance and support, asking the relevant questions and assisting me as I navigated the planning stage.

3. She held me accountable

This was perhaps the most significant part of the journey for me. I had vowed so many times before to make changes in my career, but it was so easy to let everything else take precedence while my career goals were continuously pushed to the side. Knowing that I now had someone who was going to call me each week and ask me how I was progressing with the goals that I had set made it much easier for me to hold myself accountable throughout the week.

In the end, only you can determine whether or not working with a Career Coach is right for your personal situation. A Career Coach isn’t a quick fix and she isn’t going to do the work for you. Making a positive career change requires time, dedication, and effort. If you aren’t ready to truly make a commitment, this may not be the right path. If, however, you are ready to take the next step to finding your true career passion, a Career Coach may be just what you need to help you identify your goals, create an action plan, and continuously encourage you through any challenges you may face. Under the right circumstances, the coaching relationship can be an amazing and life changing experience. For me personally, it was most certainly a wonderful decision, and with her support and guidance I am happily building my new professional life.