You see a dentist regularly to keep your teeth clean and cavity-free. You get an annual physical to stay healthy. Heck, you even give your car an oil change every three months to keep up a maintenance schedule and get expert mechanic advice. But what do you do for your career? When it comes to your professional life, a proactive approach is best. Having a trusted adviser, such as a career coach, is a secret weapon of executives across the globe, but you don’t have to be a member of the C-suite to take advantage of this opportunity.
GetFive has coaches that work closely with clients at every level to get them the job they desire, but the relationship often doesn’t stop there. Many professionals opt to stay in touch with their coaches to get career advice on an as-needed basis. This has proven to be a valuable asset that can bolster career growth and job satisfaction.
Consider one example: Sharon, the head of marketing for a company in the media industry. Over the 12 years Sharon has worked there, the company and industry has grown and become more competitive. Sharon has been able to stay on as the head of marketing, growing her staff and her salary at the same time.
Sharon worked with a trusted GetFive coach often in the beginning, and then infrequently, as the need arose. She trusted her coach and knew her coach understood her strengths and weaknesses, as well as many of the nuances of the organization she worked for.
Through the “Circles of Influence” exercise, the coach came to know Sharon’s staff and all of those around her — inside and outside the organization — who could influence her career. Her coach helped her refine her Eight-Word Message as it changed over time. Help was a quick phone call away when junior colleagues were trying to undermine her and when bosses were trying to take over her position.
Bottom line: Sharon’s coach was on the professional journey with her, helping her to capitalize on situations and avoid pitfalls and threats when they arose. In this ever-changing market, it’s good to have a coach on your side to see you through rough patches, to discuss ideas and concerns, and to give you perspective. Then you too can take advantage of this secret weapon to success.
