10 REASONS WHY YOU NEED A CAREER COACH

Many people are fearful of asking for help with their job search or career change. We think that’s crazy – just straight up nonsense. Would you perform surgery on yourself if you needed it, or pull your own tooth out?

Here are the top 10 reasons you need a career coach in 2016…

1. You could see a 3X return on your investment.

According to a survey in this article, wellness programs have been shown to provide approximately a 300% return on investment (ROI). In other words, companies who spend $1 in a wellness program earn $3 as a result of decreased turnover, fewer sick days, reduced health insurance costs, etc. – it’s no wonder wellness programs have experienced such tremendous growth — it makes financial sense.

2. Your relationships will improve.

Another study shows professional coaching has even greater impact on things like relationships and teamwork. The study says recipients of coaching saw a 77% improvement in relationships, 67% improvement in teamwork, 61% improvement in job satisfaction and 48% improvement in quality.

3. You’ll have more positivity in your life.

Career coaches are trained to focus on positive outcomes and to be a source of motivation. They tailor their efforts to help you find greater satisfaction. Since no two people are the same, having a career coach ensures you are getting assistance that speaks to your wants and needs – not someone else’s.

More importantly, it’s been proven the best way to get what you want is to surround yourself with positive people. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case with family and friends. So, hiring a career coach ensures you’ve got at least one positive influence in your life!

4. You’ll be following in the footsteps of star performers.

One outdated stigma is career coaching is for people who are under-performing or troubled.

On the contrary!

Most smart folks who seek out career coaching do so because they want to be high performers and feel satisfied with their efforts. In the article above, according to Paul Michelman, editor of  Harvard Business School’s Management Update , “Whereas coaching was once viewed by many as a tool to help correct underperformance, today it is becoming much more widely used in supporting top producers. In fact, in a 2004 survey by Right Management Consultants, 86% of companies said they used coaching to sharpen the skills of individuals who have been identified as future organizational leaders.”

So, by choosing to invest in coaching, you are saying to the world you believe in yourself and your ability to be a star performer!

5. It doesn’t take up a lot of time.

Many people assume coaching is like working out, you need to do it daily to see any results.

Not true!

Good coaches understand you need to work professional development into your schedule. Moreover, studies show just a few hours/month can have a huge impact. The article above states best practices in coaching call for between two and four sessions per month that last at least 20 minutes and up to 60 minutes.

A sweet spot for many coaches and clients seems to be three sessions per month for 20 to 45 minutes a session – a miniscule investment of time for the results achieved.

6. Career coaches tell you what you NEED to hear.

While you may be friendly with your career coach, they are not your friend – they are your advocate for change. Unlike your family and friends are opinionated and bias about you and your career, a career coach will look at you objectively and strive to empower you to take the necessary actions to achieve your goal.

In short, while the people in your life tend to tell you what you want to hear, your career coach will be honest and tell you what you need to hear to make your career goals a reality.

7. You could get your employer to pay for it.

For the longest time, companies have only paid for their executives to have career coaches – but that trend is changing.

According to the CBS MoneyWatch article, online shoe and clothing company Zappos.com, known for their outstanding commitment to creating a culture of unparalleled customer service (they even teach this through Zappo-insights), has a full-time goals coach who works with any employee – not just management – on helping them create better lives.

Now is the time to see if your company is considering budgeting for career coaching services as part of their benefits program. With all the surveys showing the positive impact it has, there’s a good chance your employer may see value in footing the bill for your career coach.

8. They’ll help you break bad habits.

A good coach will never tell you what to do. Instead, they’ll help you identify habits that are holding you back from success. Then, they’ll coach you on the actions you should take to learn new, better ways to accomplish your goals.

In short, coaches teach you how to remove roadblocks to success on your own – ensuring you can do this for yourself both now and in the future.

9. It shows you think like an executive.

The article above indicates some executives will pay as much as $3,500/hour for a particular coach.

Yikes!

That’s too rich for our blood, but it goes on to say most personal coaches charge a monthly retainer between $500 to $2,000 a month.

What this means is either there are a lot of really silly executives wasting their money on coaching each month or they are getting results that makes them feel it’s worth the investment.

10. You deserve better in your career.

Forget the economy for a second and just ask yourself, “Do you deserve better?” If the voice in your head says, “Yes!” then you need to take action.

Let’s face it: If you could have found greater career satisfaction on your own, you would have by now. So, why not give yourself some well-deserved support that will help you get what you want and deserve in 2016.

We spend a third of our lives at our jobs – isn’t it time you felt good about your career?