Considering Career Coaching? Here Are 3 Ways to Make the Most of Your Investment.

NimblyWise Team
May 11, 2022

Whether you’re at a career crossroads, are an inquisitive recent grad, or someone who loves their career but finds themselves at odds with their boss, career coaching could be a great solution. But for many, they let the fear of investing in themselves get in the way of immense growth! In reality, without investing in yourself in some way, no matter where you’re at in your career, you’ll likely remain lost, stagnant, or frustrated.

The Institute of Coaching reported that 86% of those who invested in coaching recouped their investment and then some. So, in many cases, taking the plunge will have you questioning why you didn’t do it sooner!

Career coaching is an investment in yourself—arguably the most important investment. So, we asked NimblyWise’s Lead Coach, Leslie Mizerak, for her top tips for making the most of your career coaching investment. Today, we’re sharing her recommendations.

Get Clear on Your Goal

Now, this isn’t to say you need to go into coaching with a clear set of goals for your career. That isn’t the point, as coaching will help you identify what those short-term and long-term career goals should be. But what you do want to do is be clear on what you would like to accomplish through coaching. What is your goal, and what do you want to achieve as you work with your career coach?

A couple of examples might be:

I want to identify where my personality and passions may have the most significant impact in terms of a career. At the end of coaching, I would like to have a target role in an industry that aligns with my values, complete with a resume and pitch to land that role.
I want to identify the skills gaps that are holding me back from achieving the promotion I’ve been going after for a year. I’d like to build those skills with my boss and team through real-time application. At the end of coaching, I’d like to be prepared and confident to apply for the next promotion when it becomes available.
I love my job but not my boss. I don’t want to leave my current role, so I’d like to identify ways I can communicate with my boss effectively, to overcome the tension and issues that are making my days at work unenjoyable.

One thing to remain clear on is that it’s common for your goals to change once you get into coaching and achieve greater clarity. And that’s okay! It’s completely normal and means that you’re growing, learning, and investing in your authentic success. But it is essential to at least come in with a clear idea of what you want to work on so you’re making the most of your time and not wasting time, in the beginning, trying to figure out why you’re there and what you want to accomplish.

Be Open & Communicate

In Leslie’s words, “Coaching is a conversation, not a monologue.”

For coaching to be successful, you need to be open to having vulnerable, tough two-way conversations. Typically, we grow from places of discomfort, but those are the places we avoid most. Coaching provides a safe space to work through your most complex challenges. No matter how scared or embarrassed you are, you must be vulnerable to get the most out of it.

During coaching, you’ll be encouraged to seek feedback from people who care about you—your family, boss, and peers. So you need to be open to getting direct feedback. And with that, you need to be open to learning from that feedback and discussing it with your coach to learn how to operationalize it and connect it with how to realize your career goals.

You also need to be unafraid of trying new things. After all, Einstein’s famous quote, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results,” became well-known for a reason. Stepping a bit outside of our comfort zone helps us to learn and grow differently to help you achieve success beyond what you’ve dreamed of!

Take Your Blinders Off

Frequently today, we start our careers in a particular silo or industry, and we stick to it. Historically, we’ve been taught that you get a job, you learn the ropes, you climb the ladder. But that’s not really the case anymore. So take the blinders off, throw out what you’ve been told, and be inquisitive. Look around and listen to what the job market has to offer. Think about what you want, and don’t be afraid to chase after it, even if it’s not what you initially saw yourself doing! Opportunities are plentiful today, but you need to be willing to see them.

Want to Learn More About NimblyWise Career Coaching? Let’s Chat.

Our talented and professional team is prepared with years of experience and real-life work scenarios that help our participants achieve more than they thought possible! If you want to learn more about working with our NimblyWise coaches like Leslie, let’s chat.