How career experts can help you right now
Riverfront Regional Park, Sonoma County | Erik Castro | erikcastrophoto.com
You've seen the statistic: the U.S. unemployment rate is at its highest since the Great Depression, which, as reported in a recent Forbes article published this month, ¹ currently stands at 14.7%. In the U.S. alone, it means roughly 30% of Americans who are in their prime working years aren't working right now. And if you're in the hospitality, leisure, retail, or manufacturing industries, this could easily be you.
It's jaw-dropping. I live in Sonoma County, California, a beautiful place known as a top destination for food, wine, and experiences that truly capture the essence of the phrase blissed-out. For me reading the statistics is one thing, but seeing people who both own and work for businesses in these industries impacted first hand in my backyard is another. It's heartbreaking to watch some of my favorite hotels like h2hotel in Healdsburg suspend operations for three months and see beloved businesses like The Whole Pie, close their doors permanently.
With so many people looking for jobs right now there's been an increase in demand for career experts who have valuable expertise to lend job seekers who are looking to:
Review and improve their resumes.
Recommend avenues they haven't tried yet to land a job.
Get hired into a new job in a different industry.
Meet people in a specific field or company.
Reinvent themselves.
Build new skills.
I'm seeing requests for all of the above from people who are turning to career coaching as a possible solution, and I've got good news: myself and other coaches who help people navigate changes in their career can absolutely help with some of these things - but not all of them.
Many people who are actively pounding the virtual pavement right now are looking for a one-stop-shop - an uber career expert who can do it all. And here's what it's made me realize:
If you’re looking for your next job, you don’t need a career expert. You need a team.
What's important is knowing who to leverage based on what you need. And while some of these experts are folks you'll hire, you'll find several of them are most likely people you already know.
When you need to refine or update your resume: When it comes to your CV, professional resume writers are the experts who can translate your experience into examples that appeal to recruiters and hiring managers alike. One of the most critical aspects of your resume is that it tells an overall compelling narrative about your career and good resume writers are experts at bringing that narrative forward in an attention-getting way that captures the interest of others. Good things to ask potential writers as you're screening them include:
What's the biggest problem you're seeing job seekers face right now?
What's your experience with my industry?
What's your superpower?
What's your resume writing process?
And don't forget to make sure they're certified by either the Professional Association of Resume Writers or National Resume Writers' Association.
When you want to break into a new industry: Looking to learn more about roles in an industry that's new to you? Ask friends who are already in the field to serve as mentors. Meet regularly and make it super easy for them. Focus each of your conversations on specific topics. Show up curious, asking questions like:
How would you describe your best days?
Tell me about your worst days.
How did you overcome your biggest career obstacles in the past?
What do you see as my strengths?
Which of my strengths translate well to your industry?
What experience do I need to gain?
Don't forget to demonstrate you're applying what you're learning by sharing what you've done since you last spoke. And make sure you're showing your appreciation and giving back to the relationship too, even if giving back is as simple as continuing to actively show you care about your friend and what's going in their lives.
When you want to meet people in a specific field or company: Both friends and former colleagues are great resources here. Coming from someone who worked for a social media company for many years, it won't be a surprise to hear me say leverage your social network. But here's the key: make sure you're specific with people about what you need. Ever watched Heidi Grant's TED Talk "How to ask for help - and get a "yes" ²?. If not, there's no better time than the present to check it out. One of many points Heidi makes is that many people suffer from what psychologists call the "illusion of transparency," which is the mistaken belief that what we need is evident to other people. Our hope? That they'll notice and spontaneously offer to help. If people you know aren't sure what's next on the career horizon for you, it won't be intuitive to introduce you to folks in their network who can help. When you're looking for introductions, be very specific with friends and colleagues about what you need and how it will help you in your current job search. And don't ask them over email, have a personal conversation about it.
When you're looking to reinvent yourself or build new skills: When you're uncertain about what's next in your career or are looking to make a career transition, this is where a career coach can help. Coaching is a series of 1:1 sessions designed to empower and support you in becoming the person you want to be. The orientation of coaching is the future. The belief is, "I'm resourceful." And if you're navigating the job market right now, working with a career coach will get you clear on your long term career goals as well as the strategies that will help you bring them to life. Great questions to ask career coaches you meet with include:
What are your philosophies and beliefs about coaching?
What have you learned isn't effective in coaching sessions?
How would you describe a typical session?
How do you help people build new skills?
How do you assess or measure if your coaching is effective?
Are you certified with the International Coach Federation?
Ultimately a coach's goal is to build the sustainable mindsets, behaviors, and skills that will serve you effectively as you make your next career transition. And many good career coaches will also help you discover how to embrace reinvention as a life skill you'll take forward for years to come.
As you continue to navigate both an uncertain time as well as a job market that's influx, the collective input from everyone on this list will get you feeling grounded, empowered, and ready to successfully tackle what's next in your career. And not only will each of these experts serve as partners-in-crime who help you today, you’ll find many of them will become trusted advisors you continue to rely on in the future too.
Tom Floyd is an executive coach and founder of Flouracity, a professional development company that helps managers grow in their careers, leaders flourish in their roles, and people become the best version of themselves.