Tips for Using a Professional Coach to your Advantage

Aug. 24, 2010 - PRLog -- Today’s culture has seen an old phenomenon come back in a new package.  Once regulated to the realm of a ‘nice idea’ without much follow-through, the practice of having a professional mentor or coach has surged, becoming a smart necessity in a grueling job market.  Having a professional coach who has experienced the changes in your industry for years is a priceless commodity, one that many are now seeking with purpose. The professional coach fills a strong need in today’s business world for clarity, direction and training. It’s akin to educating yourself to take care of your career with the same diligence you would use in other areas of your own life.

You’ve been taught how to take care of your body, your clothes, your house, your car... but how many people have been taught how to take care of their careers?  For many people, the last time they had a mentor or voice of wisdom in their lives was high school or college. It is easy to see when the body needs attention and care.  It’s very easy to see when cars need maintenance.  But you can’t really visualize the gulf between where you are professionally and where you could be without an experienced voice guiding you towards your full potential.

Self-awareness is a learned concept, and for centuries people understood that it required the constant, dedicated help of someone experienced in order to condition an individual to understand how to perform to their potential.  It takes outside perspective. Think about it- how many people have you ever known that were both completely self-aware and able to motivate themselves with a clear vision of their true strengths and weaknesses? It’s a truly rare creature that can help people overcome their own self-sabotages and mind-blocks to make leaps forward in their creative abilities.

Take a look at one performance coach from the financial industry: http://www.trustperformancecoaching.com/

This is the level of expertise that people expect when looking for someone to guide them in professional decisions.  Be careful that you select someone with the skills and experience to help you improve.  You are making a significant investment in an important part of your current and future life-you can’t rely on just anyone who puts themself out there as a coach. Choose a coach that has an established website and a track record to prove that they not only have a thriving career, but have shown the ability to help you achieve the same thing.

Professional coaches are typically used to help sharpen performance skills in demanding, highly-visible positions, and to offer feedback and ideas on how to achieve career goals.  Every industry has it’s specialists who have successfully built a career and have the skills and experience both with people and with their profession to guide you in yours.  Finding the right professional/performance coach is a matter of finding the right voices within your industry, voices you can trust.

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