The answer to this question really is: It depends. Over the past four years, I have had cause to look deeply into what I want to be when I grow up and I have found seeking external advice very helpful.
If you’ve read my post about My Story: An unconventional career, you will have noticed that I have not followed a traditional career path. And, whilst this has resulted in an amazing breadth of experience, it has made it a little tricky to focus on my true north. This is where career advisors have really assisted me to sort through my thoughts and feelings, confidence issues and core strengths.
Perhaps some of my experiences will help you decide whether it’s a good time for you to be calling in an expert to assist you to take your career to the next level.
Self-reflection is key
A lack of focus was one of the key reasons I decided to undertake the Senior Executive MBA (SEMBA) program at Melbourne Business School. I felt I needed to consolidate my on-the-job learnings and refocus where I was heading. I had reached a stage in my career where I really did need to work out what I wanted to be when I grew up!
A key ‘trick of the trade’ for any career advisor is to ask the client to undertake a process of self-reflection. It is this process that really helps you to get to the heart of who you are and what you want to be. The catch is: if you want to get the most out of your coaching, you have to be prepared to go there. If you’re not, then you’ll be wasting your time and money.
If you're not prepared to commit to the process of self-discovery, to delve deeply into uncovering your confidence blockers and your unique value proposition, then a career coach won't be able to help you.
During our first SEMBA module, each member of the cohort worked closely with the late (and wonderful) Clarence Da Gama Pinto. One of the most impactful self-reflection exercises Clarence asked me to undertake involved a sheet of butchers paper and a marker. He asked me to draw an x-axis for my lifetime and a y-axis for my happiness (from 0 to 10), and to mark periods in my life that were very happy or very not happy. The result looked like an ECG of my life.
Once I’d identified those periods, I needed to reflect on what the elements were that went into making those moments so good or not-so-good. This provided me insight into what made me happy in life and career and what my stressors were. Once you know this, you can then use this lens to assess career options.
Personality testing
If you’ve never done a personality test, I highly recommend you invest in it. I’ve done a few in my time and I am always surprised at how accurate they are and that there’s always a new morsel of wisdom for me to contemplate.
Even doing the same test over and again as your career progresses provides insight into how your modus operandi shifts as you develop your leadership skills. It is very interesting and can give you some great insights into where your strengths lie and what career path will be best suited to your underlying personality traits.
Honing in on career options
Having done a lot of navel-gazing during SEMBA, contemplating what kind of leader I am and which values I hold dear, I felt ready to explore my next career move. I feel very fortunate to have been introduced to Kelly Magowan, who was consulting to the Melbourne Business School at the time. Kelly got me thinking about which industries I would target, a challenge for me because my operational skills are industry-agnostic. Taking me through a few exercises to focus my thinking, I was able to narrow the list.
Then it was time to work on articulating my value-add, what roles I should be applying for and what I had to offer these industries. Again, Kelly was invaluable in helping me to cut to the chase, highlight my past achievements and pitch myself at an appropriate level.
Never underestimate the power of networking
Another valuable lesson Kelly taught me was that networking would be vital to my success. This was particularly true because I was intending to step out of my current industry. Kelly offered to introduce me to a few Alumni and thus began my foray into networking, and boy did I throw myself headlong into the task!
I met the folks Kelly introduced me to and got referrals from them to meet others. I joined alumni groups, industry groups and Meetup groups, and I kept in contact with the Melbourne Business School Alumni team. I became expert at growing and nurturing my network and, to my surprise, I actually found it energising. Don’t get me wrong, it is a lot of work and you have to be committed, but I do get a kick out of making introductions and reaching into my network to access advice.
A second opinion
Having been made redundant from a role I loved, and being provided the social licence afforded by Covid lockdown, I have again been contemplating my navel and deciphering what my next adventure will look like. With additional experience under my belt and a desire to hit the turbo-charge button on my career, I decided to reach out for help again.
I made a conscious decision to seek an alternate perspective and, rather than call on Kelly again, I reached out to my network to find another career coach. I was recommended to Sarah Makris and have been working with her for the past couple of months. Rather than being a traditional HR practitioner, Sarah has come from a Communications background and so focusses on how you tell your story to create your personal brand.
Whilst I have done a lot of career coaching (see above), I found Sarah’s approach enlightening. She really got me thinking about not only my value proposition but also how I can authentically communicate my personal brand through all of my digital and analogue touchpoints. By being clear on my personal brand, I am able to reinforce it cohesively across a number of different mediums. And this clarity will help me tailor content to my desired audience.
The launch of my website
I purchased my URL back in 2011, thinking if I don’t ever use it, at least nobody else will. What I realised, with Sarah’s guidance, is that to underpin my personal brand and be recognised by my peers and future colleagues, I need to build my profile. To do that, I need to start creating content and, if I want to own my content, I need to distribute it via my own blog. So, here I am nearly 10 years later launching my site.
I must admit that I was very sceptical about creating a blog, I am not the ‘blogger’ type. But the more I thought about it, the more I began to see the opportunities and the role it will play as I build my online and offline presence. And, now that I’ve started to get into the swing, I am actually quite enjoying the creative process of writing.
Gaining control of the Matrix
Following the work I have done with Sarah, I feel like Neo at that moment in the film when he realises he doesn’t just have the ability to see the Matrix, he can control it.
That’s an empowering feeling. I now have a new depth of control over how I am perceived in the marketplace and I am able to reach an audience far beyond any I have reached before.
This will have a significant and positive impact on my career and it’s a command I don’t believe I would have achieved without expert guidance, probing and coaching from Clarence, Kelly and Sarah.
Is it worthwhile?
So, to the question of whether a career or personal branding coach is worth it, my answer is: Absolutely. But for you, it depends.
Will you have the courage to delve deep into your thoughts and feelings, confidence issues and core strengths? Do you need to? Are you dissatisfied with where your career is at and where it is leading? If the answer to these questions is ‘yes’, then the answer to the title question is also ‘yes’.
My advice is to speak to colleagues and others in your network to find the right fit for you. This process is highly personal and you need to be comfortable and confident with the coach you choose. I would be more than happy to give you some insights into working with Kelly and Sarah, feel free to send me a note via the Contact me page.
Whether you choose to engage a career or personal branding coach or not, I wish you every success in your career and would welcome any advice you can give me!