We are super excited and honoured to be featured in the April issue of Marie Claire. Here is our interview with them about career coaching translated in English. 

Q: What is career coaching?

A: Coaching is a proven, effective and interactive method that will help individual’s get from where they are to where they want to be. Through using specific questioning techniques and assessment tools, coaching helps in giving the individual a clearer perspective on both the present and the future, identify the gaps, and ultimately assist them in finding solutions to bridge them.

Now looking at career coaching, it is one of many areas an individual can benefit from. A career coach supports individuals by helping them create effective personal and professional decision-making patterns, and gain a coherent understanding of self and their environment. It also facilitates exploration of thought processes, passions, motivations, needs, and skills to identify what they really want and what is the best fit for them. Once that is achieved a coach will help them set goals and create and execute a career plan they are accountable for

Q: When has career coaching become so popular?

A: There’s no easy way to pinpoint an exact moment in time. However, the discipline of coaching has been around since the 19th century and was first introduced at Oxford University where the term ‘coach’ was used to describe a tutor who was ‘carrying’ a student through their exams. Later on, coaching found its way to the sports arena in order to assist athletes in enhancing their performance. Since the mid 90’s, the discipline of coaching has known a significant growth, with the profession tripling in the past 10 years alone. Nowadays, you can find a coach for literally every aspect of your life, whether it’s wellness, career growth, or skills development, just to name a few.

Q: Who needs career coaching? Who is your client?

A: Our clients range from professionals, students, entrepreneurs, organizations and government entities.

Career coaching can be for any individuals encountering challenges in their professional lives. Whether they’re a student, an entrepreneur or an executive the following describe some of the situations they could be in:

• Getting ready for a promotion, a new role/career and in need to develop the required skills.
• Unhappy with their current job and not sure where to start and want to identify a new career.
• Leading organizations and need to maximize their potential and skills.
• Wanting to learn more about themselves and their strengths/gaps
• Obtaining a better work-life balance
• Improving performance and success at the workplace.

Q: What are the qualifications needed for career coaching?

A: To become a professional and practicing coach it is highly recommended to go through a comprehensive training program and obtain a certification and/or accreditation from a reputable school and coaching governing body. There are many training programs that are widely recognized in the industry that an individual may want to pursue and they may take up to 12 months to complete. As for a governing body, one of the most important accreditation out there for coaches is the International Coaching Federation (ICF). ICF has set standards for the coaching field and ensures that there is consistency in the coach training, and has a credentialing system to ensure that the coaching industry integrity is supported and persevered through these standards and programs to build credibility and trust.

Q: How can coaching help women in general?

A: Nothing in Coaching is gender specific, however, nowadays women lead very challenging lives and have a so many roles to play. They are mothers, wives or professionals and sometimes all at once! As women we tend to think that we have to excel at all of these and feel guilty when we don’t. From our experience, coaching can help in gaining assertiveness, confidence and leadership skills, having a better work-life balance and overall personal and professional growth.

Q: What can one expect from career coaching sessions?

A: Individuals can expect a personalized, strategic and interactive one-on-one partnership. During the sessions, powerful questioning techniques are used to provoke thoughts, push buttons and break boundaries to support individuals to reflect, clarify thoughts and determine crucial decisions. They can also include assessment tools and assignments that are meant to uncover their ideal path and true potential.

Q: What procedures/steps do you take to achieve your client’s career objectives?

A: Creating a path to the career you really desire is so important. We spend most of our time at work, so doing something you love sounds cliché, yet so many people are stuck in roles or careers that they might not have chosen or don’t relate to anymore. With the help of our career programs and tools, we assist our clients in:

• Examining and reflecting on what is important to them
• Evaluating their likes and dislikes in each jobs they held and currently hold
• Uncover their talents, passions, skills and abilities.
• Listing what it is they want or need from a job/career.
• Searching for the ideal job not only based on the job title but specifically on job content
• Setting career goals against their values and their ideal lifestyle.
• Having a career plan in place
• Taking action by keeping them accountable! Having all of this on paper is nice, but it’s nothing unless they do something about it.

Planning and identifying your goals takes time and effort, however, if they do so throughout their career they will be able to position themselves on the right track and focus their energy on going after what they want!

Q: At what stage of your client’s career is coaching useful?

A: Career coaching is useful at any stage of ones career and can apply to a variety of people. Whether you’re a student wondering what to major in, a young professional not really knowing which role to target, a stay at home mom who wants to go back to the corporate world, an entrepreneur starting a new business , a head of department or a CEO wanting to improve their leadership skills. Everybody at some point or the other can benefit from having an unbiased external party with a fresh perspective and no personal agenda. It’s very often a real eye opener!

Q: What are the challenges and difficulties that most of your clients go through?

A: Our clients are mostly at a point in their lives where they feel stuck, confused and not unsure of what to do about a given situation. They are at a stage where they want a different perspective and clarity. Our clients are individuals who, even if they are in a space of uncertainty, are ready to take that step towards change and action.

Q: At what point is career coaching less useful?

A: Career coaching wouldn’t be useful to someone who feels fulfilled and accomplished in their professional life. Also, when individuals are not ready or willing to make change.

Q: If you could identify a “Golden Rule” of career satisfaction, what would it be?

A: That’s a very good question. And it would be easy to just respond: Do what you love and you will never have to work a day in your life. However, we’d like to add a few Golden Rules: Go after what you truly want and what you’re good at, find something genuinely meaningful to you, and don’t be afraid to take risks…Nothing good comes easy, but it is so worth it!