Career coaches can provide guidence, but sometimes you may already posses what it takes to coach yourself

Did you know what career coaches do? The dictionary definition of a coach is someone who guides or gives instructions. They are there to tell you what paths to take, what opportunities you should take advantage of, and so on. All these are to get you closer to your professional goals.

But many people know that before they look for outside help, they could effectively use their own common sense and introspection to be their own teacher.

Step One – Pretend you ARE your own teacher.

This may sound silly at the onset, but hear this out. Try talking to yourself or writing down what you would say in front of your trainer or instructor. Don’t be vague. Be detailed in your descriptions and depictions. Think about what you want professionally, what you want to be after two, five, or ten years.

Step Two – Don’t be afraid to ask yourself the hard questions.

Don’t ever stay away from topics and issues in your professional life that you usually shy away from.

Step Three – When you try to answer yourself, try to think of it like it’s someone else asking for advice.

This way, we get to say hard truths and frank advice we would not like to hear for ourselves. It’s always easier to give advice to others rather than follow it. Remember, a real career coach is paid to give you solid advice, not coddle you.

Step Four – Self-confidence will win you the day.

To be able to receive and apply the advice of a coach, you have to believe you can do it, that there’s enough in you to make it happen. Even if you pay for an actual coach, if you don’t believe in yourself, then everything’s essentially useless.

Only if these steps don’t work out can you start to consider seeing an actual career coach. At the very least, this activity prepares you for the experience of consulting with a coach. You’ll be more or less prepared for all the questions he or she might ask you and your consultation might just as well prove to be a more worthwhile and productive experience.

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