12 Days of Christmas Career Coach Style!

On the first day of Christmas my career coach gave to me an initial meeting to learn more about your training and education, your experiences, and your hopes and dreams.  It is hard to provide advice to someone if you don’t know anything about them!

On the second day of Christmas my career coach gave to me the MBTI assessment to learn more about where you focus your attention and how you get your energy, how you prefer to take in information, how you make decisions and how you deal with the outer world.  This is important considering potential jobs as certain things may make you uncomfortable, but they are not unsurmountable if you want it enough.

On the third day of Christmas my career coach gave to me The Strong Interest Inventory assessment to learn about which topics and skills you are most interested in using, a list of 10 potential jobs which match your interests, and a personal style breakdown including how you like to work and learn, your team orientation, risk taking and leadership preferences.  You will be happiest, productive and most successful if you do what you are interested in and enjoy.

On the fourth day of Christmas my career coach gave to me a day for reflection on what you have learned about yourself since taking the MBTI and Strong Interest Inventory assessments.  Was there anything surprising with your results?  Does it make you want to consider other potential careers?  If so, make a list for your next session with your coach.  By taking the time to think carefully about your skill set it will open up potential unexplored career avenues.

On the fifth day of Christmas my career coach gave to me a discussion on your potential career path and progression.  Based on yesterdays reflection are there new careers to research?  Your coach will provide you with information, resources and new avenues to research all potentials.  They may also suggest other careers that you have not previously mentioned.  Remember they are giving ideas which may or may not fit your current perception of yourself and career.  Consider what they say as they are the career professionals, they may see something that you don’t.

On the sixth day of Christmas my career coach gave to me a discussion on how much you would like to earn and what is your lowest possible salary through building a monthly and annual budget.  You will need to put in the work to develop your budget, including all current and potential costs.  This includes considering how much you will be taxed therefore what is your take home pay?  You don’t want to start a job and then realize it doesn’t pay enough to pay your basic bills.

On the seventh day of Christmas my career coach gave to me a day off for your physical and mental well being.  Come back fresh and rested to get stuck into your job hunt and proceeding to job applications.  While it may seem that you need to constantly be searching and applying you need to take a break or you will burn out.  Plus, you are likely to submit more effective applications if you are well rested.

On the eighth day of Christmas my career coach gave to me a demonstration of how to evaluate your potential starting salaries using salary.com, payscale.com, the bureau of labor statistics, glassdoor and indeed. Comparing across platforms is key so that you have a realistic salary expectation. Why look for salaries now? When you apply they will invariably ask for your expected salary range, so be prepared before you even get to that point!

On the ninth day of Christmas my career coach gave to me a job search strategy, both using online tools like glassdoor, indeed and higher education platforms and by networking!  Use both but your chances of being successful increase if you can be referred or recommended for a position by someone in your network.  At the minimum it may get you an informational interview to learn more about companies or jobs which may be of interest to you.

On the tenth day of Christmas my career coach gave to me the skills to make a tailored resume specific to the job that you are applying to. By using terms used in the job advert, and researching the company or institution, and your potential co-workers you can ensure it appeals to those screening candidates.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my career coach gave to me an explanation on how to write an effective cover letter to catch the attention of the reader in the few seconds they will review it. While you hope they will savour each word, they don’t have the time, so ensure yours grabs and holds their attention.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my career coach gave to me a mock interview and provides advice for how to answer those tricky interviewer questions.  Be prepared with examples for questions on working as a team member, leading, taking initiative and dealing with conflict.  Also, always send a thankyou email or note afterwards to either express thanks for being considered or to cover any mistakes you may have made during the interview.  A physical note is always appreciated, it is old school but it works!

On the thirteenth day of Christmas my career coach gave to me a bonus lesson on negotiation.  Once you know what you are worth and want to be paid, add a little more (10%) to allow the employer to negotiate you down a little.  Try not to mention a salary first as the general rule is that you the person who names it first loses. Remember you can ask for additional things instead of money, flexible working conditions, vacation days, professional development, tuition reimbursement and signing bonuses are some other options. 

 Wishing you Happy Holidays and a prosperous 2021!