Your Career Deserves A Second Opinion

This year marks four years since I started coaching, and I have yet to have a bad day with it. I love it, and my only wish is that I had more time, more clients, and more opportunities to make an impact.

Recently, I had a client text me, "This is why working with a coach is a game changer," signaling the confidence and support they were getting by working with me.

But this article isn't a plug to hire me to coach you; it's a plug to find someone, anyone, somewhere, anywhere to give you the support your career deserves because it's ridiculous to think you can do it all alone.

I've been fortunate throughout my career to have people who have given me advice, challenged my thinking, opened doors, and helped me navigate situations that I wasn't entirely sure how to handle. Some of those people were managers, some were colleagues, and others were people I met along the way who were willing to share their experiences. Looking back, I can tell you that some of the most important decisions I've made in my career were influenced by conversations with people who had absolutely nothing to gain from helping me.

I think one of the biggest mistakes people make in their careers is assuming they should have all the answers. You get to a certain level, you have a few years of experience under your belt, you've been promoted a couple of times, and suddenly you start believing that you're supposed to figure everything out on your own. That's a ridiculous amount of pressure to put on yourself, especially when you're making decisions that can influence the next five, ten, or fifteen years of your professional life.

Think about it. Professional athletes have coaches. Some of the most successful executives in the world have coaches. People who have reached the absolute top of their professions still surround themselves with individuals who can help them improve their performance, identify their weaknesses, and challenge how they think. Yet somehow, the average professional who is trying to navigate their career believes that asking for help is a sign that they don't know what they're doing. I have never understood that logic.

One of the things I've learned from coaching over the last four years is that most people already have a pretty good idea of what they need to do. They have the experience, the ambition, the work ethic, and the intelligence to accomplish whatever it is they're trying to accomplish. What they're often missing is someone who can help them connect the dots, challenge their assumptions, and give them the confidence to make a decision they've probably been putting off for months.

I've had conversations with clients where we've spent an hour talking through a situation that they've been wrestling with for weeks. By the end of the conversation, there's a sense of relief, almost as though someone just took fifty pounds off their shoulders. The situation hasn't necessarily changed. Their boss is still their boss, their company is still their company, and the challenges they were facing an hour earlier are probably still sitting there waiting for them. What changed was their perspective, and sometimes that's all it takes to move forward.

There's also something incredibly valuable about having someone in your corner who doesn't have a personal interest in the outcome. Your manager might give you advice based on what benefits the company. Your colleagues might give you advice based on their own experiences or motivations. Your spouse or partner might tell you what they think you want to hear because they love you and don't want to see you struggle. Having someone who can look at your situation objectively and tell you what they actually think is a luxury that more people should take advantage of.

Here's the other thing. You don't necessarily need to spend thousands of dollars hiring a professional coach to get this type of support. Find a mentor. Reach out to someone you've worked with who you respect. Reconnect with a former manager who helped you grow. Build relationships with people who are a few steps ahead of where you want to be. You'd be surprised how many successful people are willing to give you thirty minutes of their time if you approach them with genuine curiosity and a willingness to learn.

What frustrates me is watching people spend months, sometimes years, feeling stuck in their careers while doing nothing to change their circumstances. They'll complain about their manager, their compensation, their lack of advancement, or the company they work for, but they won't pick up the phone and ask someone for help. They'll convince themselves that eventually something will change, someone will recognize their value, or an opportunity will magically appear. Meanwhile, people all around them could help them navigate their next move if they'd simply start a conversation.

Four years into coaching, I can tell you the most rewarding part has very little to do with resumes, interviews, promotions, or compensation increases. It's watching someone start to believe in themselves again. It's getting the text message that they finally had the conversation they'd been avoiding, accepted the offer they never thought they'd receive, or made a decision that changed the direction of their career. Everyone deserves to have someone in their corner who believes in what they're capable of accomplishing and is willing to help them get there. Your career is too important to spend your entire life trying to figure it out alone.

Your career is too important to spend your entire life trying to figure it out alone.

P.S. If you've made it this far, I have openings to fill, so book a discovery call and let's talk about how I can support your career.