Your client depends on you for job opportunities. How can you empower them to take the lead?

As a Career Growth Coach, I manage a community of working professionals and help them elevate in their career. I follow the exact same process to help them navigate their job search phase - Skills assessment--> Goal setting->Networking -->Interview preparation--> Continuous Learning. I firmly believe that the first step is conducting a thorough skill assessment. I guide clients to evaluate their current skills & identify gaps that may hinder their job search. This involves not only assessing technical & professional skills but also soft skills like communication and problem-solving. By understanding their strengths & areas for improvement, clients can approach the job market with a clear sense of what they offer & where they need to grow.

Self awareness is the first stage to understanding your strengths and weaknesses. Find out your why and the motivation for change. This will highlight your natural passions which will help to keep you motivated when times are challenging.

Start by guiding clients to recognize their unique skills, not just the obvious ones. Encourage them to look beyond their resume and document their proudest moments and biggest achievements. This process taps into their emotional intelligence and can reveal hidden strengths. Analyzing these highlights helps identify the skills that led to their success, boosting confidence and uncovering unique selling points. Also, encourage clients to tackle challenging areas for growth. A targeted skill building plan based on these areas can open doors to new opportunities and help them take the lead in their career journey.

Help your client identify their strengths and areas for improvement through comprehensive skill assessments. This can include self-assessment tools, feedback from peers, and professional evaluations. Understanding their skill set allows them to target job opportunities that align with their capabilities and interests.

Empower your client by helping them develop the skills and confidence to take charge of their job search. Start by guiding them through creating a strong resume and LinkedIn profile that showcases their strengths. Teach them effective networking strategies and how to approach potential employers. Encourage them to set daily or weekly goals for job applications and networking activities. Provide resources for self-learning, like job search webinars or industry articles. Remind them that while you're here to support them, their proactive efforts will ultimately lead to success.

Goals are good to have as they provide a guiding light for your way forward. You need to have something to aim for in life. Break down the goal into actionable steps and make a realistic plan. Visualise the goal and complete step by step.

Next, I work with my clients to set clear, achievable and realistic goals. Goal setting provides direction and motivation, both crucial for a successful job search. I help them define their short-term and long-term career aspirations and break these down into actionable steps. Whether it’s targeting specific industries, roles, or companies, having well-defined goals allows clients to take charge of their journey and measure their progress effectively. Goal setting is an integral part of any successful career

I guide clients build strong career stories that link their past experiences with their current goals and future plans. This makes goal setting feel more personal and engaging. We pinpoint important milestones, such as new skills to learn, connections to make, and projects to complete, to advance their career. We also set growth goals, like learning new skills or expanding their network, to keep them motivated even in a tough job market. A visual "success roadmap" makes progress clear and provides milestones to celebrate. As their situation changes, their goals should too. I encourage clients to regularly review and adjust their goals to stay on track with their career path.

Encourage your client to set clear, achievable career goals. This involves defining short-term and long-term objectives, creating a roadmap to reach them, and regularly reviewing progress. Goal setting provides direction and motivation, helping them stay focused on their career aspirations.

3 tips to optimise your networking on Linkedin: 1) Don't reach out to recruiters: contact managers of the role you are targeting. 2) Don't send a 1000-word message: keep it short and always mention what you want. 3) Don't send your resume: if they need to know more about yourself, they will ask or check your LI profile.

I strongly advocate the importance of networking as a key strategy for job seekers. I train my clients on how to build and leverage their professional networks, both online and offline. This includes crafting a strong LinkedIn profile, showcasing themselves as a thought leader, engaging with industry groups, attending networking events, and learning how to approach potential employers and industry contacts. By developing strong networking skills, clients can uncover hidden job opportunities and build valuable relationships that can support their career growth.

Encourage clients to move beyond transactional networking and build relationships based on shared values and interests. Authentic connections are more likely to last and provide real value. Urge them to actively participate in industry events and engage meaningfully by offering insights, support, and showing genuine interest in others’ work. Networking isn’t just about collecting business cards or LinkedIn connections, it’s about cultivating relationships that drive career growth. Help clients prepare for networking events by giving them tips on starting conversations, asking insightful questions, and following up effectively. Don't forget, effective networking is a skill developed over time.

Teach your client effective networking strategies, such as attending industry events, joining professional groups, and leveraging social media platforms like LinkedIn. Building a strong professional network can open doors to job opportunities, mentorship, and valuable industry insights.

My top tip for any interview preparation is to talk with the hiring manager, wherever possible. Find out what the hiring manager is looking for and the key attributes for the role. Every job I have applied for I have connected the hiring manager on LinkedIn and sought to have an informal chat which is also known as a "fireside chat". The fireside chat is invaluable and will help you understand the culture. The more understanding you obtain will help you to do a better application. This is my top tip for any interview preparation.

To ensure clients feel confident in their job search, I provide comprehensive interview preparation as well. I strongly believe that giving an interview is a skill which is pretty underrated. Many professionals feel that its just about going and talking about themselves in an interview. But over the years, the dynamics have changed. Interviewers have become more stringent and observant & hence polishing this skill has become imperative for every job seeker. I train my clients on various interview techniques. conduct mock interviews, feedback sessions, and strategies for handling different types of questions and interview formats.

Interviews can be stressful, but with the right prep, they’re easier to handle. I help clients research the company’s culture, challenges, and goals so they can tailor their answers to what the company needs. We create a “personal case study” for each key skill, using specific stories to highlight their strengths, making their answers more engaging. We also practice different interview styles from traditional, behavioral, and stress interviews to prepare clients for any situation. The aim is not just to get a job but to find the right fit. I also encourage clients to prepare thoughtful questions to evaluate if the role aligns with their career goals.

Many people prepare too late for interviews. Don't wait until you receive an interview invitation to prepare for the interview, as you need to be fast when scheduling the interviews to be one of the first candidates. You need to start interview preparation as soon as you begin your job search.

Prepare your client for job interviews by conducting mock interviews, providing feedback, and sharing tips on how to answer common questions. Emphasize the importance of researching the company, practicing their responses, and presenting themselves confidently to make a positive impression.

Finally, I instill the importance of continuous learning. In a rapidly changing job market, staying updated with industry trends, new technologies, and emerging skills is crucial. I encourage clients to pursue relevant certifications, attend workshops, and engage in self-learning to remain competitive. By fostering a mindset of continuous improvement, clients become proactive in their career development, ready to adapt and thrive in any situation. We all need to become lifelong learners if we want to thrive in this evolutionary world

Encourage your client to engage in continuous learning to stay competitive in the job market. This can include taking online courses, attending workshops, and earning certifications. Lifelong learning helps them adapt to industry changes and enhances their skill set.

Help your client develop resilience to cope with job search challenges and setbacks. This involves fostering a positive mindset, teaching stress management techniques, and encouraging perseverance. Building resilience ensures they remain motivated and proactive in their job search efforts.

Networking can be as frustrating as a job application: people ghost you, and you confront yourself with rejections. It's not fun. But it makes you a stronger job seeker; don't stop what can get you closer to your goal.

Providing Resources I will Share resources such as career-related workshops, webinars, and informational blogs. This can help my clients stay informed and continuously improve their knowledge. By integrating these strategies, I can empower my clients to take proactive steps in their career development and seize job opportunities with confidence.

In coaching processes, we often accompany our clients' job changes and job searches. Based on my experience, I can say that if it is a customer with leadership competence, we can support him/her to spend the process efficiently by working on the needs and development areas to effectively carry out job search processes with the right tools and to solve the problems in the current situation. If there are needs in terms of leadership competencies, basic issues such as ownership of the process, co-operation, effective communication, strategy building, development mindset should be addressed (of course at the request of the customer).In this way, their emotional resilience will also improve.