Let me be up front with you: I would not have arrived at this point in my transition without the benefit of my career transition coach.
When I started this process a year ago, I did all the things you might expect such as a Transition Assistance Program, putting together a resume, targeting various companies and salaries, and building my network. Things were going well.
To augment my planning and to better ensure my goal of a soft landing, I hired a military transition coach to 1) ensure I didn’t miss anything that I needed to do on the way to retirement (my position made time a scarce commodity) and 2) to posture myself to get a position in industry…in other words to get a job.
Truth in advertising, I had never dealt with a coach before and in fact had a bit of disdain for the profession (except for sports coaches), but that feeling was entirely misplaced and in fact was flat wrong.
I think it was during our second coaching session where I went on about wanting to consult for company x or y and target such and such a salary, when my coach told me, “Wait a minute, you military guys are all alike. The first thing we need to do if find out who you are, your needs, your values, and your aspirations. THEN, we can figure out what you actually want to do.”
That statement stopped me in my tracks and turned my thinking about transition completely around. I realized then that I had a rare and precious opportunity to create a life built around who I was, what I was good at, what I enjoyed doing, and the contribution I wanted to make rather than just mindlessly jumping onto another treadmill.
At that point I looked back over my entire life, but especially my time in the Air Force, and asked myself what I was really good at and what I enjoyed doing. For me, it boiled down to five things:
1. Leading people
2. Seeing people succeed and knowing you had a part in that success
3. Speaking
4. Writing
5. Teaching, but not in the traditional way as a professor. More like “imparting knowledge to help people get better.”
The next thing I did was envision the life I wanted to create for my wife and me. That resulted in me realizing: 1) I didn’t want a boss, 2) I wanted control over my time, and 3) I wanted the flexibility to actually enjoy life while still being able to build my business.
At that point, my original plan disintegrated and was replaced by another one that wholly aligned with my family responsibilities, my strengths, joys, and my aspirations.
After that I was off and running and within a matter of a six months retooled myself as an Executive and Professional Coach, professional blogger, and leadership speaker. All this came with the necessary certifications and credentials. And I can tell you I am fired up and excited about the future.
Trust me, I’m extremely grateful to have the freedom and clarity to do this.
And it wouldn’t have happened without my coach.
So what was the value of having a career transition coach?
1. In the first place, the value I’ve experienced and continue to experience is far beyond what I paid.
2. A good coach also provides a trusted external sounding board. Hearing yourself think and talk with someone who can relate to your situation is amazingly helpful. As good as I thought I was working solo, having that outside party in my court and knowing she was absolutely committed to helping me opened my perspective and unearthed opportunities that I could not have arrived at on my own.
3. My coach held me accountable to moving forward. In my case, I was completely motivated to take action on behalf of my future, so my coach really didn’t have to do much to motivate in my case. For others though, the future might be much more daunting–even fearful–and motivation might be harder to come by. In these types of situations, a coach can be invaluable to helping you stay on point and keep moving forward.
4. Talking to my coach was safe. At times we got into some delicate conversations about my current position that I couldn’t really share with colleagues. I knew that what we talked about wasn’t going anywhere else and was going to stay between us. In other words, confidentiality instilled trust and facilitated honesty.
5. Most importantly, my coach helped me achieve clarity about who I was and what I wanted to do. Once you get that clarity, the energy and motivation you need for your transition comes forth in abundance. This is extremely powerful and fundamental to any success you will have.
So is a career transition coach right for you? Obviously, only you can answer that question.
However, I can say two things for sure:
1. My coach helped me immensely
2. Tens of thousands of others have benefited as well
If you’re read something that resonates with you, feel free to contact me for a 20 minute pro bono career transition coaching session. My email is joe@theleadershipforge.com
P.S. Thanks Kathy!
By Joe Scherrer | The Leadership Crucible