job coach?

[Zoe Girl]

i am wondering about working with some type of job or career coach. i have several things on my list of how to make my performance look better at work and some things that honestly i need to shift focus on and improve. it is a very pivotal time as we are getting into planning summer camp, i still have not had a confirmation on what my summer job will be but so far it sounds like very light work load.

a total side note (and yes it sounds a little crazy) is that my annual big picture horoscope, assistance from a reader type and one other place i get some woo woo information all are saying that this year is going to have some kind of breakthrough in my career. and finances. i think these things are possibilities and i still very much need to do my own work, but sometimes i feel that all the pressure i feel right now could go either way, if i am very conscientious maybe the people who are giving me negative feedback won't have much to stand on, or they won't be the cool kids forever. i hear the supervisor meetings are fights right now and i am getting delays on everything i need from supervisors (i assume because of lack of agreements by them)

what i would be looking for support with is to evaluate what i am getting as feedback at work and make changes and improvements, how to advocate for myself in a professional way, and how to move forward with an ongoing job search or career development. i had a regular counselor during a similar time and it was not helpful at all,

[ToomuchStuff]

What about using what your boss wants you to improve upon as your coach/guide?
I don't understand this job coach idea (how I read your post), as I see several issues:
1. Confidentiality of any/all information you deal with, when you bring someone else into the equation.
2. Cost, (expect you would be expected to pay for it, as your boss is supposed to provide some of the duties/requirements as a supervisor)
3. (what a boss see's) It shows in part to me, that you can't do your job. They see it as focusing outside yourself, and not on your work or your responsibilities to it.

I see a job/career coach in another way, typically. More of a figure out what your good at and interested in, and helping you move towards that and out of your HSSJ and the past.

Your last sentence:

what i would be looking for support with is to evaluate what i am getting as feedback at work and make changes and improvements, how to advocate for myself in a professional way, and how to move forward with an ongoing job search or career development. i had a regular counselor during a similar time and it was not helpful at all,
I would say try to schedule some how am I doing updates, between reviews, with your boss. I do wonder if you had support before and didn't find it helpful, how it would be helpful now?

[Zoe Girl]

I think my supervisors role is to give some feedback but she is also interested in how she performs and a lot of other factors within the department. It is not her job to promote me really, just get me to do the job. Sometimes my conflict is with her and in that case she if course not impartial. I also would like to see if any of my career/move forward ideas are reasonable, if my resume says what I want it to say, how to leverage some 'soft skills' into what is possible.

The counselor I had before was an emotional type situation. So it was more about how I felt, and he did often ask me why I wasn't changing things at work. He wasn't able to give an impartial eye to a review or feedback and help me figure things out. A teacher of an assertiveness training class told me I had no problem being assertive but that my work environment was bad. She did some free follow-up that was very valuable. I don't need to talk about my feelings on this, I need to figure out what situation I am in. My mother always advises to stay quiet, not cause any issues, and in her generation of working women that was probably smart. But how to be direct and assertive in an effective way,

In any case I am still thinking about it, on my own I simply have not quite pulled together what I need.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Could you maybe find a mentor in your field? You may not even have to pay them just ask them for mentor advice. That sounds closest to what your looking for that might exist (ok maybe such job coaches exist, but I've never heard of them).

I mean there is no way some generic "counselor" (even a career counselor probably) who is probably self-employed is going to understand how I experience work, what the job search is like etc.

But you might be expecting too much, control of things you can't control (the work situation) or ability to predict things that probably can't be predicted (whether some career action will work etc.).

I have a pretty low opinion of career counselors. All it was was giving me a bunch of tests like Meyer's Briggs. But it's not like I've seen all the career counselors out there (I've tried two, ok, just two :~)). I really think I'd be better off studying whatever career counselors study to help myself than go to them (that's a pretty strong statement about how worthless they were I suppose :) )

[kib]

I googled "what is a life coach" and found this:

We help people move forward and set personal and professional goals that will give them the life they really want. Most life coaching clients are healthy, successful people who might be a bit stuck or simply want to make a big change in their lives and want the support of their own personal coach to do so.

Is that the sort of thing you're looking for?

[Zoe Girl]

yes kin, that sounds good and just focused on career/job areas. i feel good about myself, i don't need to talk about my childhood, and i know that i struggle with career and money. the work world is really changing, there is no long term job with security and raises and self esteem. Meanwhile i have lots of skills i don't know how to value or how to express it. in real life there are people who are supportive but maybe not the most qualified, my mom cares but admits to run her senior daycare she sometimes did not take a paycheck because she could. a good friend sends suggestions and i do apply but i usually am falling short on some qualifications. i don't think a friend needs to sit through the slogging through and evaluating all of this.

i like the description that the person is basically fine, they are okay and capable, but there is a goal they don't know how to break through on. of course cost is a large factor, i am not going into debt or being stupid about it either.

[kib]

Yes that's the point of life coaching, it's not supposed to take the place of therapy, just move people forward in "the real world" once / if they have no deep seated issues to get past. I know a woman who got certified as a life coach, she seemed grounded and like someone who's counsel I'd have appreciated. I don't know what certification is offered and I doubt this is covered by any sort of insurance though, so it's probably pretty expensive if you want ongoing sessions; I'd take my time looking for a reputable person.

ETA: I like the idea because I feel that not everyone has the tools for confident self advancement, even though they may be very good at something. The people who are good at promoting their own goals seem to believe that's a skill every competent person has, but it ain't necessarily so.

[Zoe Girl]

thanks kib, i think i am pretty clear but i wanted to talk it over first (without paying career coach rates!) i have a few people i can start asking if they have any recommendations so i am not going in blind.

one very specific question i am going to ask a potential coach is if they have experience getting from volunteer/low wage to paid in some of the areas i have or am developing skills in. i went to a great free training today on restorative justice, i am quite excited. and i see how in the education field i could volunteer that but then the next job goes to someone else. it makes sense to many of us that if you volunteer in a place or a field it could lead to a job but i have not found that to work out. i have another volunteer mediation case and that seems to lead more into paying jobs, i need about 100 hours total before i put out my own cards but the organization i volunteer with is very open that it is okay after the case is settled to advertise our own personal practice.

[fidgiegirl]

Zoe, do you have a union rep or trusted colleague you can confide in/ask your questions/help you get oriented? Someone who might already get the general lay of the situation/personalities but not have a huge personal stake in the advice they give you about it?

[Zoe Girl]

Hi fidgie, i am in the OST part of education (out of school time) so i do not have a teaching contract or union. i do have my masters in education however, just not using it in a teaching position. do you think it would still be helpful to talk to someone?

[fidgiegirl]

I think it can't hurt. My most trusted advisers this year have been an elementary math support teacher, a 6th grade social studies teacher and a middle school science teacher. None of them are the union steward, actually . . . but they get how the buildings I work in tick even though none of them do the same job as me. Just an idea! Good luck! Politics in school = yuck.

[Zoe Girl]

i met with a coach today, really liked her. She has many years experience in education so she knew exactly what i was talking about in many cases. she understood exactly why i am not applying for teaching jobs and so that was something we didn't need to spend time on. i have a few concrete tasks for the next 2 weeks that involve passing on the situation with the homeless family (and again she understood how hard that is) and to schedule time to work on the mediation business every week, even if i can just study things like special education law.

this feels exactly like what i was looking for, there is one task that is therapy-like and the rest of the items are actively moving forward. Plus she is really affordable (and said that when i have my mediation hours she thought of people she could refer me to).

[razz]

Sounds positive, ZG.