[Closed] Career Advisors / Life Coaches

I used a life coach for a bit once and found it really useful to focus me on what I wanted to do and what my skills were. A good one will do an initial consultation for free and it's all about the fit with you. I know someone in Aberdeen if that's any use.

Thanks. I'm in Cheshire sadly.

Can I ask how much the coach was?

Thanks

Shirley life coaching is something that can be done remotely?

Ideally from <insert most desirable location here> if they are any good?

Can’t seem to do links in iOS but check out Thrive. https://www.thrivepartners.co.uk/

I used one which was a business / life coach. I found it very helpful to focus and evaluate where I was and where I wanted to be in 10, 15 & 20 yrs. money well spent for a while but it did get to the point where I felt I had got what i needed for the time being so haven’t continued.

We’ve used one at work for a few staff members. Mainly to help with dealing with starting to manage people and stress.

Can recommend someone in Cheshire.

I ran a coaching programme in my previous job. Might be worth looking at something like Career Anchors by Edgar Schein as a 'tool' to help understand what motivates you and therefore the kind of jobs that best suit you? A career coach isn't going to give you any answers, but will help give you some pointers, some good resources and ask you a series of open-ended questions to help you identify the areas where you might be best concentrating your efforts - ultimately it's down to the coachee to do the ground work. There are lots of trainee coaches keen to get their 'hours' and will offer their services for free.

Guy at work hired a life coach, he left his wife for her.

My wife used one. It was all remote over the phone with a few emails for assessments to fill in and exercises to do. It worked for her - a plan she concocted on the back of the sessions was followed, she change career path and is now much happier. Cost about a grand I think for 2 or 3 months worth of weekly sessions.

However, not sure it would work for me. Or rather I'm not sure I'd get much benefit. I'm pretty self analytical by nature and talking through pretty much every session with her all the questions she was asked and tasks she was asked to do between sessions are things I have asked myself and tasks I've carried out instinctively. To be fair I've asked my wife them too but as they were just me asking them she didn't take them seriously.

If you go into it thinking they are going to say 'you know with your skillset have you ever considered XXXX, there is a contact I know who can give you a great in' you will be very disappointed.

Thanks again for your responses. I think there is a degree of seeking alternative job/career ideas on the back of my previous jobs and skills/interests which I've not ever considered.

From memory it was about £60/hour. This is the person I used, not sure if she does remote coaching but I guess it's possible: http://www.mindful-coaching.com/index.html . I did the whole range of tools, Career Anchors, Belbin etc. and it was really useful for me.

We had some sessions arranged for us all at an old job.

I didn't find it very useful at all - I got on well with the lady providing the coaching but just didn't 'gel' with the methodologies. Not terribly sure why.

My colleague though (who had a different coach) loved the sessions with his coach, said she changed his approach to work.

I guess it depends a lot on the person as well as the coach.

I've both done coaching and received it. Main thing to mention is that a good coach won't have the answers - in fact a good coach should actively avoid giving advice or solutions. Coaching is about a suitable environment for you to discuss things that matter, and give you a chance to identify what the relevant issues and solutions are yourself. Just because X worked for me, doesn't mean it will work for you.

A lot is dependent on your relationship with a coach - talk to them first to get a feel for them, and be clear the sort of coach you are looking for and how you like to work (supportive / encouraging or more challenging for example).

Lots of people out there calling themselves coaches - go with recommendations if possible