Reply-To: "Merilee:::Kern Communications" From: "Merilee:::Kern Communications" To: Subject: The Record (NJ) Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2008 09:27:09 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0289_01C8A9DB.32F5CA40" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.3138 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3198 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0289_01C8A9DB.32F5CA40 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable http://www.northjersey.com/business/workplace/18355424.html =20 How to hire a good career coach Tuesday, April 29, 2008 BY TERESA MCALEAVY SPECIAL TO THE RECORD =20 If you're among the jobless, now may be the time to spend a buck to = make a buck by hiring a career coach to help you rejoin the workforce in = a meaningful way. But before making the investment, which estimates range from $75 an = hour to $800, make sure the money will be spent wisely, warns veteran = career coach John M. McKee. "The best advice I can give anybody, really, is to find somebody with = experience,'' says McKee, owner of BusinessSuccessCoach.net, a unit of = Four Windows, No Walls Consulting LLC. If you wouldn't use the phone book to find a surgeon, financial = adviser or electrician, you probably wouldn't want to find a career = coach there, either. The stakes are too high, especially with the nation = having lost more than 230,000 jobs so far this year, lifting the jobless = rate to 5.1 percent, the highest since September 2005. McKee, the Los Angeles-based author of "Career Wisdom - 101 Proven = Strategies to Ensure Workplace Success," recently spoke with The Record = about how to vet a career coach before seeking her or his services. Q. You say finding someone with experience is important. How do you do = that? When somebody's been put into the marketplace, they are vulnerable and = may be looking for any port in a storm. There are many people out there = marketing themselves as career coaches who have no experience at all, or = they're ''life coaches,'' who tend to come from backgrounds in therapy = or HR-related [human resources] fields. The thing to do is get a = reference or at least ask for some testimonials. Q. What's next after checking references? Ask to have a consultation with this person. ... I call it a chemistry = test. If there is no personal chemistry between you and the coach, it = won't be anywhere near as successful as it can be if you can relate to = one another. A career coach is a service provider. If there's no = connection, you're not going to get the best services. Q. Should the consultation be in person? The telephone is just fine. The telephone is more prevalent these days = for the actual coaching, and it tends to be augmented by the Internet. = It's usually the case because it's just more convenient for the client. = If you feel you have to sit across the table at a Starbucks, that's OK, = too. Q. What should be discussed during the consultation? After experience and references, by all means talk money. People are = hesitant about this, but like any other service provider, a coach has = got to give you value for your investment. So ask, 'How much will it = cost?' and 'When am I going to see results?' The cheapest coach isn't necessarily going to give you the best value. It's possible that an expensive coach can get you back into an = earnings situation much more quickly. And vice versa is true, too. Q. Are coaches credentialed? Yes, the largest is the International Coach Federation, or ICF. The = largest business coaching association, with either just career or = business coaches, is the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches, or = WABC. You can go to the WABC Web site and look for a coach. Q. Are there other organizations that offer credentials? Yes, there are probably a dozen operating in different states, but ICF = and WABC are the premier ones. Some other groups may be just fine, too. = Even an informal local group of eight or 10 coaches who get together to = share experiences. Q. That sounds a bit too informal, no? The key is to verify whom they've worked with and see if they're = satisfied. You have to be very diligent. You have to go into this = relationship seeking milestones, guarantees. Ask, ''What results am I = going to see and by when?'' Know your objectives and measure them in = milestones - ''Do I want a job, a better job, a raise, a promotion?'' - = and determine your milestones from that to make sure you're making = genuine progress. Q. And if there are no guarantees offered, find someone else? Yes. Otherwise, it's like that old Woody Allen joke about spending = your entire life in therapy and not remembering what you accomplished = from it. And it's very easy to do that. ------=_NextPart_000_0289_01C8A9DB.32F5CA40 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
http= ://www.northjersey.com/business/workplace/18355424.html
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How to hire a good career=20 coach
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
BY TERESA MCALEAVY
SPECIAL TO THE RECORD

If you're among the jobless, now may be the time to spend a buck to = make a=20 buck by hiring a career coach to help you rejoin the workforce in a = meaningful=20 way.

But before making the investment, which estimates range from $75 an = hour to=20 $800, make sure the money will be spent wisely, warns veteran career = coach=20 John M. McKee.

"The best advice I can give anybody, really, is to find somebody = with=20 experience,'' says McKee, owner of BusinessSuccessCoach.net, a unit of = Four=20 Windows, No Walls Consulting LLC.

If you wouldn't use the phone book to find a surgeon, financial = adviser or=20 electrician, you probably wouldn't want to find a career coach there, = either.=20 The stakes are too high, especially with the nation having lost more = than=20 230,000 jobs so far this year, lifting the jobless rate to 5.1 = percent, the=20 highest since September 2005.

McKee, the Los Angeles-based author of "Career Wisdom =97 101 = Proven=20 Strategies to Ensure Workplace Success," recently spoke with The = Record about=20 how to vet a career coach before seeking her or his services.

Q. You say finding someone with experience is important. How do you = do=20 that?

When somebody's been put into the marketplace, they are vulnerable = and may=20 be looking for any port in a storm. There are many people out there = marketing=20 themselves as career coaches who have no experience at all, or they're = ''life=20 coaches,'' who tend to come from backgrounds in therapy or HR-related = [human=20 resources] fields. The thing to do is get a reference or at least ask = for some=20 testimonials.

Q. What's next after checking references?

Ask to have a consultation with this person. ... I call it a = chemistry=20 test. If there is no personal chemistry between you and the coach, it = won't be=20 anywhere near as successful as it can be if you can relate to one = another. A=20 career coach is a service provider. If there's no connection, you're = not going=20 to get the best services.

Q. Should the consultation be in person?

The telephone is just fine. The telephone is more prevalent these = days for=20 the actual coaching, and it tends to be augmented by the Internet. = It's=20 usually the case because it's just more convenient for the client. If = you feel=20 you have to sit across the table at a Starbucks, that's OK, too.

Q. What should be discussed during the consultation?

After experience and references, by all means talk money. People = are=20 hesitant about this, but like any other service provider, a coach has = got to=20 give you value for your investment. So ask, 'How much will it cost?' = and 'When=20 am I going to see results?'

The cheapest coach isn't necessarily going to give you the best = value.

It's possible that an expensive coach can get you back into an = earnings=20 situation much more quickly. And vice versa is true, too.

Q. Are coaches credentialed?

Yes, the largest is the International Coach Federation, or ICF. The = largest=20 business coaching association, with either just career or business = coaches, is=20 the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches, or WABC. You can go to = the WABC=20 Web site and look for a coach.

Q. Are there other organizations that offer credentials?

Yes, there are probably a dozen operating in different states, but = ICF and=20 WABC are the premier ones. Some other groups may be just fine, too. = Even an=20 informal local group of eight or 10 coaches who get together to share=20 experiences.

Q. That sounds a bit too informal, no?

The key is to verify whom they've worked with and see if they're = satisfied.=20 You have to be very diligent. You have to go into this relationship = seeking=20 milestones, guarantees. Ask, ''What results am I going to see and by = when?''=20 Know your objectives and measure them in milestones =97 ''Do I want a = job, a=20 better job, a raise, a promotion?'' =97 and determine your milestones = from that=20 to make sure you're making genuine progress.

Q. And if there are no guarantees offered, find someone else?

Yes. Otherwise, it's like that old Woody Allen joke about spending = your=20 entire life in therapy and not remembering what you accomplished from = it. And=20 it's very easy to do that.


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