When is it the right time to hire a career coach, a resume writer, or an interview coach?
Here are a few questions to help you assess whether it’s time to hire a pro.
How long have you been job hunting?
Less than a month: If you have an excellent resume, LinkedIn profile and job search techniques, are engaging in targeted networking, and are not in a big hurry to land a job, you may not need professional assistance. Work hard, work smart and see how it goes!
On the other hand, it’s never too soon to use every possible advantage, including coaching.
One to two months: How many roles have you interviewed for? Most job seekers will interview at least a few companies before being hired. If you haven’t had any interviews or phone screenings by this point, you may need a professional review of your resume and LinkedIn profile, or some help planning better job search tactics.
If you’ve had phone screenings, but generally have not progressed further into the interview process, you may need interview coaching.
Three to four months: How many final-round interviews have you had? If you’ve had few or none, chances are there’s something amiss in your overall strategy, tactics or communications. Meet with a coach to assess what’s going wrong, transform your strategy and start getting results.
Five months or more: Recruiters are a bit leery of job seekers with six months of unemployment, who are often seen as “long-term unemployed.” Past this point a job seeker has an uphill battle to overcome this lengthy gap in employment. Engage help now.
How much stress are you under?
Unemployment can be terrifying. On the other hand, job searching while currently employed can be exhausting. If the stress of job search is keeping you up at night, affecting your relationships or lowering your resistance to illness, this may be a reason not to “go it alone” any longer.
Would you be making more money in a new job?
Your career is like a business. A smart business owner doesn’t try to do everything on their own; they hire consultants, assistants, experts to help them excel.
Would the money spent be an investment? Could it pay for itself in the long run, or even the short run?
These are all factors to take into account when deciding whether it’s time to talk to a career coach.
