Do you pride yourself on your DIY attitude and love tackling projects yourself rather than hiring a pro?
That’s definitely me with a lot of things — naturally, not always with spectacular outcomes. For example:
Coloring my hair. Much to the chagrin of my hair and despite the well-deserved eye rolls of professional hair stylists, coloring my hair been a hobby for 25+ years. I figure if it doesn’t turn out great (like the time it turned green, e.g.), I’ve spent about $10 versus $150.
Building my website. I’d micromanage a designer to the bitter end so let’s just save us all from that agony! Plus, I really enjoy web design, and again, if I don’t like how it turns out, I know who to blame.
Cleaning my home. I’m not that fussy.
You get the picture. If it’s an activity I feel I have some level of skill at, I tackle it, and save my resources for the things I have zero chance of doing well. These activities would include most home repair projects, learning new things from teachers who know a lot more than I do on a topic, and traveling long distances — I’m leaving it in the capable hands of those with experience, expertise and the equipment in place to get ‘er done.
Each of us has a different list of things we’ll tackle ourselves. For me, if it’s a task that would take me too long, that I have no aptitude for, or that I attempt but repeatedly encounter roadblocks, then I know it’s time to call in a pro.
Some things are kind of murky though.
Why Some See Job Hunting As A DIY Effort & Why It Can Flop
Take finding a new job.
As a mindful career and life coach, I encounter all kinds of professionals who want help finding jobs, changing careers, writing a resume or shifting their mindset. They’re aware that launching a new career is a process with a lot of steps involved. They find a great coach who can help them craft a plan that takes them from where they are now to where they want to be.
There are others, however, who prefer to tackle the entire task themselves. A few find solid success. Many find limited success, and most talk themselves into staying put because what they try fails and they feel discouraged and overwhelmed.
Given my own DIY proclivities (stubborn or self-sufficient depends on your perspective), I understand why some choose the DIY route with career change matters. They know themselves well; they may have a stellar track record of employment; and there are many aspects to the process that really depend on their insight and knowledge. Plus, career coaching is a relatively new field that’s generally unregulated so there’s some skepticism involved. The problem that typically crops up though is that these DIYers don’t know exactly what steps to take in exactly what order. That’s one of the biggest causes of career change flops. I even see some career coaches skip some of the absolutely necessary steps, so it’s crucial to find out what process a potential coach has in place to help you make a successful change.
The Benefits Of An Experienced Career Coach
An effective career coach can help you:
Stay accountable, focused, enthusiastic and motivated.
Empower you for success.
Cultivate a mindful mindset.
Develop a plan that's strategic and tailored to your goals and needs.
Discover your strengths, biggest goals and your why, and how to translate this trifecta into meaningful work.
Speed up the process.
Gain clarity on what you really want vs some romanticized version of a dream job.
Structure your job search or career change so you are doing all the right steps in the right order.
Think broadly and creatively, so your possibilities are expansive.
Identify any perceived or real roadblocks and a plan to navigate them.
Hone your personal brand so you stand out as a candidate.
Communicate this personal brand across all your job search tools and online.
Craft a cutting-edge resume and other job search tools.
Prepare for interviews and learn how to make a great first impression.
Network genuinely and build a team of supporters.
Evaluate offers and negotiate.
Thrive on the job.
Now, depending on where you are in your particular job search or career change, you might not need all those things, and the ways a career coach can be helpful aren’t limited to the items above.
For the DIYers who still aren’t convinced a coach is the way to go, there’s what I call a compromise solution: invest in an excellent guidebook or course to teach you the key steps, then have at it in terms of implementing on your own. If it's great content, you have a mindful mindset, and you are diligent, determined and skilled at execution, you have a wonderful chance at success.
P.S. I’m in the process of writing a guide myself based on my 7-step methodology The Love Monday Method, and I’ll let you know when it’s ready!
Trie Angeleva, MA, MA
Mindful Reimagineur
As a Mindful Dream-Job Career Coach, Owner of Planet Reimagine and with Manhattan as her backdrop, Trie thrives when collaborating with others to reimagine their life, work, leadership or organization. She developed and taught Career Success Preparation for The Media School at Indiana University, where she taught 21 classes. A 30-year vegetarian, adopted-dog mom and travel-happy meditator and yogi, Trie is a former CIO and COO and founder of Embark and The Love Monday Method. She has two Master's degrees, six coaching certifications and a certificate in Executive Leadership from Cornell University. Connect with Trie at trie@reimaginemonday.com.