Anyone who’s ever coached in a kid’s sports league or was ever coached themselves in high school or college knows the importance of a good coach. Now, imagine taking this concept to a different venue—your career.
Ann Marie Segaric is a professional coach and motivational speaker who specializes in working with people ready to make significant career changes. A former engineer and business analyst, now affiliated with Coach U and CoachVille, she works with career changers, entrepreneurs and corporate professionals. She is the author of the monthly ezine, Work Effortlessly, and recently published a new book titled, Step Into The Right Career: 107 Tips to Change Your Life While Still Paying the Bills (Segaric Coaching Inc.) available at Amazon.com.
I asked Segaric how people find a qualified career coach. She told me that her new clients come to her largely through referral or her monthly free teleservices seminar offered through her websites www.segaric.com and www.thecareerchanger.com). The monthly seminar typically attracts 50 to 60 people who pre-register and then dial in with a password to listen to a 45-minute workshop conducted in a group via the telephone. She also noted that an excellent web resource is www.findacoach.com sponsored by CoachInc, a leading provider of personal and corporate coach training and coaching services.
Segaric said that like most career coaches, the bulk of her work is done by phone. A one-hour session will cost you $249, but you can also sign up for a three-month program which offers a total of nine sessions for $1,800.
Segaric says that in this economy she has been talking with many individuals who have been downsized and is helping them transition into new fields without too much setback. “I help them rebrand themselves. You can’t give into the agony of job loss, this is an opportunity.” Most vital to success is networking which Segaric encourages clients to think of as building professional friendships. Says Segaric, “Stay connected. Make lunch dates with people who are working. Before ever sending out a single resume, make a list of everyone you know and then make small talk about your search. You never know whose lead might help you get to the next step. Don’t get trapped into the online waiting game. Applying to job boards is passive. It takes a lot more guts to call and meet face-to-face than waiting for an email response.”
Segaric says it’s not impossible to make significant career changes as long as you have both a short and long-term game plan. She cites one client who was in the technology field and became a pastry chef, but cautions it didn’t happen overnight.
If you want to learn more, you can catch Segaric on January 14th in Manhattan. She’ll be at the Barnes & Noble at Broadway and 66th Street at 12:30 p.m. leading a workshop and book signing. Pre-register online at her website.
“Career coaching is action oriented, it’s not therapy” says Segaric. “I engage my clients in forward moving exercises. We touch base weekly. It’s about accountability. What got accomplished…how many tasks were actually carried out and how did they go.”
Legendary football coach, Knute Rockne could have been talking about finding job satisfaction rather than the end zone when he said, “Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan.”
Nancy Schuman is a vice president at Lloyd Staffing, headquartered in Melville, and is the author of seven how-to books on career guidance and job-search techniques. Lloyd Staffing offers temporary, contract and full-time employment services on a regional and national basis. Send your career-related questions to jobadvice@lloydstaffing.com.
