Paula Marks answers your questions about the job-search and coaching processes:
Why should I pay a career coach?
Is your way working? If not, a career coach can be of invaluable help. Like any specialist, a career coach is immersed in the complexities of career-change issues and has the experience and expertise to help you implement a better strategy for change, rooted in action, that is immediate, focused and leads to more desirable results.
How important is my resume?
Your resume is your “calling card” and possibly the most important single item of your job search. It is the first — and, if you are not careful, the only — thing a potential employer knows about you. It should be succinct and specific, have the basic facts and use proactive words: developed, designed, instituted, created, managed. It should express your skills and avoid empty jargon: “I’m a high-energy individual looking for a dynamic company.” Who would want a low-energy individual seeking a dull company? Resume Therapy can help.
I was fired from my last job. What should I say to a prospective employer?
It depends on why you were fired. People get fired; it’s not unique to you. This is a situation where it is not what you say, but how you say it. It’s best to have a short, tidy answer. If you were fired for a personality conflict, don’t make yourself out to be the victim. Explain that you had a difference of opinion, style, understanding and/or expectations of the position. Sometimes less is better.
Should I write a thank-you note to the recruiter?
You never make a mistake being polite. And it’s certainly a good way to keep your name in front of someone.
What’s the difference between a career coach and a therapist?
While helping you to cope on an emotional and psychological level with a job loss, the primary mission of a career coach is to guide and motivate you to take positive actions that are specifically designed to achieve more immediate results. Paula does not believe in tying you up for the rest of your life in order to land a job or improve your life now. Career coaching is short-term; therapy is long-term — possibly forever. But just like when choosing a therapist, it is important that you “click” with a career coach who can help you. A good coach recognizes when a fit isn’t right. If Paula can’t help you, she will refer you to someone who can.
How do I identify my strengths and skills?
It is easy to sell yourself short when trying to sell yourself. Identifying your skills, abilities, knowledge, strengths, weaknesses, passions, dislikes, etc., requires objectivity and a commitment to self-analysis that is rigorously introspective. It requires a process. Enlisting the help of a trained eye and ear, and utilizing a proven process will help you identify the not-so-obvious and package the obvious to make the best presentation to potential employers.