Hey, Coach! Part II

Last time I discussed how, if you're at the beginning or transitional state in your career, you might consider a job coach.

Beginners in the field often benefit from mentors, but no one is saying the mentor did everything right in their rise to the top. Usually, the mentor will be honest about it, and offer viewpoints from the "shouldn't have done that" perspective.  That can help a lot.  It's also a column called "Choosing a Mentor", which will be coming up.

On the other hand, a job coach will help the new hire to understand corporate politics, which even the smallest departments have.  The job coach looks at exactly who and what you're working with.  Their goal is to get you to function within the environment so you can get the most out of the place you're in.

This works for the individual in transition, too.  You may be dancing around, wanting a transfer, promotion, or another place of employment.  Since the only transition that seems to happen immediately is the one where you get the pink slip, a job coach can help you hang in for the final quarter.

Coaches may even be able to improve a job position you have by helping you see where you can make changes. 

For example, you may truly despise the shift supervisor you're working under. The person seems incompetent. Take this to the coach. After some discussion, you may find the real issue is the supervisor is favoring other staff by overloading you with work. The coach will show you ways to speak up, not "squeak" up, and level the workload, instead of accepting "I guess I just counted them up wrong...again" for an explanation.

A job coach will help you face any fears you may have developed in your work experience, and assist with preventing any more fears from hatching.