Are you feeling stuck in your job? Have you reached a turning point in the early stages of your career that’s leaving you wondering what your next step should be? Are you worried about what lies ahead for your career?

These are all completely normal feelings for young professionals to have. I’ve asked myself these questions plenty of times. 

But don’t worry--hiring a coach can help you sort these feelings out and give you a fresh perspective on what they’re trying to tell you.

I myself as a young professional have a coach. And I couldn’t imagine my career or my life without one! I’ve often had feelings of being an imposter, that I’m not good enough, or that I don’t have enough experience to truly make a difference. My coach has helped me challenge these feelings, shift the way I think about myself, and not let these feelings hold me back from getting out of my comfort zone.

So, what could hiring a coach do for you?

In my blog post, we’ll explore:

• What coaching is

• The benefits of working with a coach

• How you can get started with coaching today (at a young professionals discount!)

What is Coaching?

Before we dive into the benefits of coaching for young professionals, let’s first make it clear what it means to be coached.

When thinking of the different types of professional coaching out there, we often think of executive coaching or organizational coaching. Rarely do we think about coaching for young professionals. You may even be asking yourself, does such a thing exist?

Young professionals often don’t consider coaching as an option, since:

• They think it’s too expensive or they can’t afford it;

• They don’t think they need it; or

• They don’t think it’s for them.

However, having a coach as a young professional is one the most worthwhile times in your life to have a coach.

So, what really is coaching?

According to the International Coach Federation (ICF), coaching is partnering with you in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires you to maximize your personal and professional potential.

As your coach, I’m not a therapist, a mentor, or a counsellor. Instead, I help you reach your personal and professional goals by serving as:

• A sounding board for your thoughts or ideas;

• A collaborative partner who works with you to brainstorm, explore barriers to achievement, and find solutions;

• A point of accountability for taking important next steps towards your goals.

Or, as Atul Gawande put it in his TED Talk about why everyone should have a coach, a coach is “your external eyes and ears providing a more accurate picture of your reality.”

Another way I like to think about coaching is as a bridge.

Picture yourself on one side of the bridge. Then, on the other side of the bridge, picture your ideal future self. This is the future version of you’ve always wanted to be, the future you that’s achieved the goals you’ve always wanted to achieve.

As your coach, I won’t drag you across the bridge or tell you exactly how to put one foot in front of the other to get to the other side. Instead, I’ll be on the sidelines, cheering you on as you put one foot in front of the other on your own.

And, if you get stuck along the way, I’ll help you get back on track and work with you to find a way to put one foot in front of the other again.

The Benefits of Coaching for Young Professionals

It’s hard to quantify or put into words the benefits of coaching or the sense of complete empowerment being coached gives you. After a coaching session, I always feel like anything is possible.

Despite this challenge, I’ve put together a list of tangible things you can take away from the experience of being coached.

Here are seven benefits that you could enjoy from hiring a coach.

1. Increase your confidence and fight imposter syndrome

It can be really hard to have confidence in yourself at the start of your career. I struggled with it myself when I finished university--even though I had a degree in communication studies, I entered the workforce feeling like I had no idea what I was doing.

Imposter syndrome is extremely common among young professionals, especially young women. This involves:

• Doubting your accomplishments;

• Feeling you don’t deserve the accomplishments you have; or

• Having a fear of being exposed as a fraud.

If this sounds like you, know that you’re not alone!

Working with a coach, you can learn to challenge these beliefs and come up with a new set of beliefs about yourself and your potential.

2. Gain a deeper understanding of yourself

When you only have a handful of years of professional experience under your belt, it can be hard to know what your strengths are and what you bring to the table.

In coaching sessions with clients, I’ve witnessed “a-ha!” moments and complete shifts in awareness more times than I can count. The act of simply talking things out and being asked the right questions helped lead them in the right direction towards achieving their goals.

By engaging in a coaching relationship, you’ll gain a greater, more objective awareness of your values, your strengths, and where your areas for development are.

3. Become a better decision maker

Unfortunately, a class on decision-making was never offered to us as children or teenagers. 

So, making important decisions in adulthood without having the benefit of 40+ years of life experience can be intimidating—often invoking a fight, flight, or freeze reaction.

By exploring your options with you, a coach can help you learn how to make better decisions on your own, regardless of the circumstances you might be dealing with.

Also, as your coach, I won’t make any decisions for you. I can only give you the nudge you need and resources or exercises to help you get there. However, every decision made along the way will be yours and yours alone.

4. Identify your career direction

One of the most common reasons my clients come to me for coaching is because they feel stuck in their career.

While professionals at any age can find themselves at a career crossroads, there’s often a period where young professionals find themselves questioning their next career move.

If you’ve just finished your education, you might ask yourself, what kind of job do I want? Or, you might have 5+ years of experience and are ready to take on more responsibility or gain management experience. So, what’s next?

Coaching can help you determine your path by identifying what’s important to you. From there, your coach will help you determine:

• What you hope to achieve in your career;

• Your vision for yourself as a professional; and

• The steps you need to take to get there.

5. Improve your work performance

Another common reason that professionals come to me for coaching isn’t necessarily for something as huge as a job or career change. Sometimes, they’re simply looking to become better performers in the role they have.

According to the American Psychological Association, people who receive coaching are more likely to have improvements in performance evaluations over time.

By working together with your coach to determine your optimal performance levels at work, you could also enjoy:

• More flexibility and adaptability;

• Better networking skills;

• Improved risk management; and

• Better management of stress.

Very few young professionals have coaches, so coaching could provide you the competitive edge over other professionals with your level of experience in your field.

6. Reach your potential

As I write this blog, I’m 28 years old, and I’m always amazed by what the people around me (and younger than me!) are achieving.

However, with the ever-presence of social media in our lives, comparing and contrasting your career against those of your peers can become a discouraging and bad habit.

Instead of focusing on what others are doing and how you might not be living up to the expectations that others might have of you, you can work with a coach to shift your mindset. 

Instead of focusing on what you’re not doing, you can work on focusing what you can do, as well as what’s possible.

Instead of focusing on the expectations others might have of you, you can work with a coach to reach beyond the limits of others’ expectations. You can take control by setting your own expectations for yourself.

7. Have a higher level of satisfaction at work and in life

By working with a coach, simply put, you could be happier. Need I say more? 

A study from the Institute of Employment Studies showed that following coaching, employees’ well-being improved by helping them:

• Feel more relaxed;

• Feel more useful;

• Think clearly.

Don’t forget: I’m not your therapist. But my clients often tell me that coaching feels therapeutic. However, unlike therapy, instead of focusing on the past and analyzing past behaviours, coaching is about focusing on the present, the future, and bridging the gap between the two.

Focusing on the possibilities of the future and not being bogged down by your limitations is a key pillar of coaching. By helping you shift towards more hopeful and optimistic attitudes, it’s hard not to feel the uplifting effects on your work and in your life.

Success Story: How Coaching Helped A Young Professional Reach Her Goals

Note: This scenario is based on a real client of mine, but I’ve changed some key details such as name and occupation to protect her identity.

Tracy was a young paralegal who’d been working at her company for more than three years. While she had job security, financial stability, and work/life balance, she was finding that her work wasn’t challenging or interesting.

She was considering a career change, but didn’t know if the risk was worth taking. She was debating going to law school, finding a new job, or staying in her current role.

Through our coaching sessions together, Tracy finally focused on what she was truly passionate about. She revealed that she was extremely passionate about the environment. In particular, she loved animals. She even used to spend much of her free time volunteering at a shelter.

After asking her some powerful questions and creating a vision of success for her career, through our coaching together, Tracy was able to fully explore her options and the possibilities that each option would bring her.

She ultimately decided that she would continue to work in her current job while she pursued her law degree and put an action plan together for finding her dream job as an animal rights lawyer.

Take the Next Step in Your Career

So, are you excited about coaching yet? Are you ready to take an important step forward in your career?

At this point, you may be saying, “Lauren, this sounds great, but I don’t have the money to pay for a coach right now.”

I know how difficult it can be for young professionals to pay for coaching. I pay for my coaching myself, so I understand this worry completely!

Therefore, while I continue to establish my practice and pursue my ACC coaching designation with the ICF, I’m offering a discount for young professionals under 30. Sign on with me as your coach and you’ll receive your first coaching session for free and your next five coaching sessions for only $50/session.

To claim your offer, contact me today and cite the Young Professionals coaching offer in your message.

I look forward to hearing from you and can’t wait to start working with you towards achieving your goals!