Janet Conn, LCSW

Career Coaching

Whether you are starting out, or are in the middle of your career, coaching addresses issues that might be preventing you from achieving personal and career success. Career choices and decisions differ according to your own personal and professional criteria at each step of your life. With guidance, you will be able to clarify your goals; achieve balance and move towards increased satisfaction.

Career Coaching includes:

• Assessing your skills, values and interests.
• Clarifying your professional goals.
• Identifying your career possibilities.
• Formulating your short and long-term objectives.
• Creating your own personal strategy and action plan to achieve your individual objectives.

Assessment

We will begin by identifying and understanding the relationship between your skills, personality, interests and values.

Information Gathering

It is import to research the organizations and fields you’re interested in and keep yourself apprised of industry trends and issues. This is integral to understanding the marketplace needs. and will enable you to determine the “best fit” career opportunities for yourself.

Self-Marketing

Today it is essential to know your “value proposition” – what makes you unique and enables you to stand out from your competition.  By creating a consistent communication strategy, in your written materials, conversations and through online social networking, you will be able to determine how others perceive you, create a compelling “career story,” and brand yourself for success.

Networking and Informational Meetings

Interacting and building your network is an ongoing professional activity.  There are three levels of networking: people in your active network, people you have lost contact with, and people who you don’t know and want to get introduced to.  This is the most effective method to find a job—over 75% get theirs’ this way.

Effective Interviewing

“Acing an interview” is not just about demonstrating your competency, but is also about the chemistry and compatibility between the interviewer and you.  As the interviewee, preparation and research are key – being able to demonstrate through your accomplishment stories why you’re the best candidate for the job.  Through your research of the company, you will also be able to convey your knowledge of their culture and how that aligns with your own values.

On Going Learning and Professional Development

The term “life-long learners” is applicable here. It’s time to acquire an entrepreneurial mindset and to begin thinking of your career as your “business.”  Staying marketable requires being proactive and acquiring new knowledge, skills and information on a consistent basis.  Companies have been reducing or even eliminating budgets for professional development, and have become exceedingly restrictive with their tuition reimbursement allocations. Now the responsibility is placed with the individual to pursue the requisite courses and programs to stay current.

Executive Coaching

Being an effective leader today requires a mindset that seamlessly integrates an inspiring leadership style, gifted communication skills, and striking analytical abilities.  Many people possess the raw intelligence and expertise necessary to be a good leader, but haven’t been able to harness these strengths to attain their career expectations.

Coaching can assist you to assess and develop these capabilities to excel in the role you are already in as well as to further your future success. You can increase your effectiveness, gain confidence, and strategically leverage your knowledge and skills to maximize positive long-term results.

Executive Coaching includes:

Contracting and identifying expectations

What are your objectives and criteria for success? What will it take to get there?

Assessment

Look at your behaviors. Determine your strengths and identify areas for growth. The goal of assessment is to gain insight and understanding, and to strategically use this knowledge to achieve sustainable results.  Resources at this stage may include: 360-degree feedback tools and inventory instruments, interviews and shadowing.

Goal setting and Action-planning

With the coach as your guide, you will choose developmental goals that are well defined and attainable, establish clear criteria for measuring your progress, and develop a realistic timeframe.

When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You will learn how to develop the attitudes, abilities, and skills to reach these goals.