Your client is lost in their career journey. Where should they begin with setting goals?
When a client feels lost in their career journey, guiding them to set clear, actionable goals can provide the direction they need. Here's how to start:
How do you help clients find their career path?
Your client is lost in their career journey. Where should they begin with setting goals?
When a client feels lost in their career journey, guiding them to set clear, actionable goals can provide the direction they need. Here's how to start:
How do you help clients find their career path?
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When a client feels lost in their career journey, I start by helping them reassess their goals and professional aspirations. I ask them to reflect on key milestones they wish to achieve—whether it's a career change, further education, certifications, or new skills. I then conduct a gap analysis to understand the market demands and compare them with the client’s current skill set. Based on this, I guide them in setting clear, actionable goals and create a roadmap for achieving them. I recommend identifying the necessary tools, technologies, and resources, and suggest working with a mentor to track progress and ensure continuous development.
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They used to call this a midlife crisis. Now we understand that, as we mature, we see the world differently. We always start with one question: What did you LOVE to do when you were 7 years old? Amazing as it is, that's often the direction you should have taken but someone discounted it. Next, find careers related to that activity and explore them. Just because you started in banking doesn't mean you have to continue in finance.
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Look at your ideal role, what you enjoy, what you don’t, your values and goals and start working on a career strategy aligned with those elements.
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To guide clients who feel lost, I suggest assessing their strengths and passions to align goals with what truly excites them. Exploring potential career paths helps broaden their options and identify roles that fit their skills. Prioritizing goals based on impact and urgency can reduce overwhelm, allowing them to focus on what matters most. Visualizing long-term success creates motivation and clarity in the process. Finally, regular reviews and adaptations of goals ensure flexibility, as career journeys are rarely linear. By combining these strategies with core values, SMART goals, and a roadmap, clients gain direction and purpose in their career path.
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A lack of direction often signals a misalignment between what a client is "doing" and who they "are". When clients come to me for coaching, the first step is to reconnect with alignment. I guide my clients to reflect on their core values, asking, What truly energises you? What legacy do you want to leave? This clarity sets a foundation for goals that feel authentic and meaningful. From there, we define a vision for their career and life, breaking it into actionable, strengths-based steps. Goals rooted in personal values are more than milestones—they’re transformative. When we reconnect with what matters, goals don’t just move us forward—they elevate us to show up powerfully in every facet of our lives. That's one of my best joys as a Coach!
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If a client feels lost in their career journey, I'd start by helping them reconnect with themselves. We’d dig deep into what genuinely excites them, what values they hold dear, and what kind of impact they wish to make. From there, it’s about creating a vision of where they’d love to see themselves, even if it's vague at first. We’d then transform that vision into small, achievable goals, keeping it real and flexible. It’s less about having all the answers upfront and more about taking small, meaningful steps to discover what feels right as we go.
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The first step is to gain clarity on the destination—one that aligns with their true values, passion, and long-term career goals. This is followed by defining a roadmap to get there. Without this clarity, clients often feel frustrated and overwhelmed, leading them to seek short-term fixes like job hopping. However, these fixes only mask the deeper issue, as the feeling of being lost resurfaces when their actions aren’t aligned with their true aspirations.
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If you are feeling lost in your career journey, start my getting clear on what you want. If you are unsure of what you want, begin by looking at what you don't want. Are you looking to advance your career in your current industry or would you like to change careers altogether? Remember, changing careers does not mean "starting over". People often think a career change means you need to apply to entry level jobs with entry level salaries and it absolutely does not. My clients have successfully transitioned from real estate to healthcare, from teacher to operations manager, and advanced from executive assistant to project manager. You need to know how to leverage your current skills, qualifications and expertise to that position and industry.
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Guiding your client through the process of setting well-defined, meaningful goals is a powerful way to help them navigate out of career uncertainty and into a path that feels aligned with their true professional aspirations. By starting with a foundation of self-understanding, moving through exploration, and into the strategic execution of SMART goals, they can transform a sense of being lost into a clear direction with actionable steps. This methodical approach not only clarifies their career objectives but also empowers them to achieve them, ultimately leading to greater job satisfaction and personal fulfillment.
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Here are 7 steps to follow if you are feeling lost in your career journey: 1. Start with self-assessment and reflection 2. Define your Vision 3. Set Short-Term and Long-Term Goals 4. Identify the Gap and Prioritize Growth 5. Create a Career Action Plan 6. Build a Support System 7. Embrace Flexibility
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