Free Consultation

What to Expect

Work in Progress™ offers a free initial consultation to those considering using our career-planning services.  Participating in this meeting is an important decision – a first step towards taking control over your future.  I would like to help you make an informed decision about this important first step by outlining what you can expect during the consultation.

In today’s world, we are flooded with marketing pitches everywhere we go, even in the comfort of our own homes.  There’s no escaping it.  This has created an attitude of reluctance and skepticism among most of us.  Many people don’t like to be sold to.  Even the idea of spending 1 hour to explore whether to use a service, generates hesitation.  Questions come to mind, such as, “Is she going to pressure me into using her service?” “How am I going to politely refuse?” “What if I can’t afford it?” “What if I don’t like her programs?” “What if it doesn’t work?” … and so on.

Let me first clarify that a consultation is a confidential two-way conversation where you initially do most of the talking.  In the following section is a description of the topics I like to cover during consultations, so that I can understand what is at the heart of the matter for you and how I can help; and so that you can confidently assess whether my service could resolve your employment difficulty.

Get to Know Each Other

Career and life are intertwined.  You are much more than a walking resume, and I am much more than the credentials on my wall.  Coaching happens in the context of a collaborative relationship, and it is important to me to invest time in understanding who you are.  This not only makes our sessions more enjoyable, it also helps me to help you create a unique solution that works for your life.

Understand Your Purpose in Seeking Assistance

Something brought you through my doors - a worry or a need, perhaps a motivation or a curiosity – a problem to be solved.  I will ask you to describe, in your own words, your goals and dreams for the future.

Clarify Expectations and Roles

Most people have an image of how career coaches work.  It is essential that I learn what your expectations are of my services and what your prior experience (if any) has been with career planning service providers.  It is equally important for me to spend time outlining my philosophy and approach, and for us to discuss each of our roles in the process.  This allows us to establish a productive working relationship where we are both on the same page.

Describe Your Current Employment Situation

The life circumstances of people in transition are as unique as the people themselves.  It is important for me to know your current employment status, e.g. are you unemployed, working part-time, laid off, unhappily employed, (semi) retired, returning to the workforce, new to the workforce, etc…  How long have you been in this situation?  Are you collecting employment insurance, have you done so in the past, are you eligible, and do you intend to apply? This helps me to understand your sense of urgency and also your options.

Verbal Resume

Part of getting to know you is gaining an understanding of your background, specifically your education/training, work history, volunteer work, and anything else that’s relevant, like memberships in clubs or professional associations.  I prefer to hear this from you verbally, as it helps me to learn more about you when I hear it from your perspective.  Resumes are often written like a listing of job descriptions you’ve held in the past, which tells me little about you and the unique way you’ve performed your jobs.

Your Self-Perceived Qualifications and Obstacles

Getting clear on your options is a collaborative process.  Before guiding you through possible decision making approaches, I would like to hear what options you feel you have for work, and also your perception of what is currently holding you back from pursuing these possibilities.

Your Feelings

If you are comfortable in doing so, I am interested to hear you describe how you are feeling about your employment situation.  Feelings are intertwined with thoughts, behaviors, and actions.  Work and life are connected.  Some people are comfortable expressing their feelings, while others are not.  I always respect peoples’ choices around this.  Knowing this helps me to understand your readiness to pursue various courses of action.

Your Actions

To know where we should go, I need to know where you’ve been.  People enter the career planning process at various stages.  Some seek help immediately, while others look to a professional only when their own efforts are not producing the results they were hoping for.  Plus, sometimes people have been working tirelessly at their job search, yet the steps they’ve taken may not be the most productive.   Learning about what you’ve done so far helps me determine the best place to start.

Restrictions and Constraints

At the risk of repeating myself, work and life are directly linked.  To name a few, issues such as finances, time availability, family commitments, health status, daycare needs, and access to transportation, can profoundly influence peoples’ needs.  It is important to know these details so that a plan can be created for you, which is realistic and prioritized in terms of meeting these important needs.

Coaching Goal – Options – Action Plan

Nearing the end of our consultation, I would paraphrase my understanding of your employment difficulty and give you my professional opinion re: broad areas of focus to help you become re-employed.  Once we reach agreement on your coaching goal(s), I would describe for you various options for working together, which we would discuss in more detail, taking into account the context of your life, plus your budget and timeline.

Questions

Working with a Career Planning Professional is an important decision.  I encourage people to ask questions not only about the process, but also regarding any other issues that may help or hinder your ability to succeed.  I am also pleased to discuss with you any questions you may have about my philosophy, background, and qualifications.

Next Steps

If we agree that my services are a match with your needs and that we would work well together, I would subsequently create a written proposed action plan for you, outlining your coaching goal pus activities to realize your goal, including an estimated timeframe and associated budget.  Payment options would be discussed at that time.  Making the commitment to work together is the next important step in your decision to improve the quality of your working life, and hence your personal life.  Your investment in this will yield lasting positive results.  Congratulations!