A Client Story by Mark Dubansky, Career Coach
Bob was unexpectedly impacted by a staff reduction where he worked as a coordinator in the admissions department of a large university system. For the last 10 years he worked in the higher education sector performing a wide range of roles in admissions and student support. Bob was happy with his work and in the university setting where he had hoped to continue for the foreseeable future.
With the loss of his job, I was introduced to Bob as his career coach. My approach is to first understand the unique needs of my client and create a customized experience tailored to the individual. During the early stages of my coaching engagement with Bob, we focused on self-assessment and discovery. Using a simple but effective assessment tool, I helped him identify and understand his strengths as well as the skills he acquired and the skills he successfully applied in his previous work experiences. Our conversations also helped Bob to articulate his interests and passions. As he reflected deeply and considered my questions, he began to better understand his true self, including his strengths, interests, and capabilities.
Bob had very strong communication and relationship building abilities. He really enjoyed meeting and talking with prospective new students. Bob was energized when he was given an opportunity to interview and select students to participate in various campus programs. In addition, Bob was very independent and had strengths in arranging, organizing, and follow-up.
As our coaching continued, Bob moved from identifying himself based on his job title and industry to viewing himself as a unique individual with a special combination of strengths, interests, and capabilities. We then used this clearly articulated identity to reshape his resume and LinkedIn profile, expand his network, and create a job search plan to leverage his strengths. This mindset enabled Bob to explore a broader set of career possibilities more effectively.
I guided Bob in his search for positions in a wide range of industries that required his strengths and experiences including communication, relationship building, meeting new people, interviewing, selection, administrative, and independence. It did not take very long for Bob to find several job ads in the recruiting field that drew his interest and level of excitement. I coached Bob on preparing for interviews, potential interview questions and responses, post interview evaluation, and interview follow-up. Within a short period of time, Bob landed a position as a recruiter with a search firm offering him career growth and higher compensation potential. As we celebrated his successful career transition, he thanked me for helping him understand who he is, what he can do, and how to get there. Bob went on to say he was grateful for my listening, caring, expert guidance, and results.
For more information on Outplacement, contact Jamie Maroney at jmaroney@cciindy.com or 317.261.4114
