Why You Need A Career Coach

#LeadandLift | Episode 68 | Valerie Martinelli

Everyone in their career journey comes to a point where they either are made to exit and therefore need to find a new job or are given a signal or an opportunity to pivot to another direction. How do you take measures to prepare yourself when that day comes? 

Our special guest, Valerie Martinelli, is a Career Leadership Coach who helps jobseekers market themselves well and she is especially effective with her coaching because she knows first-hand what it’s like to be in the position of her own ideal client. She shared with us four tips that we could start doing today in order to for us to be prepared if the day comes that we have to walk in a new direction in our career. 

Networking and connecting consistently 

“One the first thing that I always tell people is consistently build your network. This is not something that we should be waiting until the last minute to do”. - Valerie Martinelli

Build your network. Don’t wait until the last minute to do this, start now and do it consistently. Building your network takes time and you’ll need to put work into it consistently throughout your whole career. 

Focus on creating relationships with the people that you’re given the opportunity to work with - clients, vendors, contractors, or people you meet at a conference. What’s important is that you’re consistently connecting with other professionals that are aligned to you. 

Connect with them on LinkedIn and build a relationship by spending time. Do a virtual coffee or meet them in real life. The key is to do this consistently and also to do it outside of your organization. That way you won’t have to be reliant on having a network inside. 

Block off some time on your calendar to dedicate to building your network. You don’t have to spend hours upon hours doing this, even just 30 minutes to an hour each week if done consistently will do you good.

Always keep your eyes open for an opportunity to connect with people and build a relationship. See each person that you encounter as an individual. There’s never an excuse to not build your network. Remember that whether it’s a consultant or a full-time employee, everyone will move on at some point. 

Building your Brags

Updating your materials can be an ambitious goal for a busy professional so Valerie advised us to do something she calls, “build the brags”. This is all about keeping records on your computer or on a cloud system like Google Drive of emails, kudos, or even performance reviews any proof, data, or metrics that show what you’ve done in your career. These are the things you’ll use when you update your material and should you end up being separated from your employer, you will have this information. 

You need to keep all that information because you don’t want to end up having to go back to try and find all of this since it will take you a long time. Also, when you’re no longer an employee of a company, chances are that you won’t have access to that information anymore. 

If you’re going to update your resume, you should also update your LinkedIn. Recruiters tend to look for you on LinkedIn and they will compare your resume to what you have in there. Think of updating your LinkedIn profile as just another way to build a relationship and contribute to expanding your network. 

Degrees and certification do more than just boost your credibility, it is sometimes a prerequisite in order for you to be considered and hired. If you are already doing the work, then take the time to get certified. 

“It’s really important to make sure that you are developing yourself outside of your role. We never stop learning. We learn every day until we die.” - Valerie Martinelli

Get coached, get certified, and invest time and effort in leadership development. Never stop learning, and always strive to grow in your role and beyond. There will always be more to learn, not just about your career but also about yourself. 

Knowing your value 

Working in corporate means you’re investing your time and energy daily into a company building somebody else’s dream and you deserve to be compensated for that. Learn to say “no”, don’t just accept whatever is given. Instead, properly consider how much you should be getting paid and be honest about it. 

This is where having a network becomes a huge advantage for you. If you have a network of people in the same field, you’ll be able to ask around and research what your job is worth in the marketplace. There are also a lot of resources and tools that you could use to know the market value of your current role. You’ve got to go into a negotiation prepared. 

As someone who was once a manager in corporate, I could tell you that HR representatives aren’t given a fixed number but instead, a range. The sad thing is that most people never ask for any more money, they settle for the lowest offering in the range. Your manager is expecting and waiting for you to negotiate, so don’t be shy. 

You’ve got to show your value. Show them that paying you more would be worth it for them, that it’s a win-win situation for everyone. If you are then able to negotiate good compensation, you’ve got to follow up with the expectation that you’ve set for yourself. This doesn’t mean that you should work more hours, it means you should work at a higher level and for a higher value. 

Investing in yourself

For the third tip, Valerie advised us to invest in ourselves, to find a good coach and to take time to see what we can do outside of the organization. Don’t tie yourself to a company, no matter how solid it seems. 

These days, you can’t rely on companies to provide job security, so you’ve got to get secure yourself. You have to feel good about yourself, how you would present yourself in front of a new employer, and how you would feel as a candidate because it can happen at any time. 

The pink slip never arrives at the best time. When it does, you’ll have to make a lot of difficult decisions in an environment of stress, pressure, and negativity. That’s why, it’s better to prepare now while you are still in a positive mindset so that your judgment will not be clouded. 

“While you're still employed, think about the things that you can do and how you can do it. Because then if it should happen, all you have to do is turn the key and you're ready to go. You could hit the ground running.” - Valerie Martinelli

Don’t wait for someone to tap you on the shoulder. Be your own champion. You have to know when to speak up and say what you really feel, what you really think you deserve, or that you are ready to move up.

You are the driver of your career, not your company and not your boss. Don’t let anyone be in charge of your career. 

The problem is that most people are willing to sacrifice growth for the sake of comfort. If you want to live a better and more fulfilled life, you’ve got to wake up and truly see the situation that you are in. Do you want to keep going home drained and frustrated? Or do you one day want to go home to your family feeling a contented kind of exhaustion? 

“You have to live your life every single day. Don't wait until you retire.” - Valerie Martinelli

Claiming your power

You’re not alone. If you feel stuck, afraid, or trapped, know that there is help available. Don’t be afraid to open up and ask for help. Coaches like Valerie will be with you to guide you through these tough times. 

You have the power to change your circumstance. You’re in the driver’s seat. All you’ve got to do is realize that and take charge, claim what’s yours, and get what you want. Don’t wait for a company to acknowledge that they should give it to you. 

Step into your power, claim your confidence, and declare it to the world. Show them who’s in charge. 

Free Gift

• Organize Your Job Search With Valerie’s Ultimate Job Search Checklist, download it now for free: https://askvmc.com/organize-your-job-seach-with-my-ultimate-job-search-checklist/ 

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Valerie Martinelli's Facebook
•  Valerie Martinelli's Instagram
•  Valerie Martinelli's LinkedIn
•  Valerie Martinelli's Website
• Valerie Martinelli's YouTube
• Valerie Martinelli's Twitter

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Chabidaye Facebook
• Chabidaye Instagram
• Chabidaye LinkedIn
• Chabidaye Website