Get Ready to Make a Move

Article as printed The Scotsman Magazine January 2020

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Fiona Reith is the first UK Designing Your Life coach. Here she explains the processes behind career coaching. Could this be the year you change job?

Tell me about Designing Your Life and career coaching in general

Designing your Life is a book based on a course run at Stanford University that helps graduates decide on their first career steps. Students are encouraged to follow their interests and tap into their networks so they make choices that suit them better. Career coaching is a solution-based approach to career planning and decision-making. I use the Designing Your Life framework to help professionals in early or mid- career change job or career. Rather than rely on a traditional approach to climbing the career ladder, it focuses more on building a career that you enjoy by really understanding your strengths at work

Is January a good time to review your employment situation?

January and February are the peak recruitment season so a great time to reflect on your next move. People have more jobs in their lifetime than in previous generations and in this fast-moving environment where change is the norm, adaptability is a key factor. If you want to act fast a coach can provide impartial support and focused accountability as you research and apply for new roles particularly if you want to change sector entirely or try something new.

How does career coaching work? Is it the same as life coaching?

Career coaching can be done in small groups or 1:1. I work with clients to take stock and get clear on their priorities, explore possible opportunities and prepare confidently for networking and any application or interview processes.
Life coaching focuses on personal rather than professional goals but my Life Design programme does take into account the client’s personal situation. Clients usually come to me when they feel bored or stuck in their current role or when a big change is imminent like a redundancy, reorganisation or a change in family circumstances.

Tell us a bit about you

I’ve always been fascinated in what people do for a living. With previous careers in business development and education, I understand the job market and how to sell the value that you can bring to a new role. I’ve been a coach for over 5 years and when I read The Designing Your Life book I invested in the training in San Francisco last January.

What’s next for you?

I will continue to read and learn so my clients benefit from my up-to-date skills and knowledge in the field of career coaching. I am launching group coaching workshops and also an on-line class for anyone who needs a refresher prior to an interview.

Top tips

  • Keep a diary of your working week and highlight the parts of your job you enjoy the most so that you can seek out opportunities that give you more of what you enjoy.
  • Get active on LinkedIn. Not only is this the go-to place for recruiters to advertise jobs but it is the best place to keep in touch with your network and get the inside track on opportunities, many of which are not advertised.
  • Tailor your CV and cover letter or application giving as many examples as you can as to how your experience relates directly to the job requirements.
  • Actively rehearse your interview responses so that that they come across naturally when you are nervous in an interview.
    Find out more about how the job market is changing and how you can prepare for it by reading new book – The Squiggly Careers by Sarah Ellis and Helen Tupper.