Careers coaching and well-being

Career coaching can help you focus on your professional goals and explore the next stage of your career. It can also help build confidence and provide an opportunity to reflect on what you want from your working life.

Another potential benefit of career coaching is its positive impact on your wider wellbeing, and this is the area I want to focus on in this article.

Job satisfaction can play an important role in our overall wellbeing. When we feel fulfilled and supported in our careers, this can contribute to greater enjoyment of life outside work too.

 Examples of where this can happen are;

• the participation in a piece of work that you are proud of
• the opportunity to learn new skills
• the social benefits of being in a supportive environment with colleagues

The benefits of career coaching

1. Career coaching can empower you to be proactive

The very act of seeking out someone to help you work out what you would like to achieve in your career can be a positive step. 

Perhaps you're feeling stuck in your current role or considering a change but are unsure where to begin. Working with a coach gives you time to review where you are now and where you would like to be.

It is also a way of recognising that your personal and professional development is worth investing in.

2. Working with a coach will help you to increase your belief in your abilities

The coach will focus on your strengths and will look at your work values to get to understand what motivates you.

They may also help you recognise unhelpful patterns of thinking or beliefs that could be affecting your confidence. By working with you, they will be alert to any unhelpful attitudes or beliefs that might be holding you back.

3. After each coaching session, you’ll be sent off with an action plan

Coaching sessions may involve identifying practical steps towards your goals and creating an action plan. Having clear, achievable goals can provide a sense of direction and help you focus on what you can do next, rather than becoming overwhelmed by past experiences or current challenges.

A coach can also help you review your progress, recognise achievements and adjust your plans when circumstances change.

This can encourage a more optimistic outlook while maintaining realistic expectations about what is achievable.

How career coaching may support your wider well-being

Financial security

If you can advance in your career due to the support you are getting from your coach, then this can lead to greater financial security. This may, in turn, increase your well-being, as financial pressures and debts can contribute to anxiety. 

A sense of belonging

Secondly, if you can get into a career that fits in with your identity and values, then you will feel a strong sense of social belonging. Your vocational identity is an important component of social identity.

Along with social interactions and belonging to a social group, finding your niche in the world of work has many positive outcomes. Forging friendships with colleagues helps boost your well-being and enables you to avoid feelings of loneliness. However, everyone's relationship with work is different, and fulfilment and belonging can come from many areas of life beyond a career.

There are also other examples of where career coaching will boost your well-being.

If you are in an unsupported environment at work, where work is distressing and affecting your health and work/life balance, then career coaching may provide a space to reflect on your circumstances.

Talking through your situation with someone outside your workplace can help you consider your choices and identify what matters most to you.

Career coaches generally won't tell you what to do. Instead, they can offer time and space to explore your thoughts, feelings and priorities. For example, you might want to consider whether changes to your current role could improve your wellbeing or whether a different career direction would better suit your needs. A coach may also support you in identifying practical steps towards change, while recognising that some workplace difficulties are influenced by factors beyond your control.

If work-related stress is significantly affecting your mental health, it may also be important to seek appropriate support from a healthcare or mental health professional.

Taking the next step in your career

Our careers can influence many aspects of our lives, from confidence and financial security to relationships and overall wellbeing.

Whether you're feeling stuck, considering a career change or simply looking for greater satisfaction in your current role, taking time to reflect on what you want can be valuable. Career coaching offers an opportunity to explore your goals, recognise your abilities and consider practical ways forward.