What is the one job that you see the most people regret?

Oooh good question! Obviously I have not spoken to everyone in all jobs BUT I see a lot of people who work for non-profits and a lot of teachers.
The teachers tend to be surprised by the politics of dealing with parents.
The non-profit folks... it's a little more complicated, but often it boils down to a lot of them feeling taken advantage of. Like, if you really believe in the mission you wouldn't ask for time off/more money/life balance. Like their beliefs have been weaponized against them.

That said, I know many teachers and people who work for non-profits who are very happy and fulfilled. The job isn't bad, just the fit.

What advice would you give a teacher who isn’t happy in their job and wants out? I feel like I’m a bit trapped at the moment and am not sure what other jobs I could even look at with my degree!

It really depends on you. What else are you interested in? What do you love? What are you passionate about? What do you value? Check out the "career-camp" answer I gave Jumlee77. Basically, you CAN do anything you want. So what do you want to do?

Once you figure it out, the next step is figuring out how to craft a narrative that feels true to you. For instance, I have a client who was a middle-school teacher who now does Content Management for a publishing company. She always had an interest in writing and is amazing at wrangling lots of people with different needs, wants, agendas, etc (sound familiar?) Her experience as a teacher is a huge part of what makes her valuable wrangling a bunch of writers and clients.

What if what i want to do, the stuff I’m passionate about requires political connections and political standing that cannot be just obtained through applying for a job and getting an education or a training? I’ll give you an analogy: what if my passion is to be a nuclear submarine commander and while I’m an experienced submariner engineer, I was always explicitly passed over for a promotion and now I’m sure that I’ll never get the white captain’s cap? There was one shot and it falied? What to do then?

This is an analogy, my field of work is civilian but maybe as specialized as nuclear submarines and has a rigid, somewhat bureaucratical hierarchy where you work on your position by playing politics and actual competence doesn’t win battles.

Bureaucracy makes things very tough - without being able to speak to you about your specific situation it's hard for me to give an answer. My bet is that there's another way of looking at it that would help you feel more in control of the situation, but outside of a session where I can thoroughly pick your brain, it's hard to say. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help.

Hey! There's another answer in here exactly for a teacher looking to switch fields - lmk if you can't find it.

THANK YOU. Ive come to resent non-profits. Though I worked in a college and it was technically a non-profit i was grossly underpaid. then i worked for another non-profit and this fucking lady. her company was worth 2.3million dollars we were understaffed and expected to work 6 days a week and do 12 hour days. i am not even joking. i am so frustrated right now trying to find a job that values me, my work, and time. plus a reasonable commute.

​

do you know any reliable remote job boards? all the ones ive been suggested in the past are sketchy as hell or work super poorly

Ugh, colleges are the worst! All that non-profit nonsense PLUS crazy bureaucracy! I would say don't look at job boards at all... frankly they suck, and set you up for a weirdly unbalanced dynamic.

Start by looking at interesting companies in your field that hire remotely and then set up informational interviews with someone who works there (go for whoever you'd be working directly under if you landed a job there, or someone you'd be working with).

Here's some info about informational interviews, but if I haven't said it enough they are magic.

Video: https://youtu.be/Ki_W5v8_vik

Article: https://michellekrasny.com/blog-1/2018/8/16/how-to-enjoy-your-job-hunt

Have you ever needed a career coach?

Yes! I work with a coach regularly - objectivity is a beautiful thing.

My mind swirls and gets swamped in emotion just like everyone else. Having a trusted person who holds a space for me and asks me nosy questions is usually exactly what I need to sort out my priorities.

I see regularly working with a coach as part of having a happy, healthy practice that serves my clients well.

What key advice do you give to people who have never had a preferred career in mind?

Asking for a friend.

Lol, you don't have to. I didn't. I stumbled upon a career I love.

Not everyone sees their life's worth through their career. Many people have great love stories, or make beautiful families, or have huge passionate side-hustles - their job just pays the bills.

I'd ask your friend how they feel about not having a preferred career. If it bothers them, it's fixable. If it doesn't, there's nothing wrong with that.

Do you ever try to steer people away from a dream? Ex. Someone has been trying to be a musician for 15 years and has not broken through. Do you ever (kindly) say to pursue something else?

Usually someone like this, if they're working with me - they know something is wrong and that they might need to make a major change. I don't steer them anywhere though, I just help them figure out what they're thinking.

But sometimes I do have clients who are making really weird decisions for themselves and the ethical line is unclear. Is it my job to say, hey you're running your life off a cliff? If I say it and they say "no, it's cool I like cliffs" what am I supposed to do then? Or is it my job to be the one person in their life who always believes in them? Ethically it's murky and I try to do my best on a situational basis. Usually I straight up ask - what do you want from me - challenge or support? And let my client guide me.

Damn this was a really good question and I was hoping for an answer. I quit trying to make it as a DJ when my hobby started to feel like a job. I started hating something I used to enjoy. I used to mix every day but I haven't touched my turntables in months now. Sometimes you shouldn't follow your dreams, I guess.

I turned a lot of hobbies into jobs and sucked the life right out of them. I'm sorry that happened to mixing. Give it a rest for a while (which it sounds like you're doing) and then try going back to it without any expectation. Just for fun. It could bring you joy again.

How do you get paid? How much money do you make?

I charge on a sliding scale, a lot like a therapist. I don't do packages, though I know many coaches do.

I charge between $85-125 per client and ask them to evaluate what they can afford and what feels like a substantial investment but not a deterrent. I charged a lot less when I got started and noticed that the clients who got deals didn't take the work as seriously or get as much out of it.

As to what I earn, honestly I'm not the best business person and coaching takes A LOT of energy. Between prep, notes, and the time I spend with my clients, and emotional recovery time I can only see 3-4 each day. I also need a day a week to do my admin and my marketing.

AND I'm the only person who works in my practice, so when I do something that takes my energy away from marketing, business gets SLOW. For reference, my first year in practice I think I made about $20k.

Many people who work with executives or create a lot of online programs do better than this, but the work I love is working with people just starting their careers, one-on-one.

Sounds like you may need a career coach.

Lol, I maaaaaay be working with mine on this.

I'm a guy that has been trying to get a full-time teaching job for the last five years. My specialization is in Social Studies, meaning there is a ton of competition for very few openings. I've made a name for myself in the two districts I sub in to where it feels like I have become a minor celebrity with students and staff of the four buildings I frequent, but there just haven't been openings.

I've found that nearly all advice for finding jobs is very different for when it applies to someone choosing to become a teacher. What advice would you give for someone like me? I'm willing to swap careers, as well, but I genuinely have no idea where to start.

If you're willing to shift careers, or change geographical location - there's definitely a solution. It might be different than what you're picturing but there's definitely a way for you to have the parts of teaching you love AND a regular job. You may have to get creative though.

If we were in session I'd grill you about all the things you LOVE about your job - the stuff that totally absorbs you or that you would do for free (you don't HAVE to do them free, just for the purposes of the brainstorm). Then list any other expertise, experience, values or interests you have. Then pull out the absolute "must-have's" and combine them to see if you can come up with a new angle on how to look at them. This can be a great time to bring in a fresh brain - is there someone in your life who's great at seeing unusual connections? Or just knows a lot about what possibilities are out there? Invite them to help you brainstorm new angles.

Or you can use those words as search terms to find new fields or organizations and set up some informational interviews (I think I've said it 20 times in here, but informational interviews are magic!). They're great for finding new jobs but also for finding out what's out there. Talk to your old professors, colleagues who've changed fields, people who inspire you...

Video: https://youtu.be/Ki_W5v8_vik

Article: https://michellekrasny.com/blog-1/2018/8/16/how-to-enjoy-your-job-hunt

is there someone in your life who's great at seeing unusual connections?

Seems like this is what you would be for

Yeah, but sometimes mom or a significant other can be exactly who you needed to bounce ideas off of.

Trying to get free consultation I see

Everyone gets a free consultation... that's how I vet clients and clients decide if I can help them. https://michellekrasny.com/contact

I’m 38, in a job I don’t really like but I’m good at it, I get a very good paycheck, my boss is nice, and there are great benefits. But...ugh, I don’t enjoy it at all and the industry I’m in isn’t great (textbook publishing, including digital products).

I came to the job after leaving my passion because it was obvious I couldn’t be the kind of parent I wanted to be while doing it, the environment was / is incredibly toxic, and I wanted to have kids and raise them near my family.

Everything worked out except I don’t enjoy my job AT ALL.

I’m in a small city and am at a loss as to where to go...there isn’t much around here that pays as well. Other jobs in my company either don’t pay as well or require more travel than I’m willing to do with children at home.

My passion was a bust.

My other passions (writing, teaching movement) are more like hobbies/ won’t support my family....

What would your advice me for someone like me?

Ah, yes. The folks I work with who have a family to support... it's trickier. There's this huge responsibility to have a regular income, benefits, etc that doesn't exist for my single, childless clients - so it's a lot harder to play fast and loose with your career.

What it boils down to is a balance of challenge and safety. How can you challenge yourself to move towards something that makes you feel alive while maintaining what you (and your family) need to feel safe in the world... you know, food, roof, education, healthcare... all that jazz.

Depending on the age of your children, right now you might be interested in just figuring out how to make your job less soul-sucking and get all your fun and passion from your family and hobbies - there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, and there can be creative ways to tackle it. For instance, I had a client who was a bank manager and HATED IT. Deep down he'd always wanted to be a baseball coach, but he couldn't support his family on that. So he started a baseball league for his bank. His job didn't change, but he had more energy for it. The vibe at work shifted because they felt like they were "in" something together - it turned out to be enough to get him through until he had more financial flexibility.

On the other hand, if you're at your boiling point - make an exit plan. Start the informational interview game and find something that will allow you to combine the stuff you're good at with the stuff you love.

info about informational interviews:

Video: https://youtu.be/Ki_W5v8_vik

Article: https://michellekrasny.com/blog-1/2018/8/16/how-to-enjoy-your-job-hunt

If you're still stumped, set up a discovery session on my site. We can talk it through.

What should one research before choosing to do a masters degree ?

I'm considering a masters in sustainable development but I'm not sure if it's the bets move or if it would even help.

Excellent caution, I see a lot of people who have invested all the time and money in an advanced degree but still aren't sure what they want to do.

Are you familiar with informational interviews?

I would say, use them to reach out to some people who have a degree in sustainable development and find out about they work they do.

There are so many questions piling up on here that I'm just going to give you a link to some things I've said about informational interviews in the past, but if you have any questions after looking at them, let me know!

Video: https://youtu.be/Ki_W5v8_vik

Article: https://michellekrasny.com/blog-1/2018/8/16/how-to-enjoy-your-job-hunt

Do you have cover letter advice? I’m mid-career and switched from nonprofits — having your own beliefs weaponized against you is so true — to tech a few years ago. I frequently hear from interviewers that they are only considering the jobs I’ve had since the switch, while I consider the experience highly transferable.

It’s exhausting for me to craft new letters for application after application to explain how I got to where I am and how my background really is relevant to whatever position I’m applying for.

Hey - I actually made a video about this a while ago! (and if you're really stumped, reach out to the guy in the video, he does cover letters and resume help for a living!) : https://youtu.be/4Q7nXna4_cM

But if you're tired of the job board game, try informational interviews:

Video: https://youtu.be/Ki_W5v8_vik

Article: https://michellekrasny.com/blog-1/2018/8/16/how-to-enjoy-your-job-hunt

How often do you see clients “locked” into a profession because of their degree? In other words do you often see mobility between career paths/professions? Or are people generally stuck in something they made a decision on years ago?

I wouldn't say anyone is locked in. Especially if you're willing to get creative with how you use your degree or where you'll work. But I'm not going to lie, the more specific your education the more challenging it can be to create a narrative about a change. It's absolutely not impossible though it does often take longer to find an ideal next step.

When you say "creating narrative about a change" what exactly do you mean by that?

Is it just how you would explain why you're interested in this new field, and how your existing skills can be transferred?

Lol, yeah - just coaching language. Basically what is the story that makes your experience and this new gig make sense. Then making sure your linked in, cover letter, resume are all telling that same story.

I have a question.... I don't mean to be rude, but why be a career coach when you have the knowledge to have a great career? Surely your advice should work for yourself or you wouldn't need to charge for giving the advice to others.

Or is it that your advice brings more revenue as advice given rather than advice followed?

I don't feel like you're being rude, it's a totally valid question.

Right now, this is work I'm uniquely suited for - I'm empathic, I'm a great researcher, I see strange patterns, I have a talent for helping people feel safe and heard and then for using that to help people push themselves. It brings me great job and checks off all the other boxes on the "good work" check list. It might not always, and at that point I probably will work with a coach to find my next step - though it will probably look fairly similar, my strength is helping people find their own.

Right now, I feel like this is my career... and it's definitely not a revenue based decision... but then again, that's not how I define success.

I hope this answers your question, feel free to ask for clarification.

I need help with what job suits me the best, any suggestions?

If you're at the beginning/early middle of your career - I'd say go explore!

(If you're later in your career, what have you done? When were you most satisfied at work? When did you struggle most?)

Some of my clients and I will put together a "career camp" for them.

We do a big brain dump of everything they're curious about or would like to explore and then set up bite-sized ways for them to find out what it would be like to work in those fields or jobs (think shadow a doctor not go to med school).

For the brainstorm: Check in with your values and your "soap box" issues. What gets you fired up? When was the last time you got so focused on something you lost track of time? What did you think you'd be when you grow up? What professionals inspire you (and what do they do?)? If money and prestige didn't exist, what would you do with your time? If you only had 1 hour a day of functional mind and body, what would you do with it?

Ok, I don't want to overload you, but give yourself 20 minutes of good music and get out lots of ideas. Feel free to let me know how it goes!

In Brazil, the word "coach" is associated with a rather negative meaning, such as someone who's trying to take advantage of people using pseudo science.

How do you see your profession in association/contrast to standard therapy methods? How scientifically supported are your methods?

Yeah, it kind of has that reputation here too. Thank you for the opportunity to talk about this!

Coaching is a completely unregulated field so there's nothing stopping everyone in this thread (is that what it's called?) from waking up tomorrow and saying they are a coach.

The responsibility lies with each individual to offer services they can stand behind. I got credentialed by an ICF accredited program - but honestly, that didn't feel like enough to me. I'm always trying to learn new techniques that are helpful to my clients, and yes I only use techniques that are backed up by substantial research and that I have tried myself.

For instance, I use Mindful Self-Compassion in my practice - a technique developed by Drs Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer. Their research is posted transparently on their site, I've read it, and after receiving training feel confident in sharing this technique with my clients.

As for the difference between therapy and coaching - it has a lot to do with who we work with. I know the boundaries of my profession and hold myself responsible to refer patients out if they have needs beyond what I can support, If a patient begins, for example, to display signs of General Anxiety Disorder, I'll support them in that conversation - in that instance possibly with some kind of grounding exercise, and then we'll have a discussion about next steps for getting additional or alternative care.

The methods of coaching I was trained in are based in Positive Psychology, a fascinating field essentially launched by Martin Selligman. I've had the opportunity to take online courses with him and the research is fascinating and honestly as rigorous as anything I ever read when I was in Neuroscience.

I hope this answers your question, I am getting TIRED! Sorry it's a bit on the rambley side.

Why have you become a career coach? Is it because you wanted to help people but wanted to be your own boss, work less stressful hours, and not have to have a psychology/counselling degree?

Will you consider coaching coaches in the same way your coach has coached you?

Half kidding to be honest. A few years ago i was pretty open to the idea that maybe the standard educational system might not be the only way to create good life therapists. But this whole coaching trend looks like it's morphing into another old pyramid scheme.

What do you think about this analysis?

Yup, there are totally pyramid-scheme style coaches. And a lot of people I graduated with seemed to wind up coaching other coaches (to be fair, it's who we know and they're people who already see the value of coaching).

It's hard because the field has such a muddy reputation, but there are also fantastic coaches out there doing really amazing, well-researched, well-educated work.

Unfortunately, while the field is so unregulated, the onus is on the customer to do their homework and decide what they want to exchange their hard earned money for - and of course on the good coaches to make sure they're operating to some ethical standard.

I also don't think it's an alternative to training as a therapist. Therapists do deep, emotional work with people who can be in a lot of pain or trauma. Coaches have no business doing that. We aren't trained for it. We work on the positive side of the spectrum, helping people go from "ok" to "great" (Really similar to an athletic coach) - that's what we're trained to do and it's support that is needed.

Do you help people learn how to deal with office politics?

How much does a career coach usually charge?

Yup - a huge part of my work is helping people learn about how to deal with other people (and to gain awareness about why they're reacting and how they can intentionally respond instead of react).

Career coaches in general? I don't know - there's a wide range and it depends who you work with. I specialize on working with young/mid-career professionals who're in their 2+ job, so they're usually not rolling in it. I charge a sliding scale of $85-125 per session, and have my clients choose what feels like a significant investment for them but isn't financially impossible,

Is it always good advice to “just walk it off”?

Nope. Chances are if you're hurting, something needs to be looked at. I mean, pain is just our body/mind's way of letting us know something is wrong.

I'm a huge proponent of Mindful Self Compassion and use it with many of my clients - basically it's the practice of being nice to ourselves on purpose. If you're feeling some intense emotion, there's a great 5 minute meditation on this site (https://self-compassion.org/) that guides you through acknowledging and normalizing your emotional reaction, then being kind to yourself.

Awareness and kindness are the first steps to working with strong reactions. After that I work with my clients to build in intention, so that they can CHOOSE how they want to respond to a situation, rather than just react... did this answer your question?

5 minute MSC meditation: https://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/self-compassion.break_.mp3

How do I best support my partner, who is unhappy in his current position and is thinking about a career change?

This is a tough one.

#1 I'd say listen, don't try to solve, just give them understanding and empathy. A coaching hack is to "acknowledge and validate": It sounds like you're feeling X which makes a lot of sense given Y situation.

#2 Know your own boundaries. People who are unhappy at work can go down some dark rabbit holes, you don't have to follow your partner. You aren't responsible for their emotional well-being. If it feels like things are heading in that direction, resources like career coaches or therapists can be great to have at hand. You can support without taking on the role of caretaker too deeply.

LMK if you have further questions.

How to discover what job would make me happy?

If we were in session, I'd ask you what you mean by happy. Happy is a vague term - we use it to mean a lot of different things. Fulfilled? Proud of yourself? Content? Calm? Think about it, and refine what you're looking for a little.

Then, make a list. Start with the activities, things, people, values, topics, places (etc) that make you feel that way. Say you really want to feel proud of yourself and calm at the end of the day... when was the last time you felt that way? The time before that? What about things that were close? (Try not to add things you think SHOULD make you feel that way).

Then like I've said to a bunch of folks, informational interviews and career camp (talk to people who do those things and then try them yourself in a bite-sized way).

Info about informational interviews:
Video: https://youtu.be/Ki_W5v8_vik

Article: https://michellekrasny.com/blog-1/2018/8/16/how-to-enjoy-your-job-hunt

This might be a tough one, but I have a friend on the autism spectrum who thinks they’re unemployable because of the obvious difficulties with social situations.

They’re convinced that they will never pass an interview (and have tried and failed many times.)

It’s hard to watch them feel so hopeless and it’s lead them to be in pretty dark place.

Any advice?

Hi! This is a common issue. You may not need social skills to do a job well (better than a lot of the "neurotypical") but we have this old barrier set up called the interview. Fortunately there are some companies that realize that people with ASD have tons to offer and don't make them jump that particularly useless hurdle. Without knowing where you live it's hard to give specific advice, but I'd bet there's some form of ASD support non-profit near where you live, and they'll know all the local companies that have experience hiring people on the spectrum. In my experience, they usually handle the interview process very differently and have adjusted their expectations on the job.

What are the most inportmant things to most people as far as being satisfied in a job go? I run a real estate brokerage and I find it is very hard to keep the agents motivated consistently, do you have any advice for keeping employees happy based in what you've heard and seen with your coaching clients?

Daniel Pink wrote a great book called DRIVE that's all about motivation at work. For him, it boils down to Mastery (are you learning something you care about), Autonomy (are you in charge of your work/your self) and Purpose (do you align with the mission).

I added a bit (cause I'm like that) and created this job report card: https://michellekrasny.com/worksheets-things (Free download)

I usually give this sheet to clients who aren't happy at work and can't put their finger on why (usually we fixate on stuff like salary or our boss but there's so much more going on!). I encourage those who are managed to take responsibility for figuring out what works for them and what doesn't and to gain the vocabulary needed to have that conversation - that's what this worksheet is designed to start. I then usually work with them to figure out how to start a conversation with their employer/manager about how to bring more things that really matter to them into their work.

You're already asking great questions. Employee retention can be a real struggle, especially when everyone is operating on what we THINK we're supposed to want. If you're feeling brave have your agents take this survey and then have an open conversation with them about what would make their experience better.

They're lucky to have a boss who cares about this stuff!

Sounds like you focus on people who are lost and don't know what to do.

What about people who know what they want to do, but are stuck in a rut and have a hard time taking the steps to better their lives? Is that just a therapist?

Depends on the kind of rut. I work with a lot of people who feel listless in their job, and we figure out ways to make life feel more fulfilling and well... worth living. Starting place is usually this job report card - then we figure out what can be changed where they are and how to go about that.

https://michellekrasny.com/worksheets-things (free download)

Do you wear shorts and a whistle around your neck?

A friend bought me a clip board and a coach hat for my birthday - but no whistle yet.

I was a public school teacher for 15 years (English Language Arts). I am now out of education and looking for a new career (Editing, publishing, copywriting . . . ). I am having a very difficult time getting interviews. I suspect that employers don't see how teaching skills translate into the professional world. Any tips on how to find a new career after a teaching career?

Check out the posts about informational interviews (links in the OP now). They're a great way of getting around the traditional interview. Instead of you entering a conversation where they're trying to see if you fit into their needs, you enter a conversation where they get to be curious about you and see opportunity. I love asking the question "if you had 20 extra hours in the work week, what would you do with them?" - The answer tells you a lot about their priorities, their work flow and their needs. If they say, for instance, "I'd spend the extra time capturing what we do as a company and writing up as a book." you then have the opportunity to say "you know that's an area of expertise I'm interested in exploring, maybe there's an opportunity for a partnership."

There are also sites like catchafire.org where you can build experience while volunteering for kickass nonprofits. Something like that might help you build enough of a narrative bridge between teacher and writer+ to get you through the interviews.

How did you decide to become a “career coach” and what do you do when someone is in an industry that they’re unhappy in but you don’t know a lot about? Do you specialize in certain disciplines and refer to other coaches who may specialize in an area that you don’t?

Good question!

First of all, I decided to become a career coach after a full decade of trying other stuff. And it wasn't an actual decision - I was hired to be one and then FELL IN LOVE. I then went back to school to get credentialed and then started my own practice.
I often work with people who have expertise I don't understand. But good coaches don't give advice or tell you what to do. I respect you as the expert in your life. It doesn't matter how many people like you I've spoken to, you know your life better than I ever will. So you have or get all the concrete information you need - it's my job to help you figure out what you know, to help you organize it, and then to support you as you do things that scare the pants off you.

For instance, I've worked with high-ups at tech companies (helping them get that job and then navigate managing their first distributed team). I could not tell you what they do - so any time I need to cut through the jargon, I ask them to explain it to me as if they were a sandwich maker. Honestly, it works most of the time, and through that they're able to come to precise conclusions that make sense to them, without me needing to understand the intricacies of their field.