Career Coaching & Development
Career coaching and development are another set of services provided by Randy Ruppart through New Leaf Consulting, LLC. Aimed primarily at assisting individuals who are in some form of career or job-related difficulty, or simply have career concerns, these services can be one of the most important undertakings for an individual and her or his family, especially in view of the turbulence and structural changes in the workplace over these past few years.
The coaching and career development* are most often two different but related services, even though they may be combined under varying circumstances. Primarily, the coaching that occurs around career concerns is focused on providing some form of problem-solving involving one's present work or helping generate ideas and thoughts about the potential longer term direction or content of one's career. On the other hand, career development usually involves the taking of actual steps to advance the progress of one's career.
The taking of concrete steps may be in form of assessment of job skills and personality factors, preferences, and values that play importantly into one's career and job choices as well as the personal satisfaction a person derives from work. Additionally, career development action steps might involve creating some form of career plan or modifying one, as well as one's concept of their career, so that a clearer picture emerges for the individual about how he/she might steer and direct their career advancement over the next number of years.
Some additional distinctions must be made, at this point, to clarify three strands that often blend together like pieces of yarn, but without being noticed or worked with sufficiently. A career is seen as the long arc that spans one's lifetime of work, whether that career be non-professional, semi-professional, or professional in varying degrees. Within that career, one takes on numerous jobs, that when seen in a sequence, make up the elements of one's career. Lastly, career development occurs when a person actively plans for and succeeds in securing a job that develops him/her, thereby providing for the present and strengthening for the future. So, career consulting and job counseling are two distinct areas of activity and focus, that often are combined, but do not have to be.
Randy has built up a record of consulting in his entire career and jobs area for over thirty years, beginning with helping students in college think about their career direction and take courses that would best suit and prepare them for the career that they intended to follow. As an outplacement consultant and consulting owner/manager, he worked extensively in job-change advisory and planning when people had lost their jobs and needed to replace what had gone away with something new and appropriate, within a limited period of time. While doing this work, Randy was also assisting individuals privately with career advancement and change. In these latter instances, change may actually have been in the direction of one's career or related to finding the best next step in their career sequence.
When a person decides to undertake career coaching, usually it is because they feel some level of dissatisfaction in their present job or have lost sight of their career vision and are feeling lost as to what to do. In their present job they might feel underutilized or unappreciated, as though they are stagnating, that they need to make more money because of changing family circumstances or simply the increase in costs of living. Additionally, one might begin to develop the feeling that they are going in the wrong direction and need to engage in work for the future that is somehow significantly different from the present. But what is it?
On the other hand, having gotten a renewed sense of purpose, inspiration, and direction, the person may need to undertake a course correction that involves launching an effective job search. There, they need a job search strategy and a concrete search plan. In addition: the all important resume, personal story to be told to others, organizing leads and contacts, interview readiness, and related preparation all need to be in place as the search gets underway. Job search conduct, such as networking, working with agencies or search firms, using the internet for leads and other forms of research or correspondence all need to be put together into an orchestrated whole. Finally, persistence and support from others will be critical. Later, will come negotiating offers and closing the deal (landing the new job).
Randy has a well developed depth and breadth of skills in all of these areas. In addition, he enjoys and is motivated himself by helping others succeed. Consultations may be in the form of personal meetings and telephone or email sessions depending on the individual's needs and situation. If you believe that any part or combination of these services might potentially be beneficial to you or someone you know, please contact Randy at New Leaf Consulting and explore with him your personal circumstances and thoughts about the future. The first consultation of one-half hour is offered at no charge.
* The Career Development and Assessment portions of this overall area of services may have to be geographically limited to the New York metro area, northern New Jersey, western Connecticut, central New York, and eastern Pennsylvania. Each circumstance will be considered on the combination of situation and needs.
