It might sound like an unusual move to retrain as a career advisor and coach whilst running a successful marketing business, but for Julia Kay the pivot was borne of a desire to help others find their ‘right fit’ career pathway.
Providing a comprehensive career service for teenagers from Y12 was the start point for her business, as that’s when decisions need to be made for the future. Julia works with her clients to identify individual skills, personality traits, strengths and interests before considering career options.
“Many of my teenage clients are a bit anxious and overwhelmed when we first meet as they’ve put off making any decisions, plus some feel pressure from their parents which can end up causing extra stress at home… The goal is for my client to understand themselves better when making choices. I want them to feel in control of what comes next, ideally so that they don’t waste time or money progressing down the wrong track.”
Over time it became clear there was also a need for a careers service for adults who were looking for support to achieve goals within their current role, or on the flipside were feeling unfulfilled in their job, were going through a restructure, or were looking to define the next step in their career.
Julia’s career service for adults is quite different to working with teenagers, as adult clients have built up a toolkit of transferable skills over the years and have the benefit of personal experience and hindsight.
“My adult clients usually have a pretty good idea of what’s important to them; they’re looking for unbiased support to explore their options and make wise decisions when taking their next steps.”
The missing piece of the puzzle was for Julia to gain qualifications as a coach, in addition to her career guidance qualifications. Although still in its infancy in New Zealand, coaching is incredibly popular overseas, with many progressive companies across the USA and Europe including coaching as an integral part of employment packages for staff at all levels.
“Coaching is not counselling or therapy. It’s a proactive way of addressing challenges whilst looking to the future and taking action to achieve goals. Overseas, businesses use coaching on an ongoing basis to support their employee’s health and wellbeing.”
First published by The Profit. Click here to read the full article.