A client who originally hired Jan to help find new opportunities turned into a longstanding relationship that has evolved into a focus on job performance and advancement. Following the original discussions about what he was looking for in a new position he realized he liked his work as a proposal coordinator but was unhappy with the way management made some decisions.

We discussed how he could be a better advocate for himself and have more of a voice in personnel decisions. He would notice when something bothered him and during our coaching calls we discussed how he could affect change. He began to have dialogues with his boss that were more frank and offered his thoughts on how the professional climate could be improved.

Within a few months he was promoted to a team leader position. He finds mentoring others a challenging new focus and derives much more job satisfaction as a result.

Tools used: expansive listening and feedback, leadership strategies

After a period of several years at home raising a family this client was ready to return to full-time employment. During her time at home she held many volunteer roles such as classroom helper, fundraiser for scouts and religious educator. She also had a part-time job as an office manager/bookkeeper for a local painter. Despite having a degree in civil engineering and previously being a project manager, she did not feel she had much to offer the marketplace today.

We discussed how we could showcase her talents in a way that would be transferable to the business world. She realized that the biggest speed bump slowing her from finding a new career was her lack of confidence. We role-played how she could present herself in a positive manner.

Following a few interviews where she learned a lot about how to market herself, she landed an opportunity as a project manager and couldn’t be happier. She has begun to rebuild her confidence and will continue to grow and expand her options in the career part of her life.

Tools used: noticing and acknowledging the “Gremlin”, role-playing, mock interviews, resume development

Months after his college graduation this client was unemployed and frustrated. He thought he was doing everything he could to secure his dream job in sports marketing. His search to find potential opportunities seemed confined to surfing the job boards on the Internet. He spent many hours at the computer. When asked where he had applied and what contacts he had made, he had no record of his search activities.

We spoke about the value of networking and engaging in informational interviews to get his name circulated within his desired field. At first he was reluctant, feeling people would not want to take the time to speak with him. Once he agreed to try it, he discovered he was good at schmoozing on the phone and that people would speak with him. He kept a log of his contacts and he was energized when he would look at the list and notice how many contacts he was making. His engaging personality and his ease on the phone led to a 20-minute conversation with the head of the National Basketball Association.

He is now working in his chosen field for a professional basketball team in California.

Tools used: organizing search by logging contacts onto a spreadsheet, making cold contacts to request informational interviews, following up with contacts.

This client had achieved her career goal to become a physical therapist. She completed her studies and was immediately hired by a local practice. She quickly advanced to a supervisor role and then to a management position. She described herself as a “Type A” personality and a perfectionist. She was feeling increased stress trying to balance her work and personal life. She also felt challenged to equitably divide her workday between attending to her patients and completing her management duties such as supervising staff and completing paperwork.

We discussed how she could advocate for herself and shape her workday to be more satisfying and give her a better feeling of productivity. We also set some goals around healthy habits such as getting more rest and exercise and eating better off hours so that her stress level would reduce. Being in better shape would also enable her to more calmly handle the challenges of her work environment. Setting priorities was difficult for her because she considered everything important and had a hard time completing any project to less than her ideal standard.

She learned to be more assertive with her team members and curb some of the interruptions that were draining time from her day. She also spoke with her boss about lightening her caseload so that she could focus on the management duties she was assigned. She realized that once she could see her value in the workplace she could focus more on the tasks that would be beneficial to the organization and help her to feel that she was utilizing her talents to the fullest without being overburdened.

Tools used: “Wheel of Life,” visioning, goal setting with specific and achievable action items.

Career Change

Employed in a family business as a project manager, this client felt it was time to move on to a different career challenge but he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. He had earned an advanced degree from a prestigious university but had not pursued possible employment related to his studies. He was extremely adept at brainstorming and assessing situations. By his own admission, his challenge was “overthinking” and then talking himself out of taking action.

This client needed time to sort through a lot of questions – what was his main career interest area? How could he be sure? How would he go about presenting himself to get noticed? And how would he know once he received an offer if he should accept it? Coaching sessions were a combination of phone calls and in person meetings. Each session was somewhat related to the previous, but the client’s thoughts were as varied as the opportunities he was considering. After several months of dialogue, Jan encouraged him to pick a path, explore it and then either stick with it or move on to the next. Choosing a path to focus on took a bit of time but after taking a DiSC assessment, consulting with some trusted advisors and then being approached by a recruiter, an action plan developed.

The client is now working as a project manager for a well-known construction company that does building restoration. He is challenged and feels he has found a path that suits him.

Tools used: DiSC profile, consulting with trusted advisors, developing goals and establishing manageable action steps related to the goals.