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Great leaders are also great attentive listeners and hear what those around them say. Leaders listen to problems and then work to find solutions. It may be a solution for one person or many people. The solution may spring from one thought or conversation, but it all comes from focusing on “the one”.
Career coaches “one” are many- students. Our students are at different stages and we must meet them where they are. This led to me pondering, what were specific needs of each class and what did students need to be doing in the career development process while progressing through college? For example with first year students, I recalled conversations where students expressed the desire to focus on career goals, but the need to focus on school. This was a “problem”, as a career coach I had to find the “solution”. The “Career Shuffle” presentation was born! This presentation educated students on how to balance academics with careers and why that is important. Students appreciated this specific focus on their needs and learned the small things to do to move forward their first year. The workshop for second years focuses on how to transfer soft skills in the workplace to future jobs or careers. Many students feel that if a job is not related to their major or desired future job, it is not relevant, as career coaches we know this is not true. It is important to teach students the value of jobs no matter what they may be. Creating these workshops has helped me become a better leader and career coach by building better relationships with students. Students understand that I understand their needs and it helps build rapport. As a result of presenting student focused workshops, I have seen an increase in the number of students in my office asking questions and receiving career assistance. As career coaches and anyone in academia, our role is to meet students where they are and we can learn where they are by focusing on “the one”. How do you focus on “the one”?
Hanna DeBruhl has been in the career development field for almost 10 years. She is a certified Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF) and currently serves as a career coach at Columbia College in Columbia, South Carolina. Hanna prepares students for the workforce through on-one-on coaching, classroom presentations, and on-campus workshops on various special topics. Previously, Hanna worked as a career specialist on the secondary level, teaching career exploration courses and connecting community speakers to educate students on various career fields and job oppotunities. Connect with Hanna on Twitter @HannaDeBruhl | LinkedIn | Personal Blog