A great number of WGU students are continuing their education to make a career change, or “pivot,” as it is commonly known. Many students possess a number of years of experience in the professional world, and part of the challenge of making a career pivot is displaying to employers in their new area of interest this one element—are they coachable?
Properly displaying and articulating the ability to be coachable may greatly impact your ability to progress in the job market. When you are able to convince an employer that you are indeed coachable, even as a seasoned professional, you are emphasizing that you are truly open to professional growth and development, and also that you are a good long-term investment.
What are some top strategies to consider when showcasing your ability to be coachable? Review these top five tips below:
- Highlight your desire to learn through channels such as your resume, LinkedIn Profile, and interview.
Providing direct evidence of your interest in learning new skills through completing professional development trainings through avenues such as LinkedIn Learning, and degree and professional certification completion, shows an employer that you are truly invested in managing your career and therefore, coachable.
- When employed in your new field of interest, demonstrate active listening skills. When you start a position with that new company in your new field, display your ability to actively listen through noting key takeaways from staff meetings, individual meetings with leadership and colleagues, and related presentations from key stakeholders. Ask key follow-up questions based on your takeaways to showcase your full presence.
- Constantly demonstrate curiosity.
In an ever-evolving professional world impacted a great deal with the high speed of technology, “curiosity and being open to learning fuels innovation.” According to an article in the Medium, asking yourself these key questions and formulating responses will help to foster curiosity while showcasing a coachable mindset:
- What were your key takeaways from a particular experience?
- What were the highlights/the best parts and the lowlights/the worst parts of a project for you?
- What are your areas of expertise and why?
- In your opinion, what are the emerging trends in your industry?
- What is your go–to way to plan goals?
- Conduct informational interviews with professionals from companies or organizations of interest.
You may want to start with utilizing LinkedIn as a resource to locate and contact professionals who may be in position(s) of interest for companies of interest to see if they would be willing to participate in an informational interview, where you would observe the role as a “curious observer” while obtaining valuable tips and advice from those working in positions of interest. Completing informational interviews shows your investment in learning more about your new profession of interest, as well as your curiosity for your new field.
4. Display evidence of a Growth Mindset when receiving feedback.
Whenever you receive feedback from colleagues and leaders, express gratitude for the feedback and process the feedback in such a way that you ask yourself how this information may help to improve your professional behaviors. Doing so may be difficult at first—especially if you do not initially agree with the feedback. However, there may be some important elements to examine more closely, as perception is oftentimes viewed as reality.
In addition, when experiencing failure, reviewing the following steps may help to foster a Growth Mindset:
- Analyze what went wrong.—Ask yourself why you failed.
- Identify the reasons why a failure took place.
- Get a second opinion. –Find a trusted person with related expertise and ask them what they would have done differently if they were you.
- Identify action points for moving forward.
Further, asking yourself questions such as, “Do I truly want to improve?” and “Do I believe I can improve?” may be very powerful in terms of determining your progress. If you find yourself doubtful when replying to these questions, a deeper dive may help to reveal blockages to being coachable.
While making a career pivot as a seasoned professional may feel like it provides a unique set of challenges, focusing on your coachability may offer you a unique differentiating factor. If Career and Professional Development may be of any further assistance with your career development plan, please feel free to contact us.
