Tag: questions

Career, coaching

Career Curious?

Laura Pasquini

I am curious career explorer. I’ve always wanted to know what drives people in their world of work, and what meaningful things are they doing in their lives.

A couple of years ago, I took my curiosity to embark on my own journey as a coach. I love partnering with clients who want to think deeply their “career” and how they impact others with their skills and talents.

This transformation work starts with space and time to talk about being a “professional.” In thinking about who you are, what got you here, and why you’re now questioning your career focus will help to provide insight and perspective into what’s going on. Welcome to the first part of career exploration — reflection.

Here are a few questions I ask my coaching clients before/when we meet:

  • What questions do you have about your career now?
  • How did you get here professionally?
  • What are you most proud of?
  • What excites you at work? In life?
  • What do you want to start doing?
  • What do you want to continue doing?
  • What do I want to stop doing?
  • What are the verbs or actions you enjoy doing at work?
  • How do you want to grow in your career?

Are you interested in creating the work and life you want to lead? Subscribe to my Substack at Careers By Design.

Uncategorized

Asking ChatGPT About Coaching

Laura Pasquini

Based on the chatter and traffic on the OpenAI ChatGPT, I have no doubt folks are sourcing more than college essays or exam answers from this platform. There are probably professionals asking (or should be asking) questions to our robot friends. As a coach, I became curious to learn what information and advice was being offered about the field of coaching. So, I decided plug in the frequently asked questions (FAQs) I get from friends, family, colleagues, and potential coaching clients. Coaching FAQs: ChatGPT answers + my edits/adds to these responses.

Q: How can I find a career coach?

A: You can find a career coach by: (or any type of certified coach)

  1. Searching online for professional coaching organizations or individual coaches, (The Top 6 Coaching Organizations from Paperbell — there might be others, but those are the ones I know of)
  2. Asking for referrals from friends, colleagues or HR departments, (ASK YOUR NETWORK! Only some HR departments offer these resources — I wish there was more career development & growth support!)
  3. Checking with local universities or career centers, (especially if you are an alumni)
  4. Consulting directories such as the International Coach Federation, => ICF’s Find a Coach
  5. Checking professional networks such as LinkedIn for coaches. (Suggestion for LinkedIn to design a new feature — why not identify Certified Coaches in this professional network with a URL like: https://www.linkedin.com/coaching)

Q: What questions should I ask a coach?

A: When interviewing a potential career [OR any type of] coach, you can ask:

  1. Can you tell me about your coaching philosophy and approach?
  2. How do you measure success with clients?
  3. Can you give me examples of career transitions you have helped clients with?
  4. Can you provide references or testimonials from past clients?
  5. How do you communicate and work with clients, such as frequency and methods?
  6. What is your availability and scheduling process?
  7. What is your rate and packages offered?
  8. What is your cancellation and refund policy?
  9. How do you handle confidentiality and privacy in coaching?

This quick list of coaching questions aren’t bad. They seem really transactional in nature — so I might go a bit deeper to figure out what you want to get out of a coach. What do you want to know about someone you are going to work with? How can you be certain this coach can support your needs? To offer a counter perspective, here are the typical questions I ask potential coaching clients to see if they are prepared to enter into a coaching relationship with me:

  • What led you to coaching?
  • What experience do you have with coaching? What do you know/want to know about coaching?
  • What are your goals for coaching?
  • What would you like to achieve by the end of our time together?
  • What can I do to help you achieve your goals you have set?
  • What would a successful coaching relationship look like to you?
  • What questions do you have for me?

Most coaches offer a free exploration session where you can meet, ask questions, build rapport, and learn more about them and their coaching practice. One of my potential clients used this coaching questions guide, and I shared ICF’s Hiring Tips & Questions which include taking action BEFORE you meet a coach (I hope this is helpful if you’re search for a coach):

  • Set your own goals/objectives for coaching
  • Search the ICF directory for a certified coach — filter by topic, experience, domain, expertise, etc.
  • Identify at least 3 coaches to meet
  • Outline questions to ask a prospective coach
  • Follow-up if you think of questions you thought of after the initial call/meeting

Q: How do I become a coach?

A: To become a career coach, you can follow these steps:

  1. Gain experience and knowledge in the field you want to coach in, such as HR, recruiting, management, or a specific industry. (AND gain knowledge about what it means to BE a coach.)
  2. Obtain coach training and certification from a reputable coaching school or organization, such as the International Coach Federation (ICF) or the Career Coach Institute. (YES!)
  3. Build a network of professional contacts and resources. (Sound advice for anyone who works today.)
  4. Develop a coaching niche or specialty. (Maybe? But explore and try out a few along the way — good coaching IS good coaching in ANY domain/field/specialty area)
  5. Establish a coaching practice by setting up a website, creating a marketing strategy, and building a client base. (I’d probably start with your WHY, at least — this will help you figure out your mission or north star to guide your coaching practice.)
  6. Continuously develop your skills and stay current with industry trends and best practices. (solid advice for any professional or practitioner — but what skills?)
  7. Consider getting liability insurance. (definitely part of setting up your own LLC and business plan)
  8. Consider pursuing advanced coaching certifications and accreditation to further demonstrate your expertise and credibility. (I’m a big fan of the ICF-accredited programs — you can search the directory to find a coach education program that works for you!)

Although the list is accurate, there is so much is missing. Ask any coach and they’ll let you know their coaching development and growth goes beyond these 8 steps. Becoming a coach is not a checklist, and it doesn’t necessarily occur in the above order.

Potential clients & the coach curious often asked: “Why did you start coaching?” and “How did you get into coaching?” I wish my response was a numbered list, but, like most, discovery of what you enjoy takes a much longer, windy path. I’ve responded to this question, “What is your past experience with coaching?” to share my origin coaching story (shout out to the Higher Ed Coaches training program & Katie Linder!). And, you can listen to me in conversation with Julie Larsen and other coaches to de-mystify coaching practice on the Coaching Through It podcast. If you’re interested in becoming a coach, I’d highly recommend using this ICF resource: https://becomea.coach/ I wish this was available when I was thinking about starting my own coach journey!

What drew me into coaching is helping others reach their potential and find their own way in their life/career. I’ve been career curious for a long time. I can track my exploration about the world of work by the career books I’ve read over the years (these are just a select few):

As I grow and develop professionally, I definitely coach myself at all stages of my career (Re: Career Check-ins). This has offered me new challenges and afforded me to work outside my comfort zone as I work my way through career transitions. For the opportunity curious and possibility minded like me, this quest is just how I’m oriented to the world. For my coaching clients and colleagues, it helps us to take a new perspective, question the status quo, and think about “what ifs…” for where we go next.

What questions do you have about coaching? How can I share more about the life of a coach?

Uncategorized

20-Twenty-Won: Reflections & Reset

Laura Pasquini

The start of the winter solstice flags a time to rest, renew, and reflect. I don’t know about y’all but 2021 has been quite a year. I’m going to spend some time quiet time at home (thanks, Omicron) to chill out of and recharge before the new year.

“Let’s Stay Home” Candle

Here are a few coaching questions I’ll be reflecting on by the fire with care:

  • What are you grateful for?
  • What did you learn? How have you grown?
  • What did you fail at?
  • What challenges did you overcome?
  • What were your small & big wins?
  • What are you most proud of?
  • What do you need to let go of?
  • What do you need to table for next year?
  • What opportunities lie ahead for 2022?
  • What are you leaving behind in 2021?
  • How will you reset/recharge before the new year?
  • What ways will you #treatyoself?
  • How will you give yourself grace?
  • What would you like to make space for?
  • How can you nurture new connections?
  • What ways will you build & create ideas marinating in your head?

What questions help you take a beat to think on? Let me know.

coaching, Uncategorized

Career Check-Ins

Laura Pasquini

In setting up my clients for success, beyond any coaching engagement, I thought — why isn’t there more of a career check-up available? What would work assessment look like if someone wanted to take a pulse check? I dug into some of my coaching resources and readings to share questions often ask my clients. If you want to think more deeply about your career and life — specifically how you might want to make your next professional move— then these career exploration questions might be a solid place to start your own reflection.

How you doing, career? How are WE doing?

I used to do a monthly check-in tied to a planner for my own work life and projects — thanks to my Get To Work Book. There are monthly prompts to “reflect and goal set” on a regular cadence to ask what is going well, what’s still in progress, what needs attention/focus, and what could/should I let go of that’s not getting done. I love dedicating space and time to think intentionally about what I am working on — and more importantly to look at the bigger picture: Career Direction. Maybe it’s time to set up some regular appointments to review and ask, “How’s it going with my career?” Here are a few questions I tend to ask coaching clients when they start on this career check-in journey.

Explore Your Career Interests

  • How did I get here professionally?
  • What do I want to stop doing? What deflates you at work?
  • What do I want to start doing? What excites you on the job?
  • What do I want to continue doing? (E.g. transferable skills)
  • What are the verbs or actions I enjoy doing at work?

Define What Work Means to You

  • What work excites you or makes you feel alive?
  • What are the things you love to do at your job?
  • How do you define meaningful work?
  • What do you want your career growth to look like?
  • What skills do you want to build and grow?

Ponder Your Career Possibilities

  • What do you find interesting?
  • What topics do you often talk and/or read about?
  • What issues or ideas do you genuinely care about?
  • What do you want to learn in your next role?
  • If work was not required, what would you do?

Transfer Your Talents & Skills

  • How do you want to expand on our professional experience(s)?
  • How would you like to use your talents and skills?
  • In what ways can another industry utilize your expertise?
  • What are the problems you want to work on?
  • What impact would you like to make in your life/career?

Want to learn more? Check out these reads resources to help you think deeper about your career direction: Find Your Fit, The New Rules of Work, and Designing Your Work Life. If you want to talk more, feel free to book an exploration coaching session to learn if/how I could if support your career plans.

How are you checking in with your work self? What ways are you checking in with yourself and your career?

#AcDigID, #EdDigID, #HEdigID

#HEdigID Twitter Chat: Let’s Talk About Our Networked, Digital Life, Higher Ed.

Laura Pasquini

For the last couple of  years, I have been talking, researching and engaging with colleagues to figure out what it means to be a networked practitioner and/or scholar in higher ed. Based on a recent workshop and Twitter conversation (#acdigid chat), it is clear that being online feels different in 2018 than it did back in 2008 when I first started to really connect to other professionals in digital, social networks.  In an editorial I wrote for Inside Higher Ed last year, I ask questions about what it means to have a digital persona in academia, specifically these ones (slightly modified):

  • How does being part of a digital learning network support learning and development for higher ed professionals?
  • How are faculty and staff shaping their online identity and presence to share professional values, work, etc.?
  • How can does a networked community expand knowledge to enhance our roles on campus and the work we do?
  • Why might others higher ed professionals want to network with peers to scaffold their own career goals?

As these digital networks have scaled past the “social-media-is-just-a-fad” stage and they now influence more of our society in our daily lives. That being said, I think educators are considering how to be more thoughtful and consider HOW, WHERE, and IF, they should “be” in these public and open spaces. A number of college/university practitioners, scholars, and administrators have seen benefits to “working out loud” and being public intellectual in postsecondary. That being said, the repurposing of social media and digital platforms, has come with minimal institutional guidance and limited sociotechnical support (Pasquini & Evangelopoulos, 2017) and does appear to have ramifications for our personal/professional lives. A number of interviews with higher ed colleagues have just begun to identify the benefits, challenges, and future considerations for higher ed networked practices. And, of course, in talking to researchers, student affairs educators, early career researchers, academic advisors, senior administration, instructional designers, and other colleagues — it seems that we have even more questions and the need to continue these conversations among ourselves.

In a recent Twitter poll I put out this month, I tossed out the idea to host a SLOW (all day) Twitter chat ONE DAY per month for 2018. It seems like a few of you (at least 15) in higher ed, are interested in discussing your digital identity and “being online” or connected as a professional:

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

So, let me introduce to you the…

Higher Ed Digital Identity Chat (#HEdigID)

We will connect on the SECOND FRIDAY of each month this year to have an open, honest conversation about being a higher ed professional who is connected and digitally engaged. Here’s the schedule, if you would like to #SaveTheDate:

February 9, 2018

August 10, 2018

March 9, 2018

September 14, 2018

April 13, 2018

October 9, 2018

May 11, 2018

November 9, 2018

June 8, 2018

December 14, 2018

July 13, 2018

Any and all post-secondary faculty, staff, professionals, scholars, practitioners, administrators, graduate students, and leaders (really anyone in higher ed) are encouraged to JOIN and CONTRIBUTE to the Twitter conversation. There will be a TOPIC, THEME, and PROMPTS to guide the Twitter Chat over the course of the day. This “SLOW” Twitter Chat (all day) is designed to encourage and allow our colleagues from across the pond, time zones, and busy work schedules to join in the dialogue. I am happy to moderate (MOD) the first few #HEdigID chats; however, I am also quite open to others who want to MOD and/or contribute an IDEA or TOPIC we should dig into online. Let me know!