For quite some time now, I’ve been working toward opening my own private career coaching practice. The idea sprouted after about two years of full-time freelancing — due to all the e-mails I was receiving from young up-and-comers looking for advice — and, when the economy eventually went south, it just seemed like common sense to figure out new and interesting ways to diversify. The publishing landscape was changing, and it was time to look to the future, and to figure out how I might fit into an industry that was in flux.
Now, with exams and teleclasses behind me, and with seemingly more and more people floundering every day — wanting a change and not knowing what change to make, or how to go about making it — it seems about time to get this party started.
I’m excited (like, giddy-excited) to announce Career Coaching for Word Nerds, a coaching practice centered on the publishing industry. ::throws confetti::
What is career coaching, and what can it (and me) do for you? Well, the coaching process is basically a collaborative effort between coach and client to map out a path to career (and, by extension, life) fulfillment. It is my belief that, by using pointed questions, motivating you to vocalize your goals, and challenging your beliefs about both yourself and your abilities, I can help you map out a career path that will satisfy your life purpose, and be aligned with your values, motivations, and needs.
Also? I can help you out with queries, market research, and all that other good stuff.
To kick off Operation Steph Is A Coach, I wanted to run a contest. The prize? For two lucky people, one month (four half-hour sessions) of career coaching, gratis.
My only request is that you be willing to share your (brutally honest) feedback once the month has ended.
You can enter this contest by:
– leaving a comment below that explains what you hope to gain from the career coaching process.
– and then tweeting: I want @stephauteri to #careercoach the heck outta me: http://ow.ly/1aCjv
Winners will be chosen at random and announced on Friday, March 12
Of course, I invite you to visit my career coaching site and consider a more steady relationship. 🙂
Congrats on opening up shop! I have enjoyed reading about the process of obtaining your certification through Freelancedom over the past few months!
I would love the opportunity to receive career coaching because I am struggling to see if pursuing writing and communications is a field I could ever take on full-time – or heck, even get paid for on a more regular basis! I have a passion to write, but I fear the sheer number of people who also claim they have the same passion. I worry about how to make myself standout from the crowd, given that my undergraduate and graduate degrees are in completely different areas than writing. I would love to evaluate if I should pursue another degree or other certification experience to better my writing in the future.
I have enjoyed your candidness about how freelancing is a life-consuming but extremely fulfilling life choice, and I think I could learn a ton from your successes and difficulties.
Thank you in advance for your consideration!
-Kat
I want you to #careercoach the heck outta me because I have more than 15 years in the higher ed publications trenches and I want to bust out. I’m just in the throes of starting a business to do proofreading/copyediting/ghostwriting/writing specifically for bloggers and web-based indies, though eventually I’ll want to branch out a little. I’m still working full time, so I need ideas on balancing everything, getting new clients, setting myself apart, finding my “right people,” all the business stuff I know nothing about. I really need to hone in on what makes my service different/better than others. I’ve coached several younger writers. Now I need a writer-turned-coach to coach me.
Big congrats to you! What a huge accomplishment. The two winners of your contest will be very lucky indeed. I also love your coaching splash page — especially your use of the Avenue Q quote!
Just to give you a giggle, did you hear that Colorado Springs banned an ad for the Avenue Q tour there? They sure did: on grounds of too much puppet cleavage.
I hope you are celebrating the launch of your new coaching practice!
Hi Stephanie!
I’ve been following your career coaching journey and would love to win this contest! Specifically, I’d want to gain some ideas on how to further my freelance writing business. Thanks!
Congratulations on making your big idea a reality!!
I have done a little freelance writing for several years, basically doing whatever work happened to fall in my lap but always wondering if I could make it my full-time career. Then I got laid off from my corporate copywriting job a week ago today. I’ve decided to dive head-first into freelancing. I’m super excited but also scared, frantic, overwhelmed, not sure where to start! I would hope to gain clear action steps from the career coaching process.
This sounds terrific and a perfect fit! I had no idea you were going to coach but it seems like there are many writers who would love an expert’s take on writing, freelance and making it all come together in a way that suits them.
Best of luck to you! Go! Go! Go!
Oh man, I could so use a coaching session. I’ve been so stagnant the past year, and I need help motivating to find work, coming up with ideas, sending queries, etc. I just feel dead in the water lately!
Stephanie; Congratulations to you on your new achievement and much luck going forward – you’ll be a great coach!
I’m sure you’ll get deluged with wordsmiths eager for advice in the current climate.
Congratulations on announcing your coaching practice. It’s easy to become scattered in the freelancing world. I’m sure you’re service will be helpful for those who need focus.
Very cool! Congrats!
Wow, Stephanie! What a great idea and I bet you’ll be an amazing coach. I could totally use a kick in the pants.
Wow! Very, very cool. I could definitely use some career coaching! After working in real estate for seven years — and being laid off AGAIN from my last company after three years — I have decided to give a freelance writing career an honest shot.
Thank you everyone for your congratulations and words of encouragement! And a special thank you to those who entered the contest. I’m excited to start meddling in your lives. 🙂 In case you missed it, I announced the winners here:
http://www.freelancedom.com/2010/03/12/career-coaching-for-word-nerds-and-we-have-liftoff/
A colleague recommended that I check out your site. I’m happy that I’m here.