Empowering Careers: The Value of Professional Development Coaching
For most of us, career development isn’t a straight line. Between changes in our personal priorities, shifts in the marketplace, layoffs, and virtual opportunities, many professionals pivot at some point. Going in a new direction can be scary and overwhelming, especially without guidance.
Professional development coaching keeps you from going in circles. Here at Adventure Bright, our approach focuses on helping you identify your passions and use your strengths to create the professional life you want.
We sat down with Jess, one of Adventure Bright’s long-time VIP clients, to hear how professional development coaching has helped her achieve success her way. By seeking a coach at pivotal career moments over the past decade, Jess has created her ideal career path.
Jess began her coaching relationship with Jill McCarthy, our President and Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, as she stepped into management for the first time. Through the years, her coaching has focused on managing across generations, intentionally making a career change, and learning to thrive in new environments.
Learning to Manage Across Generations
Jess was in her twenties when she first began managing others, and her team ranged in age from 17 to 60. She had to learn to connect with each member of her team, so Jill introduced her to CliftonStrengths: “ Jill gave me some good tools, first about myself and the way that I work using CliftonStrengths. I was able to see how some of my top strengths could cause tension with my team. With that knowledge, I was able to motivate and connect with my team better.”
While Jess achieved success in this management role, new questions emerged. With Jill’s guidance, she began to explore what she really wanted for her career.
Defining Success on Her Own Terms
The more Jess talked to Jill, the more courage she found to ask, what’s next for me? With Jill’s help, she realized that a traditional management role wasn’t the right fit: "Jill helped me see that managing others wasn’t for me. Instead, we focused on finding roles that allowed me to thrive—like becoming an executive assistant—where I could leverage my organizational skills and build meaningful relationships without direct management."
Conquering New Challenges
Jess soon landed a new role that made better use of her talents and interests. She found that the skills Jill coached her to develop were still key in this new situation: “ I was the youngest person, and I had a lot of responsibility. I often dealt with the public, so I had to figure out how to quicky connect with people and show empathy. I used my Relator ® talent a lot in those situations.”
When it was time to move on from that role, Jess leaned into the insights she gained through coaching and accepted an offer as a secretary at a large hospital: “I was again working with so many different demographics and diversity there and also working for vice presidents it was even more responsibility.” She added, “I like being an assistant to someone because I get to focus on managing up. It was nice to see that I could adapt and slowly grow instead of being pushed.”
Less than two years later, Jess received a promotion to Executive Administrator. “I really had a lot of talks with Jill,” Jess said, “because I started working with the President of the hospital. She knows what she wants, and she wants me to be two steps ahead. I am a very organized person, but I needed to learn her ways.” Again, Jess leaned on Jill: “I really had to hone in on who I am and then how I can also effectively be two steps ahead of somebody else and kind of direct like their day and their week. Jill has really helped me with being able to separate the two things.”
In the coming months, Jess will step into a supervisory role: “My old position will be filled, which means that that person will report to me.” Now, Jess is working with Jill to define expectations so that she can act as a coach and guide to the new hire and avoid micromanaging. Jess added, “I’m nervous, but also at the same time, I'm not nervous because I know that Jill will walk me through it.
Conclusion
Professional development coaching is not a one-size-fits-all solution. As Jess reflected on her career journey, she credited Jill for much of her success: “Jill is just such a great resource. She is able to speak to others, and it helps me be able to speak to others. She never makes you feel stupid. She really advocates for her people, and she wants you to succeed. But I have to say that she's also realistic. Jill helped me see that managing other people was not the job for me at the time, and she’s helped me succeed in another way.”
As Jess’s journey demonstrates, the right coach can make all the difference, offering tools, insights, and encouragement every step of the way.
Ready to take control of your career and discover what success means to you?