When should I use the Career Guide as a Strengths Coach or Manager?

Individuals

• Knowing which sectors your strengths utilise will help you to focus on future success at work. The sectors chosen for you mean you are likely to be successful in these roles as your strengths (what you love to do and do well) match. Your recommended sectors will help give you a direction to head in.

Coaches/Strengths Profile Practitioner

• Support your clients to consider their role today and where they would like to be in 1, 3 and 5 years. They might be in the right role now but help them to focus their future development path on a strengths-based career.
• You don’t need to recommend they leave an existing role immediately or apply for something completely new, but explore the reality of where they are now and where they want to be. Begin with coaching from an understanding of the uniqueness of their full Profile as the foundation to maximising the results.

Then explore:

• Initial reactions and surprises
• The reality of where they are now and where they want to be
• Ranking and motivation of each sector
• The areas that would need further development in order to be more confident in these areas
• Today’s reality and what a 1, 3 and 5 year career goal could be
• Building experience by bringing in sector skills into their current tasks
• Which sectors could be reviewed together for a rewarding goal, e.g. an IT role in the Voluntary sector
• The next steps to research the motivational job sector

Organisations

• Many organisations are focused on career development for their staff and knowing their potential will help them seek the right roles in the future. It could also support talent retention by knowing how to adjust their existing role to feature some of the recommendations. It may not be right for every client or team, use your judgement.

Educators

• Help students consider the future whether that’s a career direction today or where they could be heading in the future. Support development and exposure in any sector areas that students are motivated in and open the future to a world of work they love.

Managers

• Use it as a guide to see how your team member feels about their existing role. If their role doesn’t appear then it doesn’t mean that they are in the wrong job (see above). You may want to use it to think about their next steps, additional responsibilities, future roles or make some adjustments to an existing role. It may not be the right time to develop a team member but having a conversation with them about a future strengths career will help provide motivation today.