Jim Weinstein, Career Coach Arlington VA
Unlike most career coaches, I have a mental-health background, which means that in addition to helping with résumé-writing and networking skills, I delve into deeper issues that can hold people back from pursuing their dream jobs. I have a master’s in clinical psychology from Antioch University in Los Angeles and I’m a licensed psychotherapist. Some people know what they want–they want interview coaching, or help with networking. If someone comes in and says, “I have no idea what I want to do”–and maybe a third of my clients present that way–I start with “Let’s talk about things you’ve enjoyed doing in the past, and not necessarily work-related. What kind of hobbies, what kind of connections with people?” You’re looking for the pieces so you can start to put the puzzle together.
BENEFITS OF CAREER COUNSELING IN ARLINGTON, VA
Unlike most career coaches, I have a mental-health background, which means that in addition to helping with résumé-writing and networking skills, I delve into deeper issues that can hold people back from pursuing their dream jobs. I have a master’s in clinical psychology from Antioch University in Los Angeles and I’m a licensed psychotherapist. Some people know what they want–they want interview coaching, or help with networking. If someone comes in and says, “I have no idea what I want to do”–and maybe a third of my clients present that way–I start with “Let’s talk about things you’ve enjoyed doing in the past, and not necessarily work-related. What kind of hobbies, what kind of connections with people?” You’re looking for the pieces so you can start to put the puzzle together.
ACHEIVE YOUR GOALS WITH CAREER COUNSELING
- Land a great job
- Transition Careers
- Choose a career
- Create a sustainable work/life balance
- Have a great interview
- Effectively Network
- Improve your job satisfaction
- Improver your productivity
- Perfect your resume, linkedin & cover letter
- Advance at your job
What to Expect
My first session is always about getting to know you. I want to know what’s gone on in your life up to this point: family history, medical issues, drugs and alcohol, military service, trauma. Most clients who come to me have suffered some loss in the last two years. Often it’s loss of a job, but also loss of a relationship or a severe medical diagnosis, and that loss has spurred them to come looking for something positive in their life.
Learn More About My Career Coaching Services
Life Coaching
Arlington, VA
What’s the difference between talking to me and talking with a friend or therapist? When there’s a dysfunctional behavior going on, such as procrastinating, there’s a valid emotional reason why – you're not just being lazy or sloppy. With my help, there’s a better chance we can figure out why. A therapeutic background also gives a better sense of what is going to enrich your life and what fulfillment is going to be like for that person. I think just about anybody can benefit from a couple of sessions, even if everything is going really well, because you’re coming to somebody with an objective experience and they’re going to look at what you’re doing and say, “Have you thought about tweaking it this way or that way?” You’re almost certain to get more out of it than what’s spent.
Resume Coaching
Arlington, VA
An impactful and persuasive resume is more important these days than ever, as joblessness mounts and job seekers multiply. Networking is still by far my preferred tool to identify the 75% of job openings that never wind upsetting posted, but no matter which avenue you utilize to identify job opportunities a resume is obviously essential. What no site that I’ve yet identified can do, however, is craft a path forward for you, a narrative that combines those things you want to do with those things you’re good at. That’s where you could use the help of an experienced career professional. I stand ready to help you with that!
Interview Coaching
Arlington, VA
Once I’m oriented to the basic responsibilities and people I will be working with, what will be the top two or three priorities for me, and how will my success in achieving them be measured? Most job descriptions list a wide variety of responsibilities for the prospective employee. This question seeks to narrow the list and identify what management will be most closely looking at in their new employee’s performance. You need to pay close attention to the answer to this question, as it will cut through the generalizations and clutter contained in most job descriptions. As for the measurements of success, they should ideally be as concrete and quantifiable as possible, rather than resting on the boss’ subjective evaluation. During my career, I was able to rise to the top of the advertising industry. Here, I developed the marketing know-how needed to understand how one effectively markets themselves for a job. I’ve also interviewed many candidates during my career, making me an excellent coach.
Job Search Coaching
Arlington, VA
Think about applying this analogy to your career search process: Imagine that you’ve decided that you need a vacation. You might start with determining that, rather than two weeks at a beach resort or touring some national parks you’d instead like to go to Europe (you’ve already narrowed your options but still have a huge number of possibilities). But you’re not sure where in Europe would make the most sense. What would you do? You might talk to some friends who recently made a European trip. You’d look at some guide books and search online for relevant information. You might consult with a travel agent. You’d be looking at costs, of course, and weighing pluses (e.g. beautiful scenery, great food, interesting museums) and minuses (unpredictable weather, COVID risk, transportation complexities) All of these steps are part of the exploration necessary to reach an optimal decision. That’s not to say that this process would guarantee a perfect vacation. But you’d be a lot more likely to wind up a satisfied vacationer than if you didn’t undertake this process and instead relied on choosing a destination that you got excited about after seeing it on television.
Professional Networking
Arlington, VA
If you're aiming for something and not getting it, I urge you to keep trying. If it’s an area you're really excited about, you can redouble your networking efforts. You've undoubtedly learned something from the process of being rejected. Turn up the dial on professional networking, reinforcing existing relationships and creating new ones that can be valuable if and when the expected downturn arrives. Reach out to your personal network, clearly defining the kinds of people you’re looking to connect with. Use LinkedIn to see who in your professional network is connected to those kinds of people, and ask your contacts to facilitate an introduction (reaching out “cold” to people who you might be interested in is very unlikely to result in a connection). Check your college alumni data base (reaching out “cold” to an alumnus is a lot more likely to result in a conversation than is a reach-out without that common bond).
