Research Paper: Case Study: Carl’s Journey & A Tale of Tools

Research Paper By Jodi A. Hosking
(Career Transition & Development Coach, CANADA)

Intro

In my career transition and development coaching practice I work with a wide variety of individuals from marketing professionals to not-for-profit executives, from MDs to PhDs, and from teachers to trainers. Most of my clients hold some form of post-secondary, graduate or post-graduate degree, and my client Carl was no exception.

I have chosen to feature Carl, and his career transition journey, for two reasons:

1. Carl came to coaching with very specific and significant objectives but the resources to pay for only five sessions of professional coaching.
2. Carl did not fit the typical profile of most clients I work with; instead of applying his post-secondary education and working in a “white collar”, professional occupation, he was working as a builder/house framer, a profession he had never intended to pursue and one in which he was deeply unhappy.

In this case study, I would like to illustrate the application of key coaching skills and the use of a variety of career coaching tools that provided the framework within which Carl was able to achieve his career transition goals.

This case study will be presented in six segments as follows:

1. The Intake (session one)
2. The Self-Evaluation (session two)
3. The Assessment (session three)
4. The Options (session four)
5. The Plan (session five)
6. Summary

1. The Intake

Carl was assigned to me through a company I am contracted to as a career coach. I have little or no control over the coaching packages my clients purchase and I am not able to offer a trial or discovery session. As such, during my first meeting with Carl – one of only five that were available to us – we had to get to work!

To make the most of this first session, I had Carl complete an assignment that asked him to share his goals and expectations for coaching, his expectations of work and an evaluation of his career history. His responses are below:

1. What are your goals and expectations for this process?  Please describe your expectations of the program, as well as of yourself and your coach.

My expectations are to get a detailed idea of a career path as well as a plan on how to achieve it.  I expect my coach to help me stay motivated and expect a full effort from myself.

Also, please describe the following:

2. What is it that you want from work? (Rank in order starting with what you want the most)

• enjoyment- In what I do for a living
• moderate income- between 50k – 100k
• security- being able to know my skills won’t be obsolete in a few years and that I can grow and evolve in my career.
• freedom- the ability to always have options in employment

3. What is it you don’t want from work?

• Stress- no constant pressure to work harder, longer, faster

           -  ability to leave work at the office

• Physical labour
• Time- don't want to spend all my time at work
• Working in bad weather conditions.
• To be stuck in a position I can't advance from

4. What is your desired timeline for completing this program?

By February sometime.

5. What is your definition of ‘career success’?

Pride in what you do.  The ability to pay for your lifestyle. Enjoying yourself at work.  Wanting to work.

6. What is your ideal job? (you don’t have to provide a specific job title, just write down any thoughts that come to mind)

My Ideal job is something that doesn’t involve a tool-belt or a uniform.  It should be fun, and interesting and always presenting new challenges.  It should be something that feels like I’m suited for.  My Ideal job should be something that doesn’t require presentations and lots of meetings.  It should be intellectually stimulating and a Job that I’m proud of and enjoy talking about.

Career History Evaluation

Company & Position	Years in position	Tasks/ Duties	Liked	Disliked	Personal Successes/ Failures	Key Elements Learned
Job #1:True BuildersCarpenter	Current – 3 years	Rough framing of custom homes.  Renovation and finishing work of existing homes.	PEERS:Interesting diversity	PEERS :Uneducated riff raff	Not sure	Group work, heavy equipment operation, planning
			MANAGER(S):Casual Nature	MANAGER(S):Uneducated, stubborn, Ignorant
			ENVIRONMENT:good weather conditions, casual environment	ENVIRONMENT:Poor weather conditionsLong distance commuting, unsafe conditions
			TASKS/DUTIES:creative planning	TASKS/DUTIES:Repetitive work, physical intense labour

Career History Evaluation

Company & Position	Years in position	Tasks/ Duties	Liked	Disliked	Personal Successes/ Failures	Key Elements Learned
Job #2:Loughran Home Builders Inc- Framer	9-10 years	Rough framing of subdivision homes, hotels, condos	PEERS:interesting diversity	PEERS-:Uneducated riff raff, unmotivated	Not sure	Group work, heavy equipment operation, planning
			MANAGER(S):Casual nature	MANAGER(S):Family
			ENVIRONMENT:good weather, casual environment	ENVIRONMENT:Poor weather conditionslong distance commuting, unsafe conditions
			TASKS/DUTIES:Creative planning	TASKS/DUTIES:repetitive work, physically intense labour, boring

During session one we reviewed Carl’s assignment and it was obvious in everything that Carl wrote and shared that he was very unhappy in his current career. Carl shared that his father was also a carpenter/builder.  During his childhood, Carl watched his father work extremely hard to build a successful house-building business only to see it crumble during the most recent recession.

While Carl never set his sights on becoming a carpenter/builder like his father, he did not have a clear alternative path and so, after completing an undergraduate degree in Graphic Communications Management – an area of study that Carl quickly regretted – Carl joined his father full-time in the family business. He told himself it would be temporary until he found a “real” job.  7 years later, Carl was feeling stuck and at a loss as to what to do.

Because we were diving right in the first time we met, it was crucial that Carl feel he could trust the coach and the coaching process as quickly as possible.

This was accomplished through:

• The establishment of a strong Coaching Presence[1] that gave Carl confidence in the skills of the coach and the suitability of the process.
• Using Powerful Questions[2] that were penetrating yet clear and relatively easy for Carl to answer. It was important to set Carl up for success in answering questions so that he felt comfortable that this was a process he was going to be able to handle. The intention was to delve into deeper more thought-provoking questions as the sessions progressed. (It is worth noting here that this was Carl’s first time working with a coach and he came from a long line of DIYers who were very reluctant to seek out external help or support in managing the challenges of life.)
• Active listening[3]. There was much to learn in a very short period of time and this was only going to be accomplished by giving Carl as much time as possible to respond to questions and express himself clearly. This also meant making every effort to listen at a global level, where one’s focus is soft and taking everything in[4].

With some great insights in hand and a clear sense of what Carl liked and disliked about his work, we moved on to session two.

2. The Self-Evaluation

In preparation for session two, Carl was asked to consider everything that was important to him in the context of his talents, passions, values, lifestyle and eco-system (the emotional and physical work environment).

Carl dug deep in this exercise and when we reviewed his answers he was able to see quite clearly why he felt unhappy in his current work and why he didn’t feel he belonged or had much in common with his colleagues. Carl saw that his current job and lifestyle were not allowing him to tap regularly into what mattered the most to him. In other words, Carl saw that what he was doing was not in line with his values or life purpose.