What Does Career Momentum Look Like To You?

By Shea Ki

Career momentum looks different to each person.

I saw this time and again when I was managing career centers throughout the Washington DC metro region. I now see it with each new client that reaches out to me for coaching.

Some want to feel more energized at the end of the day, instead of drained and stressed out after work. While working together, we focus on boosting well-being at work by setting boundaries and consistency for self-care. I love seeing their career and personal satisfaction elevate when positive changes in their work habits sparked from our sessions start to click for them. 

Others who reached out to me lately thought they desired a new job or position. However, after a few coaching sessions, several discovered that a huge career change was NOT their true desire. This goal seemed to be coming from external pressures or conforming to what others wanted, not from their inner guide/intuition.

In these situations, our sessions focused on increasing:

✅ career clarity (what they most desire in the world of work and why)

✅ professional communication skills (what they tell themselves and what they tell others about their value and goals)

✅ strong connections (to their inner guide/intuition and to supportive people who truly have their back in the world of work)

I am so proud of them for doing the inner work and outer practice that I required of their time and energy. It's so satisfying to get to celebrate their progress on the results in career satisfaction that they wanted to achieve! That stronger capability to listen to their intuition more will keep reaping rewards, too. The best payoff is that they now have a toolbox of resources to make it easier on what next actions to take when they feel stuck or in a work slump. 

Career Fitness Creates Career Momentum

A significant amount of women I coached this year wanted to be more prepared in case lay-offs, reductions in force, reorgs, or other unexpected job changes happened. Many people are realizing that businesses are reducing their size as they recover from the revenue losses and other damage that happened as a result of the pandemic.

We worked together to upgrade their overall career fitness.

Like physical fitness, we are likely to do more of the hard things and heavy lifting that need to get done to attract career momentum when there is a professional coach by our side. 

Depending on each situation, our time in sessions involved customized Career Fitness Workouts for:

• ​gaining clarity on their personal brand (top values, strengths, and success stories) 
• understanding their refueling vs. burnout skills
• LinkedIn profile makeovers and learning how to use that platform more strategically for career growth
• mock interviews to better execute how they share their professional value
• practicing negotiating or other difficult conversations they were anticipating to have at work
• career alchemy  

That last one, career alchemy, was a new, holistic service I offered this year. It turned out to be one I got asked to provide the most, which I am super grateful about! It involves working together in alignment with a higher source to transform negative energy to a better serving state for positive career momentum.

So what does that look like?

Career Alchemy often includes divinely guided activities during and outside the coaching session that regulate the nervous system and boost confidence at a deep level. It's becoming a popular intervention for anyone I coach that I see is experiencing imposter syndrome, performance anxiety, perfectionism, or other inner success blockers.

THANK YOU To Some Special People! 

I'm grateful this year for all my clients who hired and trusted me to be a guide and support on their career momentum journey.

I want to take a moment to send some special words to three clients who particularly made this past year fulfilling and one to remember.

Several of you are introverts like me and don't usually prefer being in the spotlight.

​So I used your initials. 

PB- What a transformative, energizing privilege it was to get to work with you for several coaching sessions! I'll never forget your "dancing chakras" stress-reliever that you brought to our sessions. Your courage to process and attend to challenging feelings during a career/self-employment phase of transition and share them still stands out in my mind. Anyone who gets to be taught and supported by you is going to grow beyond their wildest dreams! 

CW- What an expert you are at what you do! I am so glad we worked together. I enjoyed discovering with you more about the transformational leadership style you bring to each opportunity you are a part of, both professionally and personally. That last session was extra meaningful to me. Seeing how you now literally SHINE with similar stickers to mine on your wall background made me grin from ear to ear. You are amazing and unforgettable! ​

LL- Working with you long distance and one-to-one online was a highlight of my year! I love how technology can make it seem you aren't actually half a world away. I will be sending you some items that pull together the work from our sessions. You have so many interpersonal communication skills, advocacy experience, editing gifts, and other assets that will contribute greatly to a variety of employers or your own small business. My hope is that you continue on with the brave, deep dives you are taking to gain career clarity. I have no doubt you are well on your way to lining up with true-to-you opportunities in the world of work. You are one of the most caring, clever, and resourceful people that I know! 

🎶 Sound up: When you're NOT "fine" at work.

1/3 or our lives (and often more!) are spent working.

That's usually over 9,000 days!

Are you satisfied with how your days at work are going lately?

If we aren't sure what the career destination or goal is that we are headed towards, things usually will stay the same and keep us stuck. Or they often turn worse and we won't be prepared to recover quickly. 

Getting clear on what career momentum looks like to you may be one of the most valuable holiday presents you can gift yourself.

I have created a free printable worksheet to help you gain clarity on what you most desire out of your days at work. 

​Email me with the subject "Career Momentum Clarity Worksheet" or DM me on LinkedIn and I'll send it your way. ​

💖Keep growing and glowing,