LASER Coaching
Laser Coaching is a great way for you to receive coaching for any career-related issue you may be facing. It’s a faster, more targeted approach (hence “laser”) at a very affordable price. I am now offering 1:1 laser coaching sessions, in the topics below, or you can choose your own topic. Sessions are $50 for 30-45 minutes, depending on the complexity of the topic and the need. Please contact me at robin@robincarlen.com to find out more or to book a session.
If you need more extensive career or executive coaching services, please refer to the “Services” tab above.
Topic #1: Are you asking for what you’re worth?
I recently helped a Physical Therapist who lost her job because the clinic where she was working closed down. I analyzed her pay, education, and other variables, and provided her with information on comparable pay in the market. When she was interviewing for a new job, she told the hiring manager that she was looking for a minimum of $X. Having the data I provided gave her much more confidence to ask for what she wanted, and she told me that this resulted in a higher starting salary. You can always look at salary data yourself, but often it’s not valid and doesn’t take all of the important variables or what I call “grey areas” into account.
This is ideal if you want to know what salary you can expect for a specific job. Keep in mind that this can vary depending on the company, the company’s pay practices, the current market, etc. I can provide you with insights in the following areas:
The factors that impact what a job pays, and what you need to know about published salary information.
Other factors, besides experience, that can (and should) impact your value to a company.
How you can communicate with recruiters, and others involved in the hiring process, about your salary needs and when it’s appropriate to do so.
Topic #2: How Strong is your resume, really?
This is ideal if you’ve been looking for a job and are getting very little, or no, response from your resume. I can provide you with insights in the following areas:
An overview of your resume to determine how strong it is, or isn’t.
Suggestions for areas of improvement that you can make to your resume.
Feedback on the most important resume Do’s and Don’ts and how yours compares.
Topic #3: How Strong is your LINKEDIN?
This is ideal if your LinkedIn could use some improvement, you haven’t updated it in awhile, you’ve been laid off and aren’t sure how to show this, or you want to know the best ways to stand out. I will provide you with a critique of the following:
Profile headline and photo
Summary / About section
Professional Experience
Education
Skills and Endorsements
Recommendations
Topic #4: How satisfied are you with your job or career?
This is ideal if you have been in the same job, or career, for some time, are feeling dissatisfied with what you are doing, or where you are, and need some guidance. I can provide you with insights in the following areas:
We will talk about your current situation and the specific circumstances around your dissatisfaction.
If you are thinking about making a job, or career change, I will provide you with tips on how to clarify what you really want and what is most important to you.
You will be given a few options to consider, suggestions for next steps, etc.
Topic #5: job search critique
This is ideal if you are spending most of your time looking online for jobs, are submitting your resume primarily through the job boards, or are experiencing other problems with your job search progress. I can provide you with insights in the following areas:
Critique your job search process and make suggestions for improvement.
Give you guidance and tools to help you increase the effectiveness of your job search.
Provide insights into various situations you are dealing with and how you can handle them more effectively.
Topic #6: handling your toughest interview questions
This is ideal if you feel stuck in any part of the interview process. We will discuss what you’ve found the most challenging, along with the questions you have struggled with the most, and you will receive coaching on the best way to answer them. I can provide you with insights into the following types of interviews and the most important things to be aware of:
Recruiter Screen / H.R. Interview
Hiring Manager Interview
Company Stakeholders Interview
Team Interview
Exec Blessing Interview
Board Interview (usually Public Sector jobs)
Note: If you need help with how to answer salary-related questions, please see below
Topic #7: How to answer salary questions in the interview process
This is ideal if you struggle with answering recruiters’ salary-related questions, which often come early in the interview process, and you think these types of questions may be holding you back. We will cover the following:
The most common types of salary-related questions and how to answer them.
What is legal, and not, for the interviewer to ask and how to respond gracefully if you’re ever in this situation.
How to successfully get through this stage of the interview process without having to commit to a specific salary.
Topic #8: offer negotiation tips
This is ideal if you are new to offer negotiation (i.e., new grads or new in your career) or you’re a professional who wants to maximize how you handle the offer negotiation process, or you have questions around those areas that you’ve struggled with in the past. I can provide you with insights in the following areas:
The 6 steps to offer negotiation and how to handle each one.
The stages of the process and guidance on which offer variables (base pay, benefits, incentives) to discuss during each stage.
How to handle other situations you may face (i.e., turning down an offer, handling multiple offers, how to navigate waiting for an offer from more than one company, etc.)
Note: Offer Negotiation requires detailed information sharing and more in-depth strategy, which requires a longer session. The purpose of this laser coaching session is to help you navigate the overall offer process.
Topic #9: how to improve your communication skills at work
This is ideal if you have difficulty communicating up, down, or laterally. You may have received feedback that things need to improve or you’ve decided that this is a development area for you. We will discuss your situation and how you are currently handling things. I can provide you with insights in the following areas:
How to be more assertive in your communication with your manager, team, co-workers.
How you can improve your participation in meetings to provide the most impact and promote your own value.
How to deliver a negative message in the best way possible.
Other related issues that you may need help with.
Topic #10: leverage your skills, experience, and passions to start an online business
This is ideal if you’ve always dreamed of breaking free from the corporate world to build an online business. We will discuss the business idea(s) you are considering, your experience, and your skills, to bring you more clarity about what you want and need. I can provide you with insights in the following areas:
Discover the sweet spot where your passions, experience, and skills align to create a profitable online business idea.
Clarify your needs when it comes to starting an online business to determine the options that are most aligned with those needs.
Determine next steps for you to continue exploring options, gain additional skills, if needed, and begin moving forward to bring your business dream to life.
To find out how Laser Coaching can help you, or to book a session, please contact me.