[Blog 5] 4 Questions to Ask When Choosing your Personal Advisor
Whether you are a fresh grad in need of your first job or someone looking for a new career direction, finding your own personal advisor is a good idea. With the right candidate, shortlist paths that will lead you to your goals more easily and gain solid advice on how you can go about approaching new jobs you are interested in.
The question however, remains: How should you choose your personal advisor?
Here are 3 questions you can ask when choosing your personal advisor to help you find your fit:
- “What do I need advice on?”
A common misconception people have of personal advisors is that every advisor possesses the same knowledge and skills as the other. The truth however, is that while personal advisors seek to provide general career advice, each one has their own particular fields of interest and focus. As such, it is crucial to identify the area you would like to consult on before choosing your personal advisor, to ensure that they are experienced and knowledgeable in that regard.
- “Where am I and who am I?”
Personal advisors are not unlike specialists. It is thus very common to find a personal advisor that specializes in handling a particular type of client. By asking the crucial question of where you are in terms of your career progression and who you are in terms of your occupation, you can now find a personal advisor who has vast experience in working with people just like you, making their advice more pertinent to you.
- “How would you describe your coaching style?”
As your personal advisor is someone that you will be working with for a period of time, it is hence of utmost importance to ensure that he or she is someone you can get along with. While this may seem obvious, many career seekers tend to only ask the first two questions when finding a coach for their career route. The question on coaching style often gets overlooked, leading to potential problems when advice seekers find themselves clashing with their advisors in terms of learning styles and opinions. By asking for your potential personal advisor’s coaching style, you can have a clearer idea of how your interactions and learning experience will be, circumventing the shock of realising your personal advisor is not who you expected him to be.
Finally, while these questions may help you shortlist a better personal advisor for your own needs, understand that your personal advisor is merely a partner in your career search process. The onus of one’s success ultimately still hinges on you.
