Career Coaching

Take ownership of your career…

Our team of in-house consultants are experienced career coaches, recruiters, senior managers and HR professionals with more than 20 years’ experience in helping people like you find great employment opportunities and enhance your chances of finding your next great career move. Our new Career Coaching programme is designed to support you work through any situation in half hour time slots, either over the phone, in a skype session or in a face-to-face conversation.

We offer a variety of options to help you fine-tune your personal brand so you always put your best foot forward. With Jo Thompson Recruitment’s range of career coaching options, we work with you to develop your online profile via social media, provide networking advice, and give counsel on interviews, CV tips, and a whole host of strategies to improve your job search success.

If you’re ready to start taking ownership of your career, but just need assistance to work through specific situations in your role, prepare for upcoming interviews, or regain the confidence you need to be successful in your career, then call us today for more information 0844 2920800.

Career coaching can help you with your current job, establish your professional goals, and aid you in making a career change. We will never tell you what to do, but we can give you advice to make that all-important career transition, or can give the extra help you need to work towards a new skill that will help you advance in your current role. The overall goal of a career coach is to set you on your way to a more fulfilling work life.

Managing The Career Coaching Process

Identifying Key Strengths, Development Opportunities and Career Goals

Developing Your Personal Brand

Social Media Optimisation

Researching Target Companies and Industries

Networking the ‘Right Way’

CV and Cover Letter Writing

Interview Preparation

Motivational and Organised Approach

Offer Negotiations and On-boarding Process

Career Coaching Options

Starter Career Coaching Package

£99

Create or rewrite cv
Review and update LinkedIn profile
Interview practice

Graduate Career Coaching Package

£120

Create or rewrite cv
Review and update LinkedIn profile
Interview practice
Assessment centre advice
Practice numerical & verbal reasoning tests

Premium Career Coaching Package

£285

Create or rewrite cv
Review and update LinkedIn profile
Interview practice
Assessment centre advice
Personalised OPQ careers guidance report & feedback
Image consultant consultation

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Career Coaching?

Career coaching can help you with your current job, establish your professional goals, and aid you in making a career change. A career coach will never tell you what to do, but they can give you advice to make that all-important career transition, or can give the extra help you need to work towards a new skill that will help you advance in your current role. The overall goal of a career coach is to set you on your way to a more fulfilling work life.

Why Career Coaching?

Career coaching will allow you to explore who you are and what you really want from your work. It will help you to find out what you’ll need from a new job to fulfill you. You will then have the opportunity to investigate possible employment options and formulate an action plan of how to get you from where you are now to where you want to be.

Anyone unhappy in their profession can benefit from career coaching. Whether you’re in the first phase of your working life or experiencing the height of success, consulting a career coach may be useful if you are unhappy or unsure where to go next.

With the support of career coaching, you might be able to discover how to feel more fulfilled in your current job, get a new job or decide to change careers completely. Exploring your values and beliefs and what makes you happy in your work will often lead to the right decision for you.

What sort of advice might I get?

If you do choose to seek career advice from a professional coach, topics covered may include the following:

Identifying your perfect career.
Working out what would make you truly happy.
Looking into issues that could be having an impact on your work life.
Helping you to identify negative thought and behaviour patterns so that you can change them.
Identifying and overcoming obstacles that hold you back.
Learning to make the most of your skills, attributes and experiences.
Interview coaching to help you stand out from the crowd.
CV writing to help get you noticed.
Assistance with using creative ways to find an occupation that suits you.
Realising the importance and impact of your work within your life.
Formulating a set of attainable goals and a plan of action.
Taking steps to change your life and become healthier and happier.

What will a session be like?

Depending on what works best for you, your career coaching sessions can be over the phone, face-to-face or online. Whichever format you choose, in your first session your career coach will discuss the various topics you may want to cover in your upcoming sessions.

Of course, the content and direction of your sessions will greatly depend on your situation and what you hope to gain from the experience. Below are some of the things you may cover during your career change advice session.

Exploring your skills and achievements
Often there are many skills or attributes you possess which you may not realise would be interesting to potential employers. Career coaches have an ability to pick up on these skills and attributes, even if you are unaware of having them.

Dreaming about new career choices
Being stuck in a rut at work can make it extremely difficult to think about what you would love to do and explore new possibilities. Make sure you take some time out to dream and explore opportunities that are open to you. With the support of career coaching, you may gain the direction needed in order to explore your perfect career path.

Finding out whether a career change is the right choice
There can be lots of things that could start you thinking about a career change. However, it may not always be a change of career that is needed. In a career coaching session, with the help of a coach, you can establish more clearly what career path is right for you. Perhaps a move within your current company or a bigger move altogether.

Looking into what’s holding you back
Choosing to change your job is a massive decision to make, and when you have bills and family to take care of it makes it even harder. Before taking the plunge, it’s sensible to look at all your options. Career coaching sessions can help you identify the issues that might be stopping you from pushing yourself to achieve your goals.

Helping University Graduates?

Unfortunately, graduating with a degree does not always guarantee a job – it’s very difficult for universities to ensure every student leaves with a working position to move on to. So if you are about to leave university, or have already left, and are struggling to find a job, a career coach could be a worthwhile investment.

You will receive tailored help designed for someone who is just starting out in their career. It will focus on finding out what potential employers are looking for and learning how to present yourself throughout each stage of the process (through telephone interviews, assessment centres and face-to-face interviews). All of which will be of great value for the future stages of your career.

Is a Career Change right for me?

You might be thinking of a career change, but aren’t fully committed to the idea. If so, try answering the following questions that may help you to decide whether it’s time to take the plunge:

What do you want from your job apart from money?
What percentage of the time do you feel positive at work?
What do you enjoy most in your current job?
What do you wish you could do in your current job that you don’t already?
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work?
What career did you want when you were young? Is this what you have now?

If you imagine you’re old and are looking back on your life, what job would you like to see yourself doing? Is it the one you currently have?
If you have mostly positive answers to the above questions, it may be that you don’t need a career change, but perhaps a new job or change of company instead. It may even be that your work is not the primary cause of your unhappiness. When you are at the centre of a situation it can sometimes be difficult to take a step back, remove yourself, and understand what’s really going on. Career coaching sessions however, can help you to do this from an unbiased and neutral perspective.

If you answered negatively to the questions then some career change advice could be very helpful to you. With career coaching, a coach can discuss your goals and aspirations with you and assist you in finding an occupation that fits with your values and beliefs.

Read what people say about us

Having worked with Jo for some years, I’m delighted to be able to recommend her and JTR. I have always respected Jo’s tenacity in sourcing the right candidates that equally fit the technical and cultural requirements, for both the companies and the candidates she represents. Jo ensures the right amount of time is taken to really understand the needs of the business and this is a rare attribute. I have appreciate Jo’s candour and the value she places on getting it right for everyone. Her flexibility and resourceful outlook have been a great asset to Twinings broadly across our organisation. Many thanks Jo.

Sundae Spiers FCIPD Human Resources Director, Aspire Defence Services Limited

I would like to thank you for your efforts and time that have resulted in my new job. It was my first nice experience when dealing with a recruitment agency and a successful one at that. Your approach and determination have been very refreshing and reassuring. I am very impressed and grateful for all that you have done to help me secure this position. I’m starting on the 1st Feb and can’t wait. Reaction Engines is a great company with a really nice team that I know I will get on well with.

I wish you and your agency all the best, you truly stand out above the market standard and provide a great service.

Grzegorz Szylo IT Infrastructure Engineer, Reaction Engines

I have used Jo and the team on a few occasions in the past decade both for temporary and permanent recruitment roles at Ferguson. I have no hesitation in recommending them they are very tuned into the M4 corridor and know all the best candidates. Jo takes the time to get to know her clients and to carefully understand their requirements so that she can get a short list right with a strong bench of candidates. Ferguson has got some outstanding hires from working with Jo in recent years and we love her roll up the sleeves and can-do approach.

Mark Fearon Director of Communications & IR at Ferguson PLC

When someone is recommended to you by an esteemed colleague, in this case Group HR of a Footsie 100 Company, expectations are high. Jo Thompson exceeded these in every aspect. Jo got the two briefs exactly and then improved on them. She took thoroughness to a new level and collaborated and steered the process with charm and discretion. We would not have achieved anything like the outcomes without Jo. It was a pleasure working with her and I would love to work with her again.

Denise O’Donoghue Executive Chairman, 110% Content

Thank you for your help in fulfilling our last two vacancies. I feel we have developed a great working relationship and on each occasion you really understood the type of person suitable for the roles we were seeking to fill. You presented us with an excellent shortlist of candidates for interview and for each vacancy we would have been happy to recruit more than one of the candidates. You respected our timescales and offered advice and guidance without placing undue pressure on us to make a decision.

Jill Owen Office Manager, Greenham Trust

Jo and her team were instrumental in resolving a difficult recruitment issue for us.

In contrast to other Agencies, we found that Jo listened to our requirements and, most importantly, used these as the basis for her candidate evaluation. I found this particularly helpful, the focus was tailored to us and not simply the standard template of a CV database search. Also, Jo was prepared to challenge us with her experience, often to the detriment of a potential immediate vacancy fulfilment and securing a fee in doing so.

Richard Cunningham Global Category Leader, Twining & Co

I have experience of working with a large number of recruitment agencies, both through my work and for my own personal job searches, and working with Jo Thompson Recruitment is among the best experiences I have had of working with an agency. As well as being very helpful and supportive throughout the process, Jo was very knowledgeable about the role, company and their requirements. Her help and support ensured that I secured the role that I was interviewing for, through Jo Thompson Recruitment.

Renee Jacobs Business Project Manager, Actual Experience

Thanks for all your help with this appointment; you have been fantastic and really got to the essence of the right person for the job!

Gemma Wildman Executive Assistant, Twinings UK and Ireland

I have worked with a number of recruitment agencies and can honestly say that Jo and her team stand out from the crowd. You really feel that Jo is on your side and endeavouring to find you the right role, not just any role. You build an honest and trusting relationship where she truly understands what it is you’re looking for – for me this was paramount and where so many other agencies fail. Jo Thompson Recruitment would be my first call every time.

Nathalie Haysom Temporary Associate

Jo Thompson has been recruiting for Wolseley Group Services for many years now, in several different functions and varying levels of authority. What I like most about working with Jo is that what you see is what you get, she’s always honest, if she thinks she can find the right person, she will. If she doesn’t, she will be up front and tell you from the start. Jo has an incredible talent of not only finding the candidate with the right experience, but more importantly able to find the right fit when it comes to culture and what does the team need. I have yet to meet another recruitment consultant who is able to achieve this as many times as Jo has. I would have no problem in recommending Jo to any prospective clients.

Tash Farquhur Head of HR, Wolseley Group Services & Central Europe at Wolseley

I found Jo to be very knowledgeable on the company and industry. Jo maintained contact well at all stages of the recruitment process and throughout my role, always remaining helpful and professional. I would not hesitate to recommend Jo and her team to anyone looking for a new role.

Sarah Rixon Temporary Associate

The difference with JTR is that the candidate is just as important as the client! – even though recruitment agencies are obviously client-driven.

Linda Mansfield Temporary Associate

I have had the pleasure of working with Jo and her team on several senior level assignments within my new role, including being hired via JTR initially for the HR Director role I now hold. I would highly recommend JTR as they are excellent communicators from candidate and business entities. The approach and style taken reflects the great business values of the recruitment sector and Jo herself is excellent at what she does in finding the right talent and keeping the business dynamics in mind.

Dan Creed HR Director, Executive Serviced Apartments (esa) Limited

I first worked with Jo during my time at Porsche where she helped to recruit some high calibre individuals for both the Retail and Head Office businesses. Each recruitment process was carried out to the highest standard with honesty and integrity. As a result of this I have remained in contact with Jo throughout my career and wherever possible have called on Jo’s expertise and skills to help me in a variety of recruitment and development assignments. Most recently I have contracted Jo to help with our Sales Excellence workshops at Twinings which consisted of set up and content of 4 development days for our sales team, running the days and providing 1-2-1 developmental feedback for each individual. This programme has been invaluable to provide all our sales employees with a detailed 12 month development plan. Great work Jo!

Bridget Marshall HR Direct, Twinings UK and Ireland