Originally posted on FlexJobs Career Site.

Career coaching can come in handy at almost any stage in your career, whether you’re job searching, considering a career change, or are already years into your career. But no matter where you are on your path to professional success, there’s no denying the benefits of a career coach during your job search.

Although it’s an added expense, what you’ll pay for a career coach now can be a very wise investment in your career that will pay off financially (and emotionally) for years to come.

Here are five ways career coaching can help be a better job seeker:

1. It can improve your job application.

Sure, you might be in love with Comic Sans, but using particular fonts on your cover letter could cost you the job. A career coach could tell you that, along with exercising their expertise to examine your job application, from your resume to your cover letter, to see how strong it is and what changes, if any, you might need to make. It could be anything from updating the resume style, helping you handle an employment gap, or offering tips on how to make the most of your cover letter to really attract an employer’s attention.

2. It can give you some focus.

Although a job search might start out exciting as you think of all the possibilities that you can have to pursue various careers, after awhile it can start to feel tedious and isolating, especially if you’re doing it alone. Having a career coach is almost like having a job search buddy, someone who is there to encourage and guide you as you go along. After all, it can be easy to get off track when you’re job hunting, and a career coach can hold you accountable by checking in on your progress, and reminding you that you have someone on your side during your search.

3. It can help you prepare for job interviews.

Job interviews are challenging, even for job seekers who are on top of their job search game. From employers asking strange interview questions, to testing potential employees, it’s enough to rattle the already frayed nerves of job candidates. So whether it’s been years since you last sat before an employer for a job interview (or you flubbed an interview just last week), almost anyone can benefit from practicing for a job in a mock interview. A career coach will be able to commend you when you answer questions well, and critique your performance (e.g., maybe you look down too often when you speak, or you didn’t know how to speak about your accomplishments well during the interview).

4. It can help you get unstuck.

You send out job applications every day. So why aren’t employers banging down your door? It just might be that you are, without realizing it, stuck in your search. Maybe you have a routine that is no longer working for you, or you’ve lost the focus that you need to make the most of the time you spend searching. Whatever road bump you’re hitting, a career coach can help you drive around it—and drive your search in the right direction.

5. It can boost your confidence.

Let’s say that you’ve been job searching so long that you’ve kind of lost your motivational mojo. It’s totally understandable, given the rejection that job seekers can face on a daily basis. If you’re starting to feel like you’re never, ever going to get hired again, or if you’re doubting your ability to perform in a job that you know you could do, a career coach can dig deep and help you see your strengths once again and reinforce all of the positive characteristics that you possess. You’ll start believing in yourself again, and realize that your dream job is coming for you sooner than you might think!

Photo Credit: bigstockphoto.com Tags: career advice, general job seeker, job search advice