Why an Accountability Partner in your Career Search Matters

We have all been there at some point during our careers. We are in the middle of a career pivot/job search and are down deep in the trenches. Working hard. Sweating. Drinking too much caffeine or vino, procrastinating, surfing social media, avoiding the whole shebang and then firing off another resume into the void. You get the picture.

Perhaps we have created some goals and a plan or perhaps we haven't (yikes) and are beginning to feel downtrodden with the sound of crickets, the wheels spinning all creaky, no traction or advancement happening. Nada. Nothing. Chirp. Chirp. Chirp.

This is where accountability comes in. Think of accountability as your head cheerleader or personal coach – someone who is entirely focused on you to help you achieve your dream. When we take the time and effort to create plans and goals for our career search we are initiating change in our lives. Of course, change is difficult. We will be adopting new habits, taking new actions that may be uncomfortable or pursuing goals that seem out of reach. Working with someone who is focussed on your accountability will keep you on track with both your progress or lack of. Change is 100 times easier when you have someone to account to.

When we first kick off our new plans we are highly motivated and eager to improve and succeed, but over time motivation fades. Think of all your New Year’s eve resolutions you have made over the years – more than likely you are amongst the 80% of folks who abandon their resolutions by February. Right? Working with someone as an accountability coach is a great place to start to make positive, substantive change and create new habits that will stick and work for you!

When you find yourself stuck in your comfort zone, perhaps surrounded by friends and family that support you and tell you what you want and need to hear you are in a comfort zone – not a growth zone and you will not progress. Find someone in your circle who will challenge you and hold you accountable – if you can’t find this person hire a coach who will be your strongest advocate and keep you on track. Motivation and accountability are not the same thing – you want the motivation but you also want to improve your career or job search, deepen relationships or reach a new health goal. This is where accountability comes in.

Here are three tips to get you on track with accountability:

1. Top Tools - Goal and Action Planning

Discovering and setting clear actionable goals is the first step in reaching success and getting the results you want. Your goals need to have action in order to succeed or they will fail. Having someone to be accountable to with your goals will help you succeed. These goals need to be in a plan that you can follow – it should match your strengths and specific needs. A SWOT is a great place to kick this off. Once the plan is created you will meet with your accountability partner to ensure you are on track. You will meet to fine tune the plan, discuss any roadblocks or obstacles, explore new opportunities as they arise and celebrate wins. Your accountability partner is with you to push you to be your best and keep you accountable to your goals and plan.

2. For the love of Pete - Get Out of Your Head

You will be the block that will prevent you from progressing and tackling your wonderful goals! Yes, you. You are only human after all and you will find a zillion ways to avoid, deflect, sabotage and slow down your progress. We all have a set of ‘limiting beliefs’ that are our inside voices telling us all the reasons we will not succeed. You may tell yourself that you are not worthy of a high paying job, or that you do not have the qualifications or education to go after your dream career, or that you lack the qualities a company may be looking for or you are a midlife woman and no one hires one of those…. These are all things you make up about your reality and you have the power to change them. Your accountability partner or coach will help identify these limiting beliefs and work to dismantle them with you. Helping you strip away your negative Nancy chit chat, you will be able to believe in your abilities and potential again and move forward. Identifying your limiting beliefs, kicking them to the curb where they belong and getting out of your head is a must and your accountability partner will be your best advocate to get you there.

 3. Truth - Your final frontier

You love your friends and family and cherish all the wonderful things they have to say about you. They make you feel good and tell you what you want to hear to keep you happy and motivated. But in order to truly grow and progress you need to hear the truth so you can grow and break through your limits that are holding you back. You do not need someone to just cheer you on and tell you that you are awesome – you need an accountability partner who will strip away the bull and help you create realistic goals and plans to get you to where you truly want to be. You need to assess the areas that need addressing and then make an actionable plan. The real deal. No sugar coating.

Accountability partnerships make shit happen! It’s the secret sauce that inspires your determination and will ultimately result in perseverance and success. Working with an accountability partner is one of the best ways to make progress with your goals and plans!

Cheers to the closing of 2023. Happy holidays and I’m looking forward to 2024 and hearing all about the wonderful work you will accomplish….possibly with an accountability partner….

As always feel free to reach out if you want to talk about your career and life!