How to get career and life advice - fast!

April 16, 2017 6:35 PM

My wife has a job opportunity that expects an answer within 2 weeks. There are a lot of trade-offs involved - a professional step down but possible personal benefits - and she's struggling to make the decision. (I'm 50/50 on the change and am supporting whatever she does). She's wondering if there's a a way to get outside help - is there a way to get in touch with a life coach or career-oriented therapist and get some good advice on such a short timeline? How would we find such a person?

She went to the interview uncertain if she would accept an offer - she wanted to learn more about the company and the job during the interview. Well, she learned some good things and some not-good things and is still 50/50, so she's wondering if it's worth the step down and would appreciate a professional's help in sorting out her thoughts and priorities.

posted by Tehhund to Work & Money (10 answers total)

What I would do in this situation is find someone senior in the field with connections to neither the current nor the prospective employer, and find out, in a boiled-down-to-its-essence presentation of the facts, what that person's long perspective and experience would suggest. Including things to consider that your wife has not. Take it as an additional datapoint from a different perspective, rather than a decision-maker.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 6:38 PM on April 16, 2017 [1 favorite]

Yeah for additional context I'd say AskMe is as good as any life coach. We work fast and are free. We have doctors and lawyers and sawyers and managers and marketers and librarians and strippers and engineers and teachers and bartenders and accountants and administrators and nurses and... you get the idea.
Update with field info and I bet you'll get some specific relevant comments to help with your decision :)
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:46 PM on April 16, 2017 [2 favorites]

What are the pros and cons? What is so attractive that she'd consider a step down, and how does this step fit into her long-term goals for herself and for your family?
posted by erst at 6:59 PM on April 16, 2017

Response by poster: The details are more personal (and identifiable) than we're comfortable discussing on a public web page. Thanks, but we're really wondering if it's possible to find a professional and have a useful session or two in such a short time.
posted by Tehhund at 7:11 PM on April 16, 2017

Best answer: Here is a link to the website of a life/professional coach I trust, who does telephone sessions.
posted by janey47 at 8:05 PM on April 16, 2017 [3 favorites]

Best answer: In my experience with therapists and "life coaches," they really don't understand the context of your field, and the context turns out to be important. If I were her, I'd try to meet with a few peers or mentors whom I could ask.
posted by salvia at 8:58 PM on April 16, 2017 [5 favorites]

Best answer: I had excellent results here: http://www.flashcons.com
posted by dpx.mfx at 4:46 AM on April 17, 2017 [2 favorites]

If either of you have EAP benefits through your employers you can often do free, confidential face to face or telephonic consultations about any kind of issue. Just keep in mind that the advice you get depends on who you talk with. For example, my therapist coworkers and I all handle these consults but some have more experience with this kind of decision making than others.
posted by ShadePlant at 11:47 AM on April 17, 2017 [1 favorite]

I've found this guy very helpful after a friend recommended him: Jack Chapman
posted by Dragonness at 1:49 PM on April 17, 2017 [1 favorite]

No way... I was thinking of a site but the name was escaping me until just now - its Ask Moxie, recommended above by dpx.mfx. I havent tried it yet myself, but I've certainly kept it in mind and have a very weird situation coming up later this year that I may very well consult her for. Nice to hear that they had a good experience.
posted by jrobin276 at 8:26 PM on April 17, 2017 [1 favorite]