Selling career services: what is the return on your client’s investment?

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Do you have prospects who question your value? Clients want to know the return on investment (ROI) of career services. Maureen McCann helps you answer your client’s “Why should I hire you?” question.

By Maureen McCann.

According to the Canadian Education and Research Institute of Counselling (CERIC), against the backdrop of an increasingly freelance economy and the rapidly shifting nature of work, career development matters more than ever. “Research shows career development is associated with many educational, societal, and financial benefits. Individuals realize greater well-being and satisfaction in life. Schools lift student success and graduation rates. Organizations fill skills gaps and improve employee engagements and productivity. Governments reduce unemployment, boost social mobility, and strengthen economic growth.”

The numbers don’t lie

When it comes to something as important as a person’s career, is there value in hiring a certified career professional? The answer is: Yes! Can you afford not to?

Let’s look at it simply from a numbers perspective.

Say a person is earning $100,000 annually and suddenly loses his or her job. That’s a fair salary; let’s assume the person was in a senior position. Senior positions take longer to fill than junior positions, so let’s say it takes 12 months to secure a new job.

That’s $100,000 in lost revenue.

Even six months of not working – and I won’t even go into detail about how a job loss can derail a person’s sense of value or self-confidence – would result in a loss of $50,000 in revenue. The question quickly becomes, what would a job seeker be willing to invest to help him or herself shorten the time on the market to get a good job?

You are welcome to download, post, and share the following infographic with your clients.

Hire a Career Professional Today!

Preventive maintenance

If you wait until the oil pan in your car is empty your engine will seize. That’s not the time to take your car to the local oil change company. Instead of a $100 oil change you are now facing the expense of rebuilding an engine.

Your career is the engine of your life. That may be overstating it, but stay with me. Your career facilitates the quality of your life. Good job = good life. Great job = great life. Your career supports you and your family. Still not convinced? What would your life look like if the career you currently hold (and all its perks) suddenly disappeared?

Career Professionals add tremendous value to all types of clients, not just the job seeker.

We shorten job search times for clients, and we do so much more than write resumes (which we do incredibly well because we understand what employers want). We offer customized support in many of the following ways:

  • building confidence and resiliency
  • stabilizing career foundations and trajectory
  • helping manage expectations
  • debunking myths and educating individuals about evolving job search processes
  • advocating for fair compensation
  • diagnosing current and recurring issues, then redirecting towards goal
  • uncovering underlying beliefs
  • pinpointing ineffective strategies
  • clarifying targets for precise focus
  • supporting individuals and referring them to outside resources when appropriate

Most people come to us in search of a resume, only to discover that we offer significantly more value. We are a helping profession that is not well understood by the general public.

Why Hire a Career Professional?

“If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.” Red Adair

Your career is the culmination of years of studying, learning, and working hard to earn the position you hold.

Insure your efforts by devising a comprehensive strategy that incorporates your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Warren Buffet, self-made billionaire worth an estimated $76.4 Billion USD, said, “The best investment you can make is in yourself – to develop your own abilities. That will do far more for you than any single stock or other such investment.”

Invest in career development. Career development matters!

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Maureen this was a very well written article and the best one i have seen regarding the value of hiring a career professional coach. The chart is explicit in terms of what people can loose financially when they do not invest in their careers. Thank you for sharing and giving me permission to share your chart.

Hi, Mary,

There are so many wonderful career professionals doing great work out there. It’s a shame that not everyone in the general public is aware of the tremendous value and support we have to offer. This post is just a start. 🙂 Thank so much for taking the time to comment and sharing the chart wherever you see fit.

Hi Maureen,
Thanks for this articulate and compelling article. It’s one I will keep in my repertoire and I will certainly share your informative chart.
You’ve provided so many great answers to the question – why should I hire a career professional?
All the best,
Michelle

Great article Maureen! It is perplexing when a client with prolonged unemployment has exhausted their EI and other means of financial support and is still resistant to considering an ‘interim’ opportunity. They fail to understand that the ‘interim’ opportunity will bring in much needed money whereas turning down opportunities waiting the perfect job is another day of lost wages and accumulating debt. The chart really highlights the effects of long term unemployment.