Welcome to our Quick Coaching Moment series with Scout Guide Houston Volume 6 member, Katie Baird of Baird Coaching. Once a quarter, our Scouted Expert will check in to share tools + insight she employs with her clients every day. Intended for readers at every stage of their life and career, Katie’s Quick Coaching Moments will cover everything from reflective journaling to beating burnout, offering deeply impactful, industry-leading insight with a healthy dose of good humor along the way. Learn more about Katie and the services she offers here and keep an eye on Instagram for the latest updates on Quick Coaching Moments.

Today, we chat about career transitions. We’ll let Katie take it from here…

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Whether it’s changing industries, maximizing the first 90 days in an executive role, scaling an entrepreneurial project, or returning to work as a first-time parent, I love working with clients facing transitions. Though these transitions might seem incredibly different, the coaching work relies on the same strategy: intentionality. My mantra? Own your career, which means actively molding your career to achieve the professional (and personal!) goals which matter most to you.

Know the Why

It’s difficult to achieve a quality outcome without knowing what the motivator factors are, and I have many clients who can set the strategic vision for their teams or company but struggle to be just as purposeful when defining their future career visions. Yet it is essential to know why you’re making the change, and I encourage clients to ask themselves questions like, How do I want to grow? Where do I want to go next? What’s my legacy? Having a clear picture of what you’re trying to achieve is fundamental to owning your career. As a bonus, it will also make you happier and more successful when pursuing your goals.

Pro Tip: Build your vision iteratively. Keep a handwritten journal around that future-focused picture that you return to 2 to 3 times a week after a walk. Don’t sit there behind a screen and force it.

Tell Your Career Story

Whether it’s on LinkedIn, when reconnecting with old friends at a football tailgate, or in a high-stakes interview, effective communication is essential. The easiest way to make a meaningful impression is through storytelling. Your significant accomplishments across your career should be interesting and relevant to your audience. Yet, this is about more than just brand – although that’s an important element, as brand helps to amplify the core messages of your story. Telling your career story is about communicating your value, trajectory, and key experiences.

Pro Tip: This isn’t about communicating perfection, which isn’t appealing anyway! Your mission here is to create a narrative that illustrates your strengths and expertise, authentically.

Leverage Relationships

Often, the importance of connections is relegated right up until the moment you need to phone a friend. I encourage clients to build and nurture a well-rounded network so that it’s there when before they need it. Take stock of your meaningful connections – do you have relationships across different companies, geographies, positions, and facets of life? Do those connections play different roles in your life? Remember: continued career development hinges on a variety of reciprocal friendships. How do you give back to these contacts and provide them value?

Pro Tip: It’s important to have a variety of contacts who play a variety of different roles in your personal and professional life. Why? Because it’s only so useful to have a rolodex of “yes” friends who paint a rosy picture no matter what you want or need to hear.

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If you’re interested in more tips, resources and support, reach out to Baird Coaching for future-focused, facilitated self-discovery and collaborative coaching. Don’t forget to tell her Scout sent you!