Communications coaching is an up and coming field (I will confess to prejudice) attracting professionals from a variety of backgrounds, often in teaching writing or performance. They can help you with and through the composition and revision of resumes, cover letters, proposals, sales letters, and any other documents you may find useful in your transition to new employment. Many can also coach you for interviews both of the informational and employment varieties.
The best sources of coaches are graduate professional schools consult the one from which you graduated or one in your chosen field. Call and ask for the "communications program" or "management communications department" or the "communications skills training program" (there is no uniform terminology). Also consult placement departments. Someone in one or more of these areas should be able to refer you to a seasoned coach. Ask for someone with experience helping people who are looking for jobs at your level.
Hourly rates vary tremendously. Coaches to the "stars" may command $1,000 or more an hour. But most communications coaches charge more reasonably. Sessions with video start at about $75 an hour and may reach several hundred an hour for on site locations (i.e., when the coach travels to you). Writing expertise ranges from $45 to $120 an hour. Expect to pay more when your coach comes to you and to pay for editing time in addition to coaching sessions.
Reading
Reading is good for you, especially during a vocational transition. It can contribute to all of the forms of expert help. Check the psychology, self help, career, and business collections in the libraries and bookstores you come across in your travels. Printed materials are expensive these days, so remember that you can get many of the things you want through your local library. If you don't see it, ask. Check magazines, periodicals, and other collections of non book information sources.
You might also want to explore some of the recent fictional and non fictional portrayals of business relationships in the United States. Particularly fascinating and possibly helpful are portrayals of job loss in contemporary fiction. Many recent novels feature characters that lose jobs as a result of mergers, restructurings, and the corporate political games that are played most fiercely during times of scarcity, uncertainty, and change. Although most of these books are not of great, enduring literary value, they hold a mirror up to the internal workings of modem organizations and reflect the psychological and emotional tolls associated with professional managerial positions. To get a feel for the range of organizational fiction our society is generating, Almost everyone I talk to wants to read more and has a list of at least a dozen books ranging from classics to best sellers that they've been meaning to read for months or years. When you are between jobs, you have the time to make a dent in your reading debt.
Formal Education
Going back to school is the first things some people think of between jobs; for others, it is an option of last resort. But continuing education is a condition of survival in a world of rapid change, whether you educate yourself, go to school, or seek the other kinds of expertise described throughout this section.
As you evaluate formal programs of education, look for schools that provide plenty of opportunities to learn through means other than attending lectures, reading textbooks, and taking tests. Most adults do best in educational settings that stress applying knowledge to real problems in realistic contexts, which is sometimes termed "clinical" training. Look for a mix of experienced clinicians and academics on the faculty. Look into the opportunities a school provides for self directed study projects and for work in small groups of peers. If you are seeking graduate management education, above all look for programs with strong course offerings in professional communication interviewing, preparing a variety of documents, negotiating, communicating in groups, speaking, and nonverbal communication. Every manager and professional in every field and at every level needs sophisticated communication skills to do a good job.
Finally, consider what a school offers in terms of resources outside the classroom. Libraries, placement services, counseling services, computer facilities, student organizations, and strong alumnae organizations can all contribute as much or more to your educational experience as what goes on in classes. Bookstores and libraries generally gather a number of guides to schools of all sorts and are a good place to start looking into programs. Don't neglect, however, other important information sources, particularly on site visits and informational interviews with graduates.
