Who am I and Why am I Qualified to Help You Change Careers?

An interview with Annemarie Segaric, Life & Career Change Coach

How long have you been doing what you do and how did you get to be a Career Change Expert?

I’ll tell you my story so that you can see how I got here.

It was May 2001 and I had a defining moment. 

You see, up until that point, I had gone from job to job looking for a sense of fulfillment that I just couldn’t find.  In fact I had six jobs in seven years!

I had studied Operations Research & Industrial Engineering at Cornell University and was on a path to becoming a very successful business analyst/process engineer.  The only problem was I was miserable.  I couldn’t stand my jobs.  Whether I placed the blame on the work, my boss, my co-workers, the company culture, or even the city I lived in, I was bored and dissatisfied at each and every job.  Sometimes I lasted a year and a half, other times only six weeks.  I had developed a habit of finding jobs that looked great on paper (read: they paid well!) but were not a match for who I was. 

I worked for financial institutions, the government, large telecommunications companies, and an international media conglomerate.  It was the late 90’s so switching jobs so quickly wasn’t a big deal.  Companies were thrilled to hire me.  I never had a problem finding a job.  My problem was finding a job I actually liked!

Between jobs four and five I woke up.  I realized that the problem was not the job, the company or the location.  The problem was me!  I was not a match for the business analyst work I had been doing.  But what could I do?  I was so lost.  At that point I was determined to find my passion, though a part of me thought I really didn’t have one (sound familiar?).  In the meantime, I needed to keep working to pay my bills, so I continued to work as a business analyst and tried desperately to find my passion on the side.

It was February 2000 and I was living in Baltimore, MD at the time.  I had been at a major financial institution for about six weeks when I quit.  I reached my breaking point.  I was bored to tears with the job and didn’t know what else to do.  It was then that I decided (with my husband’s help!) that we needed to move back to NYC.  I’m originally from the Bronx and was always lamenting about not being “at home”.  So I found a job working in Manhattan, rented out the house we had bought the year before, and settled into a one bedroom with a backyard near Central Park.

I was thrilled—sort of.

The work was much more exciting (I had gotten a job with a media company) but I still wasn’t living my passion.  However, at least now one of my major energy drains—not being back home—was plugged and I could focus on finding my passion again.

In the Spring of 2001, things at my company got ugly.  Our department went from over 100 people to about 20 or so.  While I survived all the layoffs going on around me, I was bored and unfulfilled by the work.  This time, instead of doing my normal routine of contacting recruiters, posting my resume and applying to jobs, I looked inward.  I realized for the first time that I had not had fun in quite a long time.  So the first thing that came to mind was that I wanted to sign up for some fun classes like, how to make jewelry, how to be a personal shopper, etc.  In between these two classes, I signed up for How to be a Life Coach.  It was that one class that brought me home.  I finally found the career AND life I was looking for…I had my light bulb moment!

I worked on my business part-time for nine months.  In May 2002, I was happily laid off from my business analyst job and have been self-employed ever since.

Who are your clients exactly?

I work with career changers who want to figure out what they want—mainly professional women who’ve been successful at work but not fulfilled. I also work with moms who've taken time off from their careers to raise children and now want to reenter the workforce but don't know where to start.  My clients are the kind of people who don’t have trouble making things happen for themselves. They’ve gotten stuck because they don’t know what they really want in their careers.

What happens if you haven't yet worked with people in my field?

It doesn’t matter to me what field you work in or what field you might end up working in.  My specialty is helping people get unstuck so that they can get moving again in their career.  Why people get stuck, how they move on, and the kinds of changes they end up making are very similar because they’re what make people human.  It has very little to do with the field you’re in. 

But in case it does matter to you, I have personally worked in finance, the government, telecommunications, retail, and media/entertainment. My clients have included veterinarians, mergers & acquisition experts, lawyers, human resource professionals, consultants, non-profit directors, freelancers, developers/business analysts, advertising professionals, musicians, entrepreneurs, and sales people. 

How are you different from other career counselors?

The reason that what I do is different from career counseling (or other career support functions) is based on the fact that I help people create a better life through their desire to change careers.  I specialize in helping people find the right career by helping them frame their career in perspective of their whole lives. 

I don’t use assessments.  I believe you have the answers within you. You have the ability to take great action that will allow you to find what you are looking for in a career.  Rather than trying to fit yourself into a predefined box or have someone else tell you what to do, I work with you to look at the patterns that already exist in your life. Patterns that will help point you toward a particular field or set of interests. 

I also don’t help you with resumes, cover letters, or interviewing. If you have reached that point, it means you and I have accomplished determining what you really want to pursue and removing the obstacles to it—or at least finding your way around them!

What type of personality will benefit the most from coaching with you?

People who WANT to change—not only their careers, but how they are approaching the career change process, their mindset, their attitude, and their beliefs—will get the most out of working with me or one of my associates.  Go-getters who don’t sit around and wait for someone to give them the answers will see the biggest results in the shortest span of time.  Ideal clients always see the possibilities and are willing to try new approaches knowing they will make a career change somehow, some way!

I will expect you to work past your comfort zone.  I only work with highly-committed professionals who are willing to do what I ask of them and go above and beyond my requests.  If we work together I will lovingly support and guide you as I do with all of my private clients but I will not hold your hand and coddle you.

For what type of professional is this NOT going to work?

My career change program is not for complainers or the “I’ve done that already” person.  Whenever I speak with someone and every other thing out of his/her mouth is “Yeah, I’ve already done that,” I know that they are not going to benefit from coaching with me.  It also isn’t for people who just want me to tell them what they should be doing.  No one can possibly know what your purpose is and what career is best for you.  I can’t help you if that is all you are looking for.

Does this really work?

Yes!  As long as you do the work, you’ll be able to discover the career path that is right for you.  This client’s comments say it all:

For years, I knew I was not in the career I wanted to be in.  I felt that I was in a deep rut, and knew I wanted to do something different but couldn't figure out how to identify what that something was.  I had thought about hiring a career coach, but it wasn't until an acquaintance strongly recommended Annemarie that I actually decided to finally seek the help of a professional.  I'm glad I did. 

I spent my entire career (10 years plus grad school) in a profession that I never loved.  As time went on, this feeling intensified to the point where all work felt like a chore and nothing about my future prospects interested me in the slightest.  But yet I was finding it hard to think about leaving, as I was at a well-respected organization and had invested a significant amount of effort to get where I was. 

With Annemarie's help, I finally have the confidence to make the changes that I always knew deep down I needed to make.  She acted as an understanding and compassionate guide who helped me articulate my career desires and helped me to identify—and then overcome—long standing barriers to my own happiness.    In some ways, I can't believe I’m making the changes I am in the process of implementing, and I’m thrilled that I'm actually excited about my future prospects.  My sessions helped me find the confidence to do what needed to be done.

My only regret is that I didn't do this years ago!

— Rebecca Sohmer, Washington DC

How quickly can I expect results?

I would be leading you on if I gave you a specific time frame in which you’ll discover what career you want.  It depends on four factors:

• How deep some of your preconceived convictions are about changing careers
• How dedicated you are to taking action
• How willing you are to step out of your own way
• How long it takes you to recover from setbacks or disappointments

You will find the path that is right for you.  My career change process is designed to do exactly that.  Let yourself work through the process and deal with each challenge as you best know how.  As long as you stay consistent with your efforts and are determinded to get out of your own way, you will succeed.  With that said, while progress does not happen overnight (my clients and I work together for a minimum of three months), most of my clients are thrilled with the progress they make after the first couple of sessions.

I'm ready to change my career and based on what I've read so far, you're the person I want to work with.  What are the options for getting started?

Excellent!  You can choose one of the following three options:

1. The Career Changer All Access Coaching Package with me
2. A 60 minute Career Boost with me
3. Individual Coaching with a Segaric Coaching Associate Coach.
   

Take a look at my services page and read through these different packages I offer. Once you've had a chance to do that call me at 212-724-5882 or e-mail me and we'll set up a 20 minute get to know you call.  During this call we'll discuss what you're looking for and how I or a Segaric Coaching Associate Coach can help you.

What other kinds of support do you offer?

Besides private coaching I offer a free weekly tips newsletter, teleclasses, group calls, and career change books. 

I'm interested in working with you but I have some questions.  Can we set up a time to speak?

Absolutely.  Call me at 212-724-5882 or e-mail me and we'll set up a 20 minute get to know you call so we can learn a little more about each other and I can answer any of your questions. I would be thrilled to help you figure out what you truly want in your career and life!