How a Career Consultant Can Push You Outside Your Comfort Zone for Growth

Early in my career, I was facing a layoff which meant a job search. The company's CEO (my manager) asked to see my resume. He offered to help me rewrite it. This was the most profound and excruciating experience. Together, we created a functional resume, and his coaching pushed me to answer the question, "So what?" in every sentence I wrote! This produced a resume that opened many doors and still does many years later. When I offered to pay him (we met for lunch several times before he was happy with my resume), he replied, "Pay it forward." Now I work with professionals in job search mode and use John's method to get their resumes telling the real story of accomplishment. I've paid it forward many times!

I'm writing as the coach.

There was someone I worked with who was up for a leadership role he really wanted. He would have a 30-minute interview with 7 people who would decide whether he was ready for the role. I knew how the organization evaluated and understood my client and his tendency to "people please." After all, as a salesperson, that is how he got to where he is.

I challenged him. "Risk everything," I told him. The feedback he got was, "If we were looking for someone for a boardroom role, you would have been selected. But we wanted to see your leadership and we didn't get it today."

A year later, he sat in that seat again and got it because he risked saying things that might be unpopular, treating the panel as equals rather than as an employer evaluating him for a promotion.

The first time, he played small. The second time, he didn't and got the role he wanted.

I remember working with a career consultant early in my professional journey who completely shifted the way I thought about my skills and potential. At the time, I was comfortable in my role and thought I had a clear sense of my career path. But during one session, they asked a simple but piercing question: "Are you pursuing what you're truly capable of, or just what feels safe?"

That question stopped me in my tracks. I realized I had been setting limits on myself, assuming I wasn't ready for bigger challenges or more responsibility. The consultant didn't let me off the hook. They encouraged me to map out the kind of work I'd find truly fulfilling and identify the gaps between where I was and where I wanted to be. It wasn't an easy conversation; stepping outside of my comfort zone felt daunting, but they helped me see my potential in a way I hadn't before.

With their guidance, I took on a stretch project that I initially thought was beyond me. It required leading a cross-functional team and delivering results under tight deadlines—something I hadn't done before. The project was challenging, but it ended up being a turning point in my career. Not only did it boost my confidence, but it also helped me build skills and visibility that led to a promotion shortly after.

That experience taught me the value of embracing discomfort as a catalyst for growth. Sometimes, we need someone else to hold up a mirror and show us what we can achieve if we let go of our self-imposed limitations. It's uncomfortable, yes, but the results are often transformative.