She is a Career and Personal Development Coach with almost ten years of experience. Her expertise is in Job & workplace readiness, career planning, growth, and personal development. Her work focuses on helping individuals build their capacity for career progression, navigate job transitioning with ease and achieve personal effectiveness using results-oriented methods. Her speaking engagements span the United Kingdom, Belgium, West Africa, and Ireland with corporate organizations and higher education institutions.
Esther Aluko, Career & Personal Development Coach
What goal are you looking to achieve in the coaching industry?
I believe once you determine the kind of change you wish to create, the next step is taking action and following through and as a coach, my primary goal is to help my clients achieve their desired outcomes and transform their lives in a positive way. I strive to provide a supportive and empowering environment for my clients, where they can explore their challenges, develop insights, and discover their strengths and resources to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals. In addition to helping my clients achieve their personal goals, I also aim to contribute to the growth and development of the coaching industry as a whole. This includes staying up-to-date with the latest research and best practices in coaching, continuously improving my coaching skills, and sharing my knowledge and expertise with other coaches and professionals in related fields. Ultimately, my goal as a coach is to make a positive impact on the lives of my clients, as well as the broader community of individuals and organizations that can benefit from the transformative power of coaching.
How do you work with your clients?
As a coach, my approach to working with clients is centered around their unique needs, goals, and preferences. I strive to create a supportive and collaborative environment in which clients feel safe, heard, and empowered to take action towards their goals. My coaching process typically begins with an initial consultation, during which I listen to my client's concerns and goals, and we jointly explore whether we are a good fit to work together. If we decide to move forward, we will then work together to develop a personalized coaching plan that is tailored to their specific needs and goals. Throughout the coaching process, I use a variety of coaching techniques and tools to help my clients gain clarity, develop insights, and identify strategies for achieving their goals. This may include asking powerful questions, providing feedback and guidance, offering resources and support, and holding clients accountable for taking action towards their goals.
I also believe in the importance of ongoing reflection and feedback and regularly check in with my clients to evaluate progress, make adjustments to our coaching plan as needed, and celebrate successes. What have you learnt since you started coaching?
As a career coach, I have learned many valuable lessons since I started coaching. Some of the key takeaways from my coaching experience include:
The importance of listening: I have learned that when I listen deeply and without judgment, I am better able to understand my client's needs, challenges, and goals, which helps me provide more effective coaching support.
The power of reflection: Reflection is a critical component of the coaching process, and I have learned that encouraging clients to reflect on their experiences and insights is essential for helping them gain clarity and develop new perspectives.
The value of accountability: Accountability is an important aspect of coaching, and I have found that helping clients set specific, measurable goals and holding them accountable for taking action towards those goals can be highly effective in helping them achieve success.
The need for ongoing learning: As a coach, I am constantly learning and growing, and I have learned that staying up-to-date with the latest research and best practices in coaching is essential for providing high-quality coaching support to my clients.
The importance of empathy: Finally, I have learned that empathy is a key ingredient in effective coaching. By putting myself in my client's shoes and understanding their perspectives, I am better able to build trust and rapport with them, which helps me provide more effective coaching support.
And as a personal development coach, some of the key takeaways from my coaching experience include:
The power of self-awareness: I have learned that self-awareness is the foundation of personal growth and development. By helping my clients become more self-aware, they can better understand their strengths, weaknesses, values, and beliefs, which enables them to make positive changes in their lives.
The importance of goal-setting: helping my clients set specific, achievable, and meaningful goals is essential for helping them make progress towards their desired outcomes.
The value of mindset: helping my clients cultivate a growth mindset can have a significant impact on their ability to overcome challenges and achieve their goals.
What do you do differently, or how is your coaching different from others?
As a career and personal development coach, I believe that my coaching is different from others in a few key ways:
A focus on both career and personal development: While many coaches specialize in either career or personal development, I believe that these two areas are deeply interconnected and should be addressed together. I work with my clients to develop a holistic understanding of their goals and aspirations and to create a plan for achieving success in both their career and personal lives.
A personalized approach: Every client is unique, and I believe that coaching should be tailored to the individual needs and preferences of each client. I take the time to get to know my clients on a deep level, and to understand their strengths, weaknesses, values, and beliefs so that I can provide coaching support that is personalized and relevant to their specific situation.
A focus on action and accountability: While reflection and self-awareness are important aspects of coaching, I believe that true growth and development come from taking action and making progress toward one's goals. I work with my clients to develop specific, measurable, and achievable goals and to hold them accountable for taking action towards those goals.
A strengths-based approach: Rather than focusing on fixing weaknesses, I believe that coaching should be about building on one's strengths and leveraging those strengths to achieve success. I work with my clients to identify their unique strengths and to find ways to use those strengths to achieve their goals.
A commitment to ongoing learning and growth: Finally, I believe that coaching is a process of continuous learning and growth, both for the coach and the client. I am committed to staying up-to-date with the latest research and best practices in coaching and to seeking out new learning opportunities to enhance my coaching skills and knowledge.
In summary, my coaching is different from others in its focus on both career and personal development, its personalized approach, its focus on action and accountability, its strengths-based approach, and its commitment to ongoing learning and growth. What, according to you has been the single most important thing that has contributed to your success as a coach? As a career and personal development coach, I believe that the single most important thing that has contributed to my success is my ability to build strong relationships with my clients based on trust, empathy, and mutual respect.
From my experience, I have learned that coaching is a collaborative process that requires a deep level of trust and rapport between the coach and the client. By creating a safe and supportive environment for my clients, I am able to build strong relationships with them, which allows us to work together toward their goals in a more effective and efficient manner.
Another important aspect of building strong relationships with clients is the ability to listen actively and with empathy. By putting myself in my clients' shoes and truly understanding their perspectives, I am better able to provide them with meaningful and relevant support that resonates with them.
Finally, I believe that my success as a coach has been driven by my commitment to ongoing learning and professional development. By continuously seeking out new knowledge and skills, I am able to stay up-to-date with the latest research and best practices in coaching, which enables me to provide my clients with the highest quality coaching support possible.
