“When evaluating my fulfillment with work, I realized that advising, coaching and teaching were the parts that gave me energy and joy. I also realized that I was an informal coach and had been long before I knew there was a name for it.”
Darlene Miller has spent most of her professional life in Human Resources and Learning. Her career path has given her an extensive range of experience, including roles within organizations focused on everything from insurance and health care to hi-tech at some of the world’s largest companies.
Like many of us, she has taken the occasional wrong turn, giving in to the familiarity and false security of the status quo. These decisions led to periods where she found herself living only for the weekend. It got so bad she even began to dread what was waiting for her at work on Monday morning – a weekly case of the Sunday blues. Sound familiar?
But this is where Darlene’s story diverges from many who remain stuck in unfulfilling roles. She recognized her natural proclivity and talent for helping others then put them to work for her and those like her.
“Being an HR Manager meant that coaching employees and leaders was a natural part of the job,” she says. “Since it’s a great passion for me, I wanted to make sure I was doing it right and doing it well, which is why I studied it at CTW and became certified by the ICF. The more I do it, and the more feedback I receive, I realize that this is the work I was born to do.”
Darlene found her way. And she did so without a guide, a process she says that took longer than necessary. Therein she discovered an opportunity.
As someone who counts ideation, relationship-building and empathy among her greatest strengths, Darlene became a career enhancement coach to benefit others. Specifically, she wanted to empower them to learn from her detours and reach the fulfillment of their goals faster and more efficiently.
“People are most productive when they enjoy their work,” she says. “My goal is to help others reach career fulfillment by focusing on the most direct path to success.”
This drive recently led her to create a free online class for LinkedIn. It is designed especially for job hunters and those who want to elevate their profile or role within an organization. Bringing her whole self to this project, Darlene combined her skills as a certified facilitator of assessments and workshops with her experience teaching career development and leadership skills.
The result is a program that simplifies the process of joining LinkedIn for those who are not on the social platform already. Current members can quickly and accurately update their profiles to take the next best step in their career. Into this class, Darlene has also built the opportunity for attendees to conduct research, connect with others, learn about themselves, increase their network, and find ideal opportunities.
When was the last time you had someone not only walk you through the process of tailoring your resume but do so in a way that’s entirely focused on your best possible outcome?
Today, Darlene coaches a broad mix of clients who want fulfilling roles within corporate America. Most either desire to change jobs or enhance their current position through insight gained from a whole person focus.
“My intrinsic strengths in empathy, communication, and relationship inspire my passion for promoting others,” Darlene says. “My experience in HR and education give me expertise in how to succeed in the corporate world. A proclivity toward humor makes me fun to work with.”
After more than two decades in employee and leader coaching, sponsoring, mentoring, and teaching, it is a role Darlene has spent her entire life working toward.
“I get great fulfillment and energy vicariously through those I coach,” she says. “It’s become more than a job for me – it’s my mission. I’ll challenge you to face your fears, ignore naysayers, and bravely ask for what you want.”
Learn more about Darlene at: www.darlenemillercoach.com
NOTE: Some material that appears in this article is courtesy of www.darlenemillercoach.com.