[teach]

> You don't need to pay somebody

Your advice is good but there's nothing wrong with getting a professional to help you if you have the means. I've made more progress in the last two years with a good therapist than in twenty years of reading self-help books.

It's hard to overstate how much a good mentor/coach can improve your progress in almost every endeavor.

[thenerdhead]

Sorry my snark was directed at the blog author who is self-promoting. Professional help is absolutely worth the money if you can afford it and make progress that way.

[Paul-Craft]

> It's hard to overstate how much a good mentor/coach can improve your progress in almost every endeavor.

Any suggestions how to find a good coach as a SWE? I have 8 YoE and was most recently a staff engineer at a small-ish startup, and the perspective that job gave me has kindled some thoughts about taking my career to the next level, but I feel like I need a little bit of guidance.

[phil-martin]

I've interacted with a few business/life coaches over the years, and I have found that clicked perfectly for me.

To find them a combination of: - Using search engines for "life coach" or "business coach" in your area

- Find people that you respect in your industry, reach out to them over twitter/linkedin/email/whatever, clearly stating you're looking for a coach, and if there is anyone they recommend.

After you find a few, I suggest just trying them out. Book some sessions and see how it goes. I use these criteria:

- Has worked with engineers in the past.

- Is able to clearly articulate boundaries and approach in the first session

- Willingness to test and measure. Understanding and appreciating the lean startup approach essentially.

- Is solution and goal oriented. Spending weeks/months talking about the problem without attempting solutions is a waste of everybodys time.

- With you can quickly develop a shared understanding of what success looks like.

- Can build a rapport with you, and you can build the trust required for total honesty.

[Paul-Craft]

Thank you! I appreciate your thoughtful comment.