"I was sabotaging myself continuously all the time... I was on the verge of giving up." Dr Balakrishnan Balachandran, an international development consultant working for the World Bank and KfW, had just earned his PhD in regional planning disaster-risk recovery. He aimed to land a role in academia to bridge theory and practice and find real solutions in this field.
Yet, despite his undoubted abilities and accomplishments, a few months later, all he had were rejection letters. He started to worry. He needed to support his family financially but also wanted to make this career switch. Was he too old to enter academia? Were his skills insufficient?
He searched the internet for what to do. Attended webinars. Read how-to articles. If he changed his LinkedIn profile or CV, would that change everything?
"I was initially looking for a
quick fix... then I realised that no, I need to fix the back end."
His mental rut kept him stuck. Balakrishnan wanted someone to ask him the hard questions, tell him what he needed to hear and hold him accountable for what he needed to do. He was frustrated and ready to give up. He asked me to help via my career coaching service.
In coaching, we
- Clarified his short-term goals (income) and long-term goals (academia) and prioritised his daily and weekly schedule to focus on these goals
- Identified high-payoff activities, incl. targeted applications, participating in professional networks and conferences, and agreed accountability to make
consistent progress.
- Put habits and practices in place to counteract his self-sabotage when triggered.
Within a few weeks, he secured a short-term consultancy, which gave him financial breathing space. His job application material steadily improved, and he became more confident and authoritative. He changed his habits to manage his energy levels and remained focused on actively pursuing job opportunities without being attached to the outcome.
Within a few months, he secured multiple job offers, became the lead candidate for a prestigious position, and received interview calls from other institutions. He landed a role as a visiting faculty and postdoc research associate.
A year later, he became the executive director of the Sustainable Solutions Lab at UMass Boston - a collaborative research institute focused on keeping historically
excluded people and communities safe and healthy in the face of climate change.
“I took charge of what I really wanted to do.”You can be super accomplished and still benefit from coaching
. I have my own story about this. Not because you’re lacking but because you want to move forward, not back. All you
have to do is recognize that you need help.
It makes me happy to see my clients leave their mark. Balakrishnan is now well on his way to becoming a thought leader in his field and providing real solutions to people affected by disasters.
If you’re ready to discuss your career challenge,
book your free 45-minute discovery call.
Talk soon,
Simone
P.S: Listen to
Balakrishnan recount his coaching journey in his own words (youtube).
P.P.S: For info, Balakrishnan took part in my Your Transformation coaching journey. This journey combines resilience and mental fitness training with one-to-one coaching for global professionals in international development, humanitarian work, and social impact.