I read over the Christmas break that, according to a recent survey, one in three people in Britain believe in angels.

It's not my place to comment on the validity of these research findings but I have to say that there have certainly been a fair few occasions in my career when I have felt like someone was watching over me. I am sure we have all experienced a helping hand or a feeling of luck in our business lives at some time or other.

However, I am a firm believer in making your own luck, and doing so by taking positive actions to ensure that you are more likely to succeed.

In the context of driving your career forwards, there will often come a time when you feel stuck, like you cannot make progress and are unsure how to move forward. It may be that you have missed out on an expected internal promotion, or you are struggling to make a good impression in interviews. Indeed, you might simply like to move on but are not sure what to do next or how to do it. Perhaps it's time to think about enlisting some outside help.

As we move into a new year, and with all that feeling of rejuvenation and positive expectancy that comes with it, maybe it is time to take a big step in terms of kick-starting your career development plans and think about working with a professional career coach.

A career coach is someone who can help you set your vision, determine your goals and help you keep motivated. As well as supporting you in a strategic way, a good career coach will also run through a thorough health check of your own personal career development tool kit, looking at how to upgrade your CV, interview skills, job search campaign and networking strategy, for example.

A career coach is equally relevant if you are just starting out in grocery or if you are a seasoned veteran. They can help you move forward in a way that you may not have been able to do so by yourself alone.

There are professional industry bodies such as the Association for Coaching and the International Coaching Federation that would be happy to help advise on rates, suitable coaches and what to expect from the relationship.

Have a serious think about this approach as a positive step forward if you happen to be feeling stuck in your career, cannot readily see your next move, or just fancy thinking more broadly about what could be possible. If you work with any career coach who is worth their salt, they should be able to identify and unlock hidden potential in you and help you make that all-important next career move.n

Glenn Steward is a professional business coach and director of The Trading Edge Co.

Topics