What does a career coach do?

Some insights into choosing a career coach

There are so many people who still don’t know about or understand what a career coach is or how to pick a career coach who will best serve them.

Career coaches use a solution orientated approach to assist and inform any person who is in need of career advice. They practically help you define, redefine, and achieve your professional objective and other work related goals. A career coach can help you figure out what kind of job you are searching for, help plan a new career path, advise you on your current work situation, develop or improve interpersonal skills etc. It is about getting the support, help and guidance you need to figure things out to reach your career goals. A career coach ensures accountability to keep the job seeker on track and moving forward.

Career Coach vs Therapist or Guidance Counsellor

You have to be willing to be coached, be open to new ideas, make changes, welcome constructive criticism and take action.

Working with a career coach is working with someone who genuinely shares the same ultimate goal you have, creating and adding excitement during the process; one on one career coaching experience is a way to receive personalized, support and guidance when making career decisions to determine what steps to take and strategies that will keep you on track to accomplish your goals.

• Time to Level Up
  You might be at a stage in your career where you feel stuck, you are not getting promoted, you feel like your career is going nowhere or may feel like it’s time to level up. This is where your career coach comes in to guide you, get to know you, your work and the company you work for. Your career coach will offer objective feedback on your current performance then work with you to sharpen skills you already have and introduce you to others you haven’t mastered.

• Career Change
  Perhaps you would like to change industries, a career coach can help you pivot into a new industry. You and your coach can discuss your desire to change industries and work together to create a plan. Career coaches can help determine the strategy for your career pivot and advise you on the tactics you'll need to advance in a new direction.

• Unemployed
  You may have been unemployed for so long or perhaps you have been sending out your resume to a lot of organizations, but there has been no positive strides in getting a job. A career coach will look at your resume, LinkedIn profile and would help you craft a more cohesive story that will help you land the right opportunity.

When looking for a career coach, consider these tips:

Identify What You Want

You need to ask yourself what you want to achieve with the support of a career coach. Is it to help you progress in your current career? Or to reinvent your work life altogether and pursue something new and exciting? You may be experiencing problems at work, or be out of work entirely, and need some guidance to weather the storm. You need to be clear with yourself on what you want to achieve with the support of a career coach so that you are not wasting your time and resources getting a career coach and later realizing you did not actually need one because you were not ready to get one.

Do Some Research

It is very important that you conduct some research and dig around by talking to a number of coaches to make sure you find the right career coach that suits you. 

Inquire among your personal and professional networks and visit professional networking sites online. Ask for recommendations from people who have had success using career coaches. You can check their profile on LinkedIn, Search coaching organization sites like the International Coaches Federation (ICF) and the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PARCC) have online search functions listing their members. Have they been published or cited as an expert in respected media outlets? Read up on them online, do they have a blog or books that you can check out? Research so you find the perfect fit for you. It is big investment that you are putting in yourself 

Seek a Specialist Career Coach

There are so many career coaches who specialize in one type of client. You may have one career coach who works with people preparing for retirement, another career coach who specializes in helping people break into the tech field etc. If you aren’t sure what you want to do or don’t know exactly what your goals are, a general career coach will be the best for you. It is very important that you seek out a specialist career coach in the area you are interested in when you know what that interest is.

Now that you have a list of career coaches you would like to work with, you need to consider the cost of hiring a career coach. The initial investment may be difficult to bear but if it leads to a higher paying job then it will be worth every penny. 

Depending on your budget, if you are looking for a career coach who has lots of experience you will have to pay more. But if you are not sure about making such a big investment you may consider a career coach on the lower pay scale. 

Fees will vary depending on how long someone has worked as a coach, their qualifications and how many clients they have.