Career coaching has finally entered the mainstream. The first time I personally hired a career coach, I was still in my first big job out of graduate school, the job I’d had for the past seven years. I was burnt out and wondering if it was time to move on or if I just needed to get over it. In a single conversation, my career coach validated what I was feeling. I wound up resigning, which was no doubt the best course for me at the time.
Related: Benefits of Executive Coaching
What Is a Career Coach?
A career coach may have a background in human resources, executive, or business coaching. They won’t tell you what to do but can help you name what you’re feeling as well as identify and navigate your career options. Sometimes you might just need a break – a vacation or sabbatical. But, how do you know if you’re ready for a min-transition like a job change, or a bigger transition like changing companies or industries? A good career coach can help you answer these questions.
What’s unique about a career coach is that all of your conversations are confidential. Their job is to be objective. They have no stake in what you do other than making sure it’s right for you. That’s different from a boss, spouse, friend, or mentor. Those people are personally affected by your choices. While they care about you, they also have a stake in what you do next. Working with a career coach gives you a dedicated time and space to focus on what you want to do next.
A career coach can help you think, plan, and brainstorm. A good career coach is familiar with tools, assessments, and exercises to guide you as you think about your purpose, values, and goals in relation to your career.
What to Look for When Choosing a Career Coach
- Professional success, ideally in your target field: A coach should have relevant experience and references. You want someone who’s worked with other clients and helped them navigate successful transitions. Interview more than one coach, and ask for references. Find the person who feels like a fit for you.
- Experience coaching or counseling: Choose someone with a background in coaching. Coaching is not just a conversation; it’s based on a proven methodology. The best coaches will have related training or experience in career coaching. They may have worked in business, higher education, or counseling – just make sure you feel their skills are transferable to your situation.
Related: Coaching Leadership Styles
Who Needs a Career Coach?
- When You’re Stuck and Don’t Know What to Do: It’s not uncommon to feel stuck at work. I remember many times throughout my own career when I wondered, “Should I leave this job?” “Is Human Resources right for me?” Occasionally I even considered leaving corporate work and returning to school for a psychology degree.
- Unproductive Job Searching: Job searching can be tough. But if you’re searching and nothing is landing, you’re not making progress, or you’re not excited by the opportunities you see, those are signs that you need to pause and figure out what you really want to do.
- Navigating Career Changes: Most of us will experience a number of career changes, both big and small, in our lifetime. Some you’ll navigate successfully on your own. But if you’re contemplating bigger changes, like moving into a new function or industry, you’ll find it useful to have someone there to help guide you.
- Struggle with interviewing, networking, etc. If you’re intimidated by networking, asking for referrals and introductions, or don’t come across well in interviews, a career coach can definitely help. They have techniques to put you at ease and show up as your best self even under pressure.
How to Find a Career Coach
- Where to Look: Start with your network – ask people who they know. You can also do a quick Google search for coaches in your area. If you’re open to remote coaching, that widens the pool. Use keywords like career coach, career transition, and career consulting.
What to Look For
- Personality/Rapport: Once you find a qualified coach, check for rapport. The best coaching happens when you trust the other person. You want someone you can be open with. The more willing you are, to be honest, and vulnerable, the better job your coach can do.
- Budget: Coaching costs and packages vary widely, so make sure to find someone in your price range. Look for flexible packages. For instance, try to find a coach who offers three months of coaching and is willing to extend if needed. That’s better than locking yourself into a long-term contract.
- Situation/Expertise: Find someone with formal training, including experience in coaching, counseling, or career advising. Though these skills are transferable, you might prefer someone who’s worked in your field – for instance; they’ve worked with other lawyers, marketing leaders, or tech executives.
How to Prepare for a Career Coaching Session to Get the Most Out of It
- Prep with a questionnaire: jot down your questions for the coach, and bring them to your first session. The coach may even have a questionnaire or intake form for you to fill out before you meet. Either way, it helps to get these initial questions on the table.
- Write out career goals: As much work will happen between sessions as it does during your coaching sessions. Time with your coach is precious, and doing some pre-work will help you get the most out of your time together. List any goals you’ve come up with to help get your coach up to speed.
- Brainstorm potential outcomes and risks: A career coach is not only a great accountability partner but someone who can help you brainstorm. Remember, they’ve helped others transition, whereas this might be your first time. Brainstorming is a low-risk way for you to share your ideas, wishes, and dreams. It also opens the door for the coach to share things you may not be aware of based on their prior experience.
If you think you need a career coach, you really can’t go wrong by interviewing a couple of coaches to see how they can help. While it’s rare that you can get what you need out of only one session, as I did so many years ago, career coaching can be extremely useful. There’s no reason to make major career decisions on your own.
Ready to take the next step for your career? Get in touch with our executive coaching experts today!
