A coach is someone that helps individuals meet their goals. That is a broad definition and there are many different types of coaches: career coaches, life coaches, fitness coaches, executive coaches, time management coaches, and more.
The International Coach Federation (ICF) defines coaching as: “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”[1]
So, what does a career coach do and who should work with a career coach? A career coach is someone who helps their clients define and work towards meeting their professional goals.
Career coaches may work with clients who are making a career change, launching (or in the middle of) a job search or working towards career advancement goals.
Read on for more tips on when to work with a coach, how to choose a coach and other considerations!
When should you consider working with a career coach?
For most people, there is a time in their career when they would benefit from working with a career coach.
Times you may consider working with a coach include if you:
- Are interested in changing careers or industries
- Need help identifying potential career paths based on your strengths and skill sets
- Are looking to advance in your career and need help mapping out next steps
- Need clarity on a current situation in your career
- Want to better use your strengths in your current role
- Are launching a job search and have not searched for a new role in a number of years
How do you choose a career coach?
Once you have identified that you would like to explore working with a career coach, how do you find one? Most coaches offer a consultation call to learn more about your career situation, determine if it would be a fit to work together, provide you with an opportunity to learn more about them and ask any questions you may have about the process.
Most coaches also have an online presence, so you can view their LinkedIn page or website before the call. Look at the coaches’ background, education, training and experience.
Ask for referrals from your own network for a coach.
Bonus Tip: Upon researching coaches, does the coach hold a coaching certification, such as through the International Coach Federation, Center for Credentialing and Education or another organization? Most certification programs require coaches to complete a certain number of continuing education hours annually. What is most important to you about a coach’s experience, background, education or training?
What is it like to work with a career coach?
Every coach offers different ways of working with clients as far as the number of sessions, length of sessions and what else the coaching package may include.
Many coaches work with clients for more than one coaching session, often virtually. They provide pre-work before the first session and may provide additional pre-work before subsequent sessions.
Coaching is a process to help you uncover what next steps make sense for you in your career. Sessions often seem like a conversation and involve a lot of questions. Similar to a sports coach guiding the team from the sidelines, a career coach is there to help guide you in your career – but ultimately you are the one owning your career and making the decisions. A career coach is not going to tell you which job to take or find a job for you.
How can a career coach help you?
A career coach can help you discover where you want to go next in your career – not tell you what is the right path for you. Once you decide on your direction, they can help you develop an action plan to reach your career goals, which may include providing best practices, resources and feedback on a process that works for you.
Benefits of working with a coach include:
- Gaining clarity into your values, strengths, skill sets and how these impact your career
- Gaining clarity into what your next career steps could be
- Accountability, to help move you forward in the process
- Positive reinforcement from your coach
- An outside, objective perspective
- Creating a plan and taking actionable steps
What are the expectations of the person being coached?
The coaching relationships involves commitment and accountability from both people involved. Coaching is an investment not just of financial resources, but also of your time – both time within the coaching sessions and work in between.
It’s important to understand that just as you would have expectations from your coach, the coach also has expectations of you. Common expectations include:
- Accountability – committing to scheduled sessions and completing any agreed upon work in between
- Being honest about their situation and engaged in the coaching process
- Being open to new possibilities and ways of doing things
- Being ready to do the work necessary to reach your goals
Now that you have a better understanding of who a career coach is and what they do, take some time to think through if working with a career coach is a fit for you. If so, what are your goals in working with a coach? What would you hope to gain by working with a career coach?
Ready to move forward? Schedule time on my calendar to learn more about working together.
[1] https://coachingfederation.org/credentials-and-standards/core-competencies