How to Find a Career Coach

The career you choose can determine the trajectory of your life. That’s why you need to put in the work, constantly develop yourself and go the extra mile in your chosen field. 

It can be a difficult process, and that’s why career coaches are necessary. They are professionals that can hold you accountable as you work hard to start a new career, change your profession, or achieve your goals.

In this article, we’ll look at how to find a career coach, who a career coach is the benefits of having one. 

What is a Career Coach?

A career coach or counselor is someone who has a lot of experience when it comes to helping clients choose the right career, and guiding them towards their desired career path. They can help you develop valuable skills and come up with water-tight strategies to find your next job or get promoted in your current one. 

They also have enough insight and knowledge about the job arena to be able to help you figure out the things you’ll need to be competent in your desired roles and also help you create a plan to get hands-on training. 

The best career coaches have experience in human resource management and talent acquisition but they can also have other backgrounds that gives them a better insight into your profession. 

Why Should You Consider Hiring a Career Coach?

You should consider working with a career coach or mentor if you are going through the following things in your career journey.

Entering a New Field

A professional career coach can help you figure out the best way to break into the industry as a desirable employee whether you’re just entering the workforce or transitioning to a different field. 

This is possible because, professional career coaches have experience working with recent graduates, seasoned professionals and even certificate holders and advising them on the best ways to make good use of the system and showcase their strengths. They can also help you figure out ways to develop skills for career development.

Asking for a raise

Asking for a raise is very important but not many people are comfortable doing it and that’s okay. However, going through career counselling can help you figure out how to proceed because career coaches understand how salary structures work and can give a better advice on the amount you should be asking for.

Managing work relationships

More often than not we meet people at work we can’t seem to get along with or understand even though doing so is necessary to career out your tasks. Your career counsellor can give you an insight into how to handle those coworkers and easily navigate those difficult work relationships.

Making a career transition

You may need a career counsellor if you’re considering a career change. This is because breaking into a new field is not easy and you may need the help of a veteran in the field or a certified coach to plan your new career journey and achieve your goals.

Marketing yourself

The best professional career advisors know how to stay up to date on recruiting and hiring trends. They also know how to help their clients take advantage of this trends by giving you great advice on how to update your resume, showcase your work sample and survive the numerous interview processes of your dream job. 

Preparing for interviews

While getting noticed by the company you want among thousands of applications can be daunting, surviving the interview process can be even more difficult. A professional job coach has the experience and the capacity to help you prepare for your interview by giving you confidence boosting tips. 

Handling a layoff

While it’s becoming easier to get lay off, handling one isn’t becoming easier. I follow a product manager YouTuber who recently lost her job and while watching how she handles her time away from work has been interesting, I’m not very confident I could have handled it as well as she did. That’s where professional career coaches come in. 

They can help you handle the tough period of unemployment and also walk you through transitioning to a new place. 

Feeling stuck in your current job

We’ve all felt it at least once in our lives, the feeling that we aren’t getting anywhere at work and our goals are getting even farther away. It’s at this point that many people often feel like quitting their jobs, or transitioning.

However, before you do any of those, you should speak to a career expert to figure out whether what you need to get rid of that feeling and see some growth in a career.

Identifying your career goals

Most people decide their careers in high school or university and that’s it. They don’t sit down to think of how that career is going to go, how they’re going to increase their salary, get promotion or make it to the top of the career ladder and when they actually start thinking about all those things, it can be very confusing. Your prospective coach should be able to have a sit down with you and help you figure out what your career goals should be and how to achieve them.

Tips to Choose the Best Career Coach for You

Choosing the best career coach can be daunting but with the following tips, it should be as easy as pie. You don’t trust me? Just keep reading!

Check out their niche

No matter how great a career coach is, if they don’t understand how your profession works, they can’t help you reach your full potential. Think of it this way, you wouldn’t choose a carpenter to work on your plumbing right? It’s just not efficient or practical at all. 

So, choose someone who’s really good at working with people in your profession and has a great track record with helping them solve their problems.

Of course, I’m not saying that a generalist won’t be as good but it’s more difficult to know about their experience in your field and there’s just no point gambling that way. 

Check out their background and achievement

This may sound a little unfair but would you hire a lawyer that’s been to jail constantly for their whole career, or a builder whose house is falling apart? I don’t think so!

The same logic applies to career coaches. Don’t hire career coaches who can’t seem to make progress in their professions. If the medicine isn’t working for them, then it’s most likely going to be garbage to you too and I don’t think you should spend $150 to $5000 on someone that’s basically a dead end. 

So, make some research. It shouldn’t take long. All you need to check is their website, social media pages and blogs. Go through everything you can find about them and make your decision on that. 

Sure, there may be some gems who can’t walk the talk but let’s be realistic here, they’re no the only gems you can find. It’s best to let them go if you’re not impressed. 

Check out what they offer

Coaching is not an exact science and because of that, it can be a little difficult to quantify what you’re gaining from the sessions and your achievement. However, the story is different when the coaches specify the things you’re likely to gain in the end in the form of packages. This way you know what to watch out for and how to hold your coach to those promised achievements. 

Getting a coach without specifying your goals is going in blind. You may end up spending a lot without result. 

Where to Find the A Good Career Coach

If you’ve come this far in the article, you’re probably thinking; “when do we get to the part that discusses the main topic?” Well, that’s right now. 

Finding a career coach is a very personal thing. Your issues are unique to you and in some situations, it can be a trial and error process but that doesn’t mean finding a good career coach is completely hopeless. The following are ways you can get a career coach. 

Referrals

There’s no better way to find a career coach that fits your need than through referrals. People that give referrals usually know the coach or have worked with them before and are satisfied with their services. This means they at least have expertise in what they say they do.

You can also ask your mutual contact about their experiences and whether reaching out is worth it. 

Employee coaching services

A lot of companies invest in employee coaching services for their workers to become better and more productive. You can take advantage of such services because the coaches hired are guaranteed to be good at what they do. 

The downside to this option is that you may not feel as comfortable as you would have been with an independent coach.

Career coaching professional organizations

Is there a better place to find career coaches than a place where those professionals come together? I don’t think so. These platforms sometimes have a list of coaches or someone that stands out. You can never go wrong with checking out such a person.

Organizations you can check out include Career Coach Academy, Career Directors International, and the Professionals Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches.

Alumni coaching services

Many schools have alumni coaching services for their students you can leverage for your career growth and development. These coaching services have experienced coaches that have  helped people with your unique background so everything should be pretty alright.

What Qualities Should You Look for in a Career Coach?

The following are qualities you should watch out for in a career coach.

Credentials and certification

Coaching is not like law or medicine that has the medical board exam or the bar exam which means the right career coach for you isn’t going to have a certification from a particular organization. However, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have some form of training. 

Listens actively

The best coach is someone who listens more than they talk. If they don’t listen, they can’t get or understand your pain points. They also can’t build a rapport with you which allows you to genuinely connect and engage in honest communication. 

Furthermore, asking though-provoking questions rather than just voicing their opinions can motivate you to think deeply and answer questions in a way that helps you realize the truth by yourself without further breakdown.

Has great observation skills

Career coaches with great observation skills can easily read their client’s body languages and understand when they’re finding it difficult to put some things into words. The more sessions they have with more, the more accurate they become at interpreting these subtle nuances and can make all the difference especially if you’re not the type that opens up easily. 

Remains focused

The most experienced coaches have the capacity to focus on a client throughout a session without getting distracted by their surroundings. They can also focus on a topic and an issue at a time no matter how much the client digresses because this is necessary to fully understand what’s going on and figure out a solution.

Final Thoughts on How to Find a Career Coach

Finding the perfect career coach for you can be easy or hard depending on your personal needs and how well you are able to disclose your issues, aims and aspirations. So, if things don’t go well with your first coach, don’t give up, just try again or get an alternative in the form of a mentor. 

FAQs

Is a career coach also a life coach?

No, a career coach is not a life coach. While career coaches work with their clients on achieving professional goals, life coaches help their clients reach personal goals.

Does career coaching actually work?

Yes, career coaching actually works. With career coaching, you can identify your goals and figure out realistic and actionable ways to achieve those goals. 

Is coaching better than mentoring?

No, both of them are equally good.