What To Expect From a Career Coach
Have you been thinking about working with a career coach but not sure if it’s the right decision for you? Today we’re talking about what to expect from a career coach.
It seems like everyone is calling themselves a career coach these days. So it’s understandable if you’re not sure what to expect or whether they’re the right choice to help you reach your career goals.
So let’s understand what career coaches do, what to expect when working with one, and whether it’s the right choice for you.
What Is a Career Coach?
Most people turn to career coaching when they’re stuck in their careers and looking to make a change.
But career coaching is so much more than helping people find a new job.
It’s also about answering the big questions, such as what will make you happy and fulfilled long-term:
Maybe you’re reevaluating your priorities and what’s most important to you
Maybe you’ve stopped growing and are looking to make a significant shift
Maybe you’re exhausted and feeling like the best parts of yourself are withering away
Maybe you’re stuck at a certain income level—or realizing that your paycheck isn’t enough for you in other ways
Maybe it’s time to do that thing you’ve always wanted to do…but fear and uncertainty are creeping in
It’s important to understand that a certified career coach has specific tools and training to help you navigate your career in a holistic, empowering way that can change your entire career trajectory for the better.
In other words, a good coach is not going to throw a bunch of assessments at you, rewrite your resumé, and call it a day.
Nor are they going to focus on job search tactics. You can Google all that.
According to the International Coaching Federation:
Coaching is partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.
Quite a mouthful.
So what can you expect from a career coach?
You can expect a career coach to help you do things like:
Think beyond the obvious moves to career options you couldn’t have imagined
Combine your strengths and interests in new ways
Talk about yourself with confidence and clarity
Understand where you’re putting up barriers and holding yourself back
Give you tools and a plan that last well beyond your next career move
Help you take consistent, real-life steps towards your goals
And they can help you get better results faster than you would on your own.
“That’s great, Caroline. Can’t I just do this with the help of friends and family?”
Good question. Let’s discuss.
How Can a Career Coach Help Me?
It’s normal to turn to family, friends, and trusted advisors for career advice when you’re struggling.
This rarely leads to meaningful results. Why?
When leaning on friends, family, and mentors, there’s a huge risk they’ll crush your dreams, even if it’s by accident.
One of the biggest challenges with getting the career and life you want is seeing through the fog of the “shoulds,” expectations, and limiting beliefs that are keeping you stuck and settling.
And even with the best of intentions, the people who care most about you impose their own limitations, values, and beliefs on you.
Any of these sound familiar?
Your family can’t understand why you can’t just be happy with a steady paycheck and good benefits
Your friend tells you there’s no such thing as a dream career
Your co-worker says what you want isn’t “realistic” (I HATE that word)
Your mentor tries to push you in a direction you don’t want to go
Not to mention most of them don’t seem too thrilled with their own careers.
Even if they’ve risen to tremendous success and are 100% fulfilled, it’s based on their definition of success and fulfillment, which might not be yours.
Their advice comes from a place of what they think is best for you.
Whereas a career coach will help you determine what you think is best for you. And TRUST it long enough to take action.
Begin With Your Own Expectations
Want to know what to expect from a career coach? Begin with your own expectations.
Part of the muddiness of expectations is that there are all sorts of people who call themselves “career coaches” who aren’t actually coaches.
Don’t get me wrong: some offer valuable career support and advice. But it’s much different than the coaching I described above.
So it’s important to understand the distinction.
The best way to make sure a career coach meets your expectations is first to get clear for yourself:
What’s your ideal outcome from the coaching? (if it’s a new job, go deeper: what will that job change for you?)
How much time are you willing to invest?
What kind of support do you want?
Do you actually want to be coached?
If you’re just looking for some interview prep and feedback on your resumé, you don’t need to hire a coach.
If you’re looking for the quickest way to get into a new gig, you might be better off with a recruiter.
If you’re clear on your path and want to learn from someone you like and respect who’s going to tell you how they blazed the trail, you’re probably better off with a mentor or consultant.
These career support options are focused on getting you into the next job as quickly as possible.
Nothing wrong with that—if that’s your goal.
On the other hand, a career coach is the better choice if you’re:
At a career crossroads and looking to explore your options,
Aren’t sure what you want or what to call it,
Want to improve as a leader and have more influence over key decisions,
Are looking to build more confidence and trust in yourself,
Want to be happier, more balanced, and fulfilled in your job so you can enjoy life
Do you see how much further-reaching those results will be?
As a holistic career coach, I’m not interested in quick fixes or short-term solutions; I’m interested in helping people transform their careers and lives.
I also understand that not everyone is looking for transformation.
What To Expect From a Career Coach
What can you expect from a career coach? The best career coaches will take a holistic approach to you career, which means first doing the inner work about who you are and what's most important to you, so you can find the external options that line up.
The Best Career Coaches:
• Ask more questions than give answers
• Help you get out of your own way
• Help you build new patterns and habits
• Uncover who you are at your best
• Help you take intentional, aligned action
Let’s break this down.
A recruiter, mentor, or resumé writer might help you change your circumstances.
But you haven’t really learned or improved.
If you’re a workholic, lack self-confidence, or always put others’ needs before your own, you’re going to take those habits right into that next job and end up in the exact same place—even if it’s your dream job.
So you can expect a career coach to help you understand what’s underneath those patterns. And help you change them.
So you can start acting with confidence, self-compassion, and ease today—and use it to find the right work environments.
Yes, this results in changing your external circumstances, but it also means doing the inner work that gets at the heart of what’s holding you back.
Connect Your Inner Purpose To Outer Goals and Strategies
One of the biggest benefits of working with a career coach? They’ll help you TAKE ALIGNED ACTION that feels good and sustainable.
Clarity and insights are great. But they don’t mean anything if you don’t then take those insights and integrate them into your day-to-day.
And because career coaches give you the tools, it’s much more likely you’ll take bigger, bolder steps that you might not have even considered.
Like Hannah, who came into coaching looking for another 9-5 job and ended up starting her own business.
And the results are longer-lasting and further-reaching than just finding just another job.
Like Sarah, who is not only flourishing in her career but has transformed her life outside of work.
Career coaches get to the heart of what’s most important for you and your long-term happiness, fulfillment, and financial abundance which drives alllll your decisions.
Speaking of financial abundance…
Are Career Coaches Worth It?!
I’ve written a separate post about how to evaluate the coaching investment so you can make the best decision for your career needs.
And, no, not all coaches ARE worth it. There are a lot of people calling themselves career coaches who have no business doing so.
Comparing coaches can be like apples to oranges. Here’s how to find the best coach for you.
Until then, please please please do not make money the primary factor in your decision.
Or hire the person who charges the least.
Instead:
Think about what having the life and career you’d want would be worth to you.
Find a coach that you like and trust.
Make sure their program aligns with your goals.
Then invest in yourself. It’s priceless.
If the cheapest option happens to be your favorite coach, great. I’m just saying choose the coach that will actually help you reach your goals.
If you go with the cheap option and don’t reach your goals, what have you actually saved?
Think of how much you’ve already invested in schooling that hasn’t led to the career outcomes you want. Now imagine investing a fraction of that time and money directly in changing your life and career for the better.
The Best Career Coach For You Will Help You See Options You Can’t See Yourself
If you take nothing else from this post, I want you to understand that the career and life you want is possible. You don’t have to settle.
How you get there and who you choose to help you chart your course is up to you.
If you believe there’s something greater out there for you and are ready to make a career change, check out how a career transition coach can help you make the leap.
I hope this has helped you understand what to expect from a career coach and whether it’s the right decision for your career aspirations.
If you found this post on what to expect from a career coach helpful, I’ve created a guide that lays out the 4-step process I use with my career coaching clients.
Ready to make money doing work you love? Grab your free 4-step career roadmap.
Author Bio:
Before becoming a coach, Caroline worked in management consulting and financial services. She's made it her mission to help people grow, contribute, and get wherever they want to go.
She’s also a tennis fanatic, aspiring Minimalist, FIRE (Financial Independence and Retire Early) enthusiast, and Aloha Spirit seeker 🤙. She loves to share stories from her unconventional life and career focused on freedom, creativity, fun, health, family, and community. If she can do it, you can, too.
The life and career you want is possible once you have the roadmap. Take the first step by downloading your free career roadmap.
