How To Find Career Coach

Where To Find A Career Coach

Generally speaking, its advisable to seek out those with a professional certification from a recognized accreditation body, advises Starr. The tricky thing with career coaching is that its an unregulated field and anyone can call themselves a career coach.

Start by asking your personal network for coaches they may have worked with, says Capozzoli. Personal references and experience can go a long way when determining if you want to work with someone. Also explore and research career coaches in your area or by expertise via LinkedIn. Determine if a coach has a website for further review of their expertise and client recommendations.

Many of the credentialing bodies that offer career coach certifications also have professional directories to help you identify the career coach who suits your needs:

Think In The Long Term

You and your career coach may experience some growing pains, so give the relationship time to develop.

However, dont be discouraged if your initial coach ship doesnt last.

You will likely have several coaches throughout your career. Its not uncommon to seek help from multiple people to address different aspects of work.

Be Prepared To Take A Career Assessment

Its common that before you have your first career coaching session, youll take an assessment. At BetterUp, we use something called a Whole Person Assessment . Rooted in positive psychology, our WPA measures key capabilities, behaviors, and mindsets. Its a comprehensive view of your current overall state of being.

But unlike many other career assessments, the WPA takes into account something important: your whole self. It measures things you wouldnt anticipate in a career assessment, like rest, self-compassion, and physical activity. Why? Because these key components help influence how we show up in our professional lives, too.

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Determine Your Career Coach Search Criteria

Once you know more about the support you are looking for, you may have some logistical considerations, including:

• Certifications: Although career coaches arenât required to hold any specific credential, there are a few different certification options available. If you want some extra reassurance surrounding your coachâs skills and expertise, you may want to consider finding a credentialed or certified coach. Some popular career coaching certifications include Certified Professional Career Coach , International Coaching Federation , or Board Certified Coach .

• Cost: Career coaching is an investment. Coaches can arrange their own pricing structure, but many will charge between $75 to $150 per session. Depending on their experience and expertise, some coaches may charge much more.

• Location: Career coaches may work with clients in person, on the phone, or over video chat. Think about the meeting structure that feels most beneficial for you.

What Does A Career Coach Do

At the most basic level, having a career coach is like having a brand awareness team, said Rachel Bitte, founder of RB Consulting.

These professionals understand how to pinpoint the best aspects of your professional experience and market it in the most attractive way possible to potential employers, Bitte said. Theyre well versed in crafting resumes, career planning, motivation techniques and, most importantly, network building.

According to Vicki Salemi, a Monster career expert, job coaches usually have extensive experience in recruiting or human resources.

They can help you with a variety of tasks, she said. For example, with my clients, we look at long-term dream careers, what they currently do and how their next job can lead them closer to their dream job.

Coaches also give their clients accountability to keep the job seeker on track to move toward their next role, Salemi added.

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What Is Your Technique

Career coaches and counselors address job search and career concerns through an array of methods. One client may benefit from assessment tests designed to pinpoint jobs that seem to suit their personality and skill set. Another may need to pack some punch in their resume or work on interviewing more effectively. Pointed questions can help define priorities, and specific game plans can encourage action through accountability.

Figure out which technique you might prefer. Do you want someone thats no-nonsense and gets to the point? Or, do you want to work with a coach that is not as direct or asks open-ended questions to help you figure out the answer on your own?

What Are Your Strengths And Weaknesses

Knowing a career coach’s strengths and weaknesses can provide insight into their skill set. Quality strengths include communication, empathy, adaptability and dependability. You may also want to find a career coach who can motivate to help you to work toward your goals. When they discuss their weaknesses, a quality answer shows they’re actively working to overcome them.

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Signs Youre Not Ready For Career Coaching

Even if youve identified the need for a career coach, if you struggle to look inside yourself for answers, a career coach may not be a solution at this time. A career coach can only take you so far, Friedman says. You must be open-minded and willing to work hard to identify your strengths and weaknesses and fight for the fulfilling career you want.

Here are three indicators that a career coach may not be right for you.

Should I Go To Career Counseling Or Coaching

First, is career counseling or coaching right for you? These forms of professional support may be especially helpful if you are:

• A recent college graduate
• Returning to the workforce after time away, such as extended parental leave
• Feeling unsatisfied with your career and want to make a change, whether large or small
• Unsure of what youd like your career path to be in the long term
• Having trouble finding a job
• Looking to get involved in a particular field or industry, but arent sure how to start
• Dealing with challenges in your current job, such as trouble working with bosses or colleagues

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Questions To Ask A Career Coach Before Hiring Them

Whenever you hire anyone, whether, for your business, or yourself, you are likely to have questions. Questions that clarify why professional is the best fit for your needs.

Similarly, you would have questions for coaches as well.

However, if you are confused about what you should ask a coach, here is a great list to start with.

Qualifications Of Career Coaches

Consider the educators, supervisors, and other mentorship and leadership personalities with whom youve previously worked. Who has supported, motivated, and assisted you in reaching your goals? What skills did they all share?

Behavior analysis, interpersonal talents, relationship management, case management, youth worker, instruction, and recruiting are the most prevalent key skills of career coaches. Aside from these, they should have the following qualifications:

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How To Search For A Career Coach

Once you know what you need, use LinkedIn to find the right coach. LinkedIn lets you search every coach in the world from one place, and has simple powerful filters to get you the right one for you.

Time needed: 5 minutes.

Heres how to find a job coach on LinkedIn:

Their Way Or The Highway

The whole point of hiring a coach is to help you come up with a career plan. However, its not the coachs job to create the plan for you. Your coach should help you identify your goals and figure out what you need to do to achieve those goals. What a coach should not do is hand you a plan and tell you to follow it. Just like you and your career are unique, your plan should be unique, too.

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Does Career Coaching Help You Find A Job

Yes, career coaches can help you find a job. But its important to know that working with a career coach wont be the magic bullet to receiving job offers.

A career coach helps you build the skills and capabilities to improve your job-searching skills. They can help you write a cover letter, review your resume, and practice interview skills.

Gain Career Clarity And Focus

Career insecurity impacts everyone, regardless of where they are in their careers or their degree of expertise. After all, choosing a career is both an exhilarating and terrifying prospect. So, if your job path has taken a bad turn, it doesnt have to be a dead end. Your career compass will be adjusted once you have clarity.

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How To Choose The Right Career Coach For You

One of the best things Ive ever done for my professional life was work with a career coach. I was feeling stuck, confused, and unsure of my next steps, and conversations with friends and family hadnt been productive. After a self-assessment about my career path and goals and a one-hour session with my coach, I walked away with more clarity and confidence than I had had in yearsnot to mention an action plan for the next three months. It was so helpful that I couldnt believe I hadnt done it sooner.

Of course, there were a couple of reasons I hadnt. One was the money. And yes, that initial investment was tough to swallow, but the result was worth every penny.

The bigger factor, though, is that I had no idea who to work with. A search on Google produced hundreds of results, but which of these people was I going to feel comfortable spilling all of my professional secrets to?

Here at The Muse, we recently launched a platform called Coach Connect, which lets you book one-on-one sessions with career coachesand I can imagine anyone whos considering doing this is feeling the same way I did. While you dont have to worry about choosing someone whos high-quality , I know just how overwhelming it can be to decide which of those people is the right one for your career.

To help point you in the right direction, start by asking yourself these three questions:

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

The concept of ADHD coaching was introduced in 1994 by psychiatristsEdward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey in their book Driven to Distraction. ADHD coaching is a specialized type of life coaching that uses techniques designed to assist individuals with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder by mitigating the effects of executive function deficit, which is a common impairment for people with ADHD. Coaches work with clients to help them better manage time, organize, set goals, and complete projects. In addition to assisting clients understand the impact of ADHD on their lives, coaches can help them develop “workaround” strategies to deal with specific challenges, and determine and use individual strengths. Coaches also help clients get a better grasp of what reasonable expectations are for them as individuals since people with ADHD “brain wiring” often seem to need external “mirrors” for self-awareness about their potential despite their impairment.

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How To Choose The Right Career Coach

Once youve decided on one or two candidates, request a session to learn more about their personalities. Many coaches will provide a complimentary one-hour introductory appointment to see if the partnership is a good fit. Also, make sure to inquire about references.

There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all technique for finding a job. Everyone is different, with their own mix of talents, experience, beliefs, and interests. As a result, each professional path is unique and must be addressed as such. Thus, work with someone who is willing to invest in making sure that youre a good fit.

Some career coaches are excellent at assisting you, while others wing it by leaving your worries in the general job seekers problems list. Thats why, before you invest your time and money, you should know how to identify a good coach, how much to pay, and what to anticipate from sessions.

You Arent Sure How To Make Your Resume Substantive And Also Simple

Resumes need to showcase the right skills and capabilities to do the job at the level being advertised. A career coach can help you position your skills in the context of a potential role especially transferable ones that dont match up exactly with whats in the job description. Not all accomplishments, no matter how great, belong on a resume. A career coach can help you determine what experience is relevant to the job youre applying for and simplify your resume and LinkedIn profile with one message that will position you to attract recruiters attention.

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Can You Cite Some Success Stories

Its all fine and dandy to cite some stats on previous client success, but to really understand if the career coach is as good as they say they are, you should ask for some success stories.

This serves two purposesfirst, it helps affirm if youre on the same page regarding what success means to you both. Second, it helps give you some insight into what the career coach could potentially do for you by seeing how theyve helped others in the past. If youre still unsure, you can always ask for references and speak directly with past clients.

Q: Ive Never Done Anything Like This What Should I Expect

The exact deliverables for a specific service are available on that services page. As far as working with a coach, you will receive personalized attention from a career expert who will use impactful questions to best understand your career objectives and work toward meeting them. Expect a mix guiding questions, thought partnership, and action steps to help you with what comes next.

Like any other relationship, the more you put into your sessions, the more you’ll get out. Those who get the best results are receptive to feedback and open to doing the work after the session is over.

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Manage Your Own Expectations

Your coach can help you get “unstuck” and find the answers that are right for you. A coach helps you stay on track with your goals, explore options, and handle different elements of a job search including rejection. Expect to go through a thought process to work out what’s important to you, but a coach won’t tell you what job to do.

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First: Identify Potential Coaches

Lets start with ways to find a pool of potential coaches you would want to work with.

Google Search

Super simple do a search for career coach for women or career coach near me. Youll get a list to start from right away with that search.

Ask Your Network

Youre looking for the know, like, and trust factors when selecting a career coach, and who do you know, like, and trust better than your friends?

Ask people you respect if they know of a career coach they have worked with or they would recommend.

Join a Community

When looking for a career coach for women, think about who else would know someone who does that work and where they might be hanging out.

For example, Fairygodboss is a great platform for women professionals to seek out career advice and you can find career coaches there.

Local networks are great too. For example, Boston Business Women or Pepperlane both have fantastic Facebook groups to seek out advice or other professionals.

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What Type Of Credentials Should I Look For With A Career Coach

There aren’t any required credentials for a career coach, but great career coaches have often learned their craft by growing their own careers, or by having an HR background. There are also several certifications that are applicable to career coaching, including the ICF life coach accreditation, the Nationally Certified Resume Writers certification, or the Nationally Certified Online Profile Expert accreditation.

I began teaching others everything I was learning as I went from a call center agent > analyst> customer customer manager > product manager making $6 Figures.

This year I added additional skills by enrolling in an ICF Life Coaching Program through Inner Glow Circle. I can know view a client holistically while advancing their career, side hustle or business. Again none is this is required but some of enjoy having initials behind our names

The next highest level is hiring a personal trainer because they are experts that provide personal attention and hold you accountable. You trust that they will get your results as long as you show up and do the work