How Do I Pick the Right Career Coach?

I need help with my career. Who should I call?

As a career coach who always welcomes new clients, I am obviously going to plug my services somewhere in this blog post. While I clearly like my own approach, there are many types of career-related coaches out there, each with varying approaches and credentials. Career coaching is not a one size fits all industry.

It is almost inevitable that anyone who is active in the job market will be faced with some sort of challenge, whether it is poor work-life balance, a toxic work environment, performance issues, or stagnation. To complicate things even further, workers’ concerns and needs will probably change as they navigate their career journey.

The specific challenge you are facing will determine what kind of help you may need and who could best provide it. In this blog, I will Q&A myself to dig into who may be the best type of coach for you.

I need a new career or job. Which type of coach do I need?

Some career coaches only help people to define appropriate career direction while others continue on to provide the tools needed to conduct an effective search such as resumes, LinkedIn profiles, interview preparation, networking, and overall job search techniques. As a bit of self-promotion, our Job-Guy practice covers all of these services.

Career coaches vary in terms of how they help their clients identify their strengths, address their weakness, define their interests, and identify career paths.

It is important to be careful when hiring a career coach as there is no licensing required for someone to claim they are one. That said, most career coaches will own certifications which demonstrate at least a baseline degree of formal training.

Because the world of careers changes so quickly, certifications in themselves may not be the best indicator of current competency. For example, I have rewritten hundreds of resumes that had been originally composed by certified resume writers who had not kept up with the ways that resumes are processed today.

Which type of career coach can help me change careers now without having to get a PhD?

Us, of course! The Job-Guy model focuses on identifying skills that our clients have demonstrated they enjoy using and are good at using in a work, education, or volunteer setting. This approach allows us to “shop” our clients’ backgrounds to pinpoint skills that we can market confidently. We can then look at jobs in real time that best take advantage of those skills.

This approach enables us to target careers that meet three major criteria: the new job will be enjoyable, attainable, and a step on a longer-range path that is compatible with lifestyle needs going forward. Because the jobs are selected based on demonstrated skills, they are usually actionable right away.

Once the target jobs are in hand, we can then build resumes and LinkedIn profiles to most effectively connect the past to the future.

Which type of career coach should I hire if I want to completely reinvent myself?

Some career coaches use aptitude testing, such as The Clifton Strengths Finder, Myers Briggs, or DISC assessments to uncover natural strengths and weaknesses. These insights can then be matched to careers that best match those natural inclinations.

This kind of approach can be great for those who truly want to know what they are hardwired to do. It can also work well for those who have not yet begun a career and have few on-the-job demonstrated skills.

The possible downside to this approach is that just because you are wired to do something doesn’t mean that you have demonstrated those skills in a context that transfers. You may find that the best fit for you may require extensive retraining and may not be actionable in the near term.

Who should I hire if I am at a transition point in life in general?

We are all different in terms of how much time and energy we are able and willing to commit to our work lives. Throwing this balance off can create stress and lead to conflicts at work and at home.

Sometimes this balance is thrown off because of the demands of the job, industry, or employer. Other times it comes from a change outside of work that may disrupt your ability to objectively determine what is truly important. Redefining overall life priorities is not often easy to do on your own.

Life coaches are trained to help clients define future life goals, identify obstacles, create action plans, provide accountability, and measure success toward that goal. So, if you are unclear about how to best fit all of life’s priorities together, a life coach may be for you.

Who should I hire if I am stressed out or if my confidence is shot?

Sometimes factors exist that make an otherwise good job situation untenable, including conflict with coworkers, job-related stress, low self-confidence, challenges separating work from home, or difficulties in meeting performance goals.

Whereas life coaches can address some of these same issues, they are typically trained to focus on the future, whereas therapists can unearth and address issues from the past that may be sabotaging a career.

While life coaches are usually certified, career therapists will have attained an advanced degree in health counseling, psychology, or social work. This allows them to do a deeper dive to uncover and treat underlying issues that may be undermining your career and overall life success.

Some career changers and job seekers have experienced true damage from a toxic environment or horrible boss that has wreaked havoc on their confidence or willingness to move forward. Therapists would be a good resource to isolate and deal with the root causes.

For more on career therapy, check out my interview with Career Therapist Jess Sweet in the September 2024 newsletter coming out later this month.

Which type of coach can help me improve my performance on the job?

Executive, performance, and leadership coaches work with high-potential employees at various levels to realize their potential, enhance performance, and achieve specific goals. This work often focuses on interpersonal skills such as self-awareness, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and the ability to influence vs. mandate.

These coaches typically work with clients to create tangible actions plans and introduce a process of accountability to track progress against goals and modify the approach as needed to adapt to external influences.

As with life coaches, executive, performance, and leadership coaches will typically be certified in their area of specialty.

How can I be confident that my coach is any good?

Most coaches will boast formal training either through formal education in psychology, mental health, or social work or via certification from a reputable source. These credentials ensure that the coach was taught how to do the work the way that it was expected to be done at the time.

But being trained as a coach does not in itself translate into effectiveness.

The best way to know that you are picking a great coach is if that coach has a history of making clients very happy. Check for positive recommendations and reviews on LinkedIn, on their website, or through a Google search.

To see all 192 of Job Guy’s client recommendations on LinkedIn, click here.