What does a career coach actually do
· 4 minute read
A career coach helps you work out what you want from work and how to get it. They do this through structured conversations, practical exercises and honest feedback, covering anything from a change of direction to a promotion or a return after time away. They do not find you a job, and they are not a recruiter.
What happens in a session
Most career coaching is one to one, in person or by video. You bring a question, such as whether to leave, how to get promoted, or what on earth to do next. The coach asks questions that are harder to dodge than the ones you ask yourself, reflects back what they hear, and helps you turn loose thoughts into decisions.
Between sessions you usually have something to do: an exercise on what you value, conversations with people in a field you are curious about, a rewritten CV, an application. That is where most of the progress happens.
What a career coach can help with
The label covers a lot of ground. Common reasons people hire one include the following.
Some coaches do all of this. Many specialise by stage, sector or problem. A coach who mainly works with senior leaders is a different proposition from one who helps graduates find a first role.
- Choosing a new direction when your current one has stopped fitting.
- Changing sector or role without starting from the bottom.
- Preparing for interviews, promotion panels or salary conversations.
- Returning to work after parenting, caring, illness or redundancy.
- Handling a difficult manager or a first leadership role.
- Making your CV and LinkedIn profile say what you mean.
What a career coach does not do
A coach will not place you in a job. Recruiters do that, and they are paid by employers, which is why their advice leans towards the roles they are filling. A coach is paid by you and works for you.
A coach is not a mentor either. A mentor shares what worked for them in their own field. A coach may have no experience of your industry and still be effective, because the skill is in helping you think and act, not in telling you what they did. And a coach is not a therapist. If work stress has turned into persistent anxiety or low mood, see your GP first.
Coach, careers adviser or executive coach
The titles overlap. A careers adviser tends to give information and guidance: what routes exist, what qualifications you need, how to approach the job market. In the UK, the Career Development Institute is the professional body for careers advisers and keeps a register of qualified practitioners. A career coach tends to work more on your thinking, confidence and follow-through.
Executive coaches work with managers and leaders on how they perform in the role they have, and are often paid for by the employer. If your question is about leading a team well, look there. If it is about which role you want at all, a career coach is closer to the mark.
How to tell a good one
Career coach is not a protected title, so check for yourself. Look for coaching training accredited by the ICF, the EMCC or the Association for Coaching, and ask how long they have been coaching and who they usually work with. Relevant background helps, such as years in recruitment, HR or your sector, but it does not replace coaching skill.
Be wary of anyone who guarantees a job, an interview or a pay rise. No coach controls the hiring decision. What they can promise is a process, their attention and their candour.
What it costs and how long it takes
Fees depend on the coach's experience, their specialism, the seniority of the clients they usually work with, and whether you buy single sessions or a package. A narrow question, like preparing for one interview, may take a session or two. A full change of direction usually takes a series of sessions spread over a few months, because you need time to test ideas in the real world between conversations.
Ask what is included between sessions, such as CV feedback or messages, and whether you can book one session before committing to more.
Getting the most from it
Arrive with a specific question, even a rough one. Be honest about constraints such as money, location and family, because a plan that ignores them will not survive. Do the work between sessions.
On Coach Connect you can read what each career coach covers and who they work best with, then message them directly with your situation before you book anything. A short reply tells you a lot about how they think.
