Is a Career Coach Really Worth the Investment?

This question was posed on a LinkedIn group I follow. Being an Executive Resume Writer and Career Coach, I’d like to share my thoughts on this topic with you.

For middle, senior and CXO level professionals who are currently or are soon to be engaged in a job search working with the right Career Coach is a wise investment based on the potential ROI. However working with the wrong coach can be totally catastrophic.

The same can be said about working with a coach for individuals who are just starting out in their career, as well as for mid-stage and late stage career changers and executives who want to learn how to ascend rather than claw their way to the top.

Who is the right or wrong career coach for me?

The way I define the ‘wrong coach’ is anyone who offers outdated advice or a coach who is qualified to coach other people but is ill-equipped as a coach for individuals in your situation or at your level.

To better understand why a Career Coach is so valuable it would be helpful to define what various practitioners offer. In my opinion there are three (3) distinct types of career service providers who fall under the broad umbrella of Career Coaches and each has a distinct value to different types of clients.

Career Coach Type 1
These are coaches who work with people to examine their likes and dislikes, skills, priorities and goals for the future. They generally conduct assessment tests and base their coaching on their interpretation of the compiled data.

For me this is very useful for people early on in a career who have no clue what they want to do, for people who are unfulfilled in their present career and feel a need to change but do not know in what direction they should go, and for older workers whose skills are no longer marketable and need direction in how to reposition themselves to get back to work in a new occupation or vocation.

Career Coach Type 2
These are coaches who work with men and woman who know the direction they want to take in their career – even if they are changing careers – but need help to develop a well defined roadmap in terms of present and future career planning and need assistance on how to conduct an efficient job search to find a new position in less time than the current national average of 285 days.

These Career Coaches, of which I am one, help professionals to effectively transition into new jobs and new roles by understanding and mastering the dynamics of a job search in this new era. We help people identify the hidden job market and penetrate it, learn how to harness the power of social media and networking, learn how to view specific job opportunities based on identifying future goals and determining a clear plan for achievement, improve verbal and non-verbal communication skills in a global business world, and help raise a client’s personal profile and self esteem within their company, industry and community.

Type 2 Career Coaches also help professionals learn to identify and eliminate and/or minimize weaknesses and find ways to capitalize on, or acquire new skills and talents that will be essential for future career growth, along with helping them shatter any pre-conceived and/or negative images others may have about them.

Some Career Coaches also do as I do and mentor clients and make themselves available to answer question and offer advice and guidance when the need is greatest but falls outside the time frame of a pre-scheduled session.

For me this type of coach is useful for professionals at all ages and stages in their career that need help to conduct a job search and/or learn how to manage their career and avoid it from stagnating or going off track.

Career Coach Type 3
Lastly there is the Executive Coach. They do much of what the aforementioned coaches do but also help executives develop leadership and management skills. They coach on team building, time management, culture shaping, taking ownership of initiatives, facilitating meetings and discussions, implementing change management, increasing motivation and productivity in others and on how to make effective business in order to earn more money for a company and themselves.

For me this type of coaching is essential for an executive who does not already have the talent and ability to thrive and survive in the boardroom or the executive suite.

Now that you know what different coaches have to offer maybe it is time for you to explore this route for yourself. After all the ROI of working with the right Career Coach is well worth the up front expense.