Should I Hire a Career Coach?

career coach


You started out at your job excited and motivated to tackle any task. Then, as years went by and the job became a little too familiar, you lost some of that drive.

This can result in your career stalling out and eventually, it leads to a sabotaged career. Before it goes too far, let’s see some of the ways you may be sabotaging your career path.

Behavior that Can Sabotage Your Career

Most people put their best selves forward when looking for a job. But once that hiring process is past and they’re comfortable with their new role, some may grow complacent and revert to bad habits.

Here are a few things that can keep you from advancing in your career:

1. Leaving tasks you don’t like for someone else.

2. Backstabbing/gossip/placing blame. If you’re the first in the office to pipe up and blame Gary for that printer mishap, coworkers and superiors will assume you’d do the same to them. The same goes for backstabbing and gossip — they’re career killers.

3. Tardiness/absenteeism. You’ll gain no friends at work if you’re consistently late or absent — both the boss and your coworkers will resent you for it, since they’ll have to cover for you while you’re gone.

If you feel you’re self-sabotaging your own career path, a career coach may be able to help you turnaround the situation and earn the advancements you deserve.

Reasons to Consult a Career Coach

1. The coach will be able to give you an objective opinion of where you are now, and what you need to do to jumpstart your career. She can help you set clear goals, and give you tips on reaching them.

2. A good career consultant can help motivate you by pointing out your strengths and encouraging you to act on them.

3. Your coach can help you with negotiating a raise or promotion — or with polishing up your resume if it’s time to move on to a new job.

How to Hire a Career Coach

Before working with a career coach, you should ask some questions to determine whether he’s a good fit for you. Find out how long he or she has been in business, and whether they have a specific job or industry they specialize in.

Be sure to ask if he or she has had any clients they were not able to help, and why. An honest answer to this question may reveal a lot about the coach’s working philosophy, and whether they’ll be a good fit for you.

How Much Should I Expect to Pay?

Fees for career consultants can vary widely, depending on your location and the services provided. You can expect to pay anywhere from $75 per hour, up to hundreds per hour. If the coach can show plenty of “wins” among his client list, he’s worth his hourly rate.

Be careful when dealing with consulting companies that ask for large, up-front fees. If you’re considering such a company, be extra careful about checking references and talking with their prior clients to make sure they’re worth the price they’re asking.

Many things can lead to your career hitting a plateau. Only you can decide if it’s time to move on to a new position, or if you’d rather try to fix things where you are.

Either way, a good career coach can help you make the changes that will get your career back on track.

Have you worked with a career coach? How did it go?

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Discussion

  1. Leigh on the 15th March

    Great advice, Angie!

    I have been a career coach, and also hired a career coach during an uncertain time in my career. We can’t always see our own situation objectively. She helped me to increase the visibility of my then-current accomplishments, put some motivation back into my plans, and ultimately helped me to see a vision where I left with grace and good references!

    Each situation is different, and a good career coach will guide you along YOUR path.

    • Angie Mansfield on the 18th March

      Thanks for your comment, Leigh! Great to hear from someone who’s been on both sides of the client/coach relationship.

      Yes, it’s definitely helpful to be able to talk to someone who can be objective about the situation. A pep talk now and then can work wonders, too!

  2. RavenDelana on the 18th March

    I’ve worked with a coach, and I am currently a career coach and I LOVE this article. The two biggest issues that I run into with my clients are fear and self-sabotage. And those issues show up in so many different ways that we normally go for years thinking it’s something like “time management” that we hear in performance reviews. So then we spin our wheels trying to “manage time better”: buying day planners, setting timers, showing up early and staying late. I love helping young professional women to sort those things out so that working life is a little easier.

    • Angie Mansfield on the 19th March

      That’s great, Raven! I’m so glad there are dedicated coaches like you out there, helping people sort out these issues. I think “self-sabotage” is a great way of putting it — a lot of people do that to themselves in all aspects of their lives, not just in their careers.

      Thanks for your feedback!

  3. Alison Elissa Horner on the 19th March

    Career coaches can also help you manage a career change.

    I specialize in providing career coaching to young professionals who are struggling with their career direction. My clients generally know they type of work they don’t like (their current job), but are having trouble determining what would be a better fit for them.

    • Angie Mansfield on the 19th March

      Excellent point, Alison. It’s a tremendous help to have someone to bounce ideas off of, especially when you’re not sure which direction you should go.

  4. Ryan on the 29th March

    Great article Angie! Do you have any stats on the benefits of career coaching by any chance? Curious to know the tangibles.

  5. Career Coaching on the 8th April

    Career coaching is a vast industry with a broad scope for minting millions. So if you are interested in helping people find the right jobs and earning money at the same time, then a profession as a career coach is the perfect solution for you.

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