When To Hire a Career Coach
We all reach those career crossroads. The real question is where you go next. Let’s discuss when to hire a career coach and when you’re better off going it alone.
Have you done the frenzied internet job search? Started to question your competence? Feared that you have to tamp down the best parts of yourself to succeed? Resigned yourself to grind it out for “one more year” (or more)?
If you answered yes to any of the above, now might be a great time to consider working with a coach.
Here are 4 signs it may be time to hire a career coach…and when to hold off.
1. You’re Sick of Looking For Jobs Online
So many career changers find me after they’ve done the frenzied internet job search.
It’s demoralizing. And you don’t get the results you want.
You know the feeling…scrolling through a bunch of options that don’t actually excite you. Maybe they even fill you with dread.
Maybe you find something you’re super excited about…only to be ghosted or rejected without explanation.
I’ll save my full job search lecture for another post. But it’s really really hard to find your dream job by searching job postings:
Most jobs aren’t posted or are already promised to a lead candidate
Most job postings aren’t clear or accurate
It’s hard to know where to even start or what terms to search for
All of this drastically reduces the pool of quality job options.
Plus, there’s a huuuugge difference between finding a job and having a fulfilling, successful career.
Not to mention this is the exact wrong way to approach your career: starting with what you see out there and then trying to squeeze yourself into it.
A career coach starts at the beginning: helping you get clear on your strengths, interests, and what you want out of your career and life, then finding the career options that align with that.
A good coach is going to help you look beyond the obvious and help you come up with career options you might not have even considered.
If you’re wondering when to hire a career coach, a key sign is being ready to focus on your career beyond just the next job.
What career support do you need?
• Explore your career options
• Identify where you’re holding yourself back
• Build confidence and identify strengths
• Move past fear and indecision
• Set boundaries and prioritize yourself
• Build a network of trusted advocates
• Take action on a set of concrete steps
2. You Want More Confidence and Clarity
Most people admit the biggest barrier to having the career they want is themselves.
I mean, yeah. Confidence and clarity are really hard to summon on your own.
(I see you, Thinkers. But you can’t think your way into this.)
Believe me, I’ve tried.
We allll need outside perspective to point out our blind spots and limiting beliefs about what’s truly possible, understand how to connect the dots from where we’ve been to where we want to go, and help us to talk about what we want with the people best positioned to help us get there.
As one of my coach friends says, “It’s hard to see the picture when you’re inside the frame.”
A career coach can help you zoom wayyyy out, get clear on what you really want, then build the confidence to go after it.
Too many people assume they have to pick just one thing in their career. They end up unable to move or settling for less than what they really want.
A career coach can help you combine your seemingly disparate interests, identify those superpowers you so easily dismiss, and weave them into a set of career options you’re excited to pursue.
Oh, and they’ll also help you with really important, crunchy stuff—like how to identify your transferrable skills and position yourself—so you come in at the right level of the organization and get the pay you deserve.
“But Caroline, what if don’t know what I want?” Well, before you hire anyone, you can check out this post and this video for free.
3. You’re Not Getting Networking Results
I know, I know. You already know how to network.
Do you though?!
Seriously. What kind of results are you getting?
Are you flooded with the right kind of job offers?
Are people offering you opportunities out of the blue?
Are you able to communicate what you want clearly and concisely?
Are you connecting with the right people?
Are you building relationships or are most of your conversations one-and-done?
I haven’t even asked if you enjoy it enough to make it a regular habit.
Here’s the truth: most networking advice is transactional, sales-y, and not going to get you the results you want.
Working with a career coach or even finding a professional networking course can be a game-changer.
With a few simple tweaks to your mindset, strategy, and messaging, I’ll bet you can drastically improve your results—and turn networking into a habit you actually enjoy.
Learning how to build meaningful relationships is the career gift that keeps on giving. Think of it as creating passive income for your career.
Hiring a career coach that can turn you into a networking machine? That alone is worth the investment—one that will pay dividends throughout the course of your career.
If you’re consistently networking without getting results, or having trouble getting started, it’s a GREAT time to hire a career coach.
4. You Want To Take Empowered Action
One of the biggest barriers I see is people talking themselves out of a potential career path before they get a chance to fully explore it.
Or maybe you’re taking a ton of action…Just not the actions that are going to move you forward in a meaningful way (like reading alll the books and making alll the vision boards and complaining to alll your friends and family).
Or maybe you’re so bogged down with your current role that you can’t imagine finding time and energy to even think about what you want let alone pursue it.
This is when it’s really nice to have a career coach walking the path with you.
It’s about accountability, yes. But a good coach can ALSO help you find a way in so that the action FEELS good, energizing, and empowering.
Contrary to the power-pose people, confidence comes from action: taking a step, realizing the sky didn’t fall, and feeling emboldened to take another step and another after that. That’s how you build habits that stick.
I love this aphorism: by taking action, you get the result you want or the lesson you need.
You create your career and life one step at a time. And a career coach can help you get into action—and stay there—whether you prefer teeny tiny baby steps or giant leaps.
And not the steps that are simply distractions—like listening to a bunch of podcasts or obsessing over the format of your resumé. I mean real, transformative steps that help you reach your career goals.
When Should You NOT Hire a Career Coach?
I believe in the power of coaching. But it might not be the best choice for you and your career—right now or ever.
Here are some reasons when NOT to hire a career coach:
If your career strategies are working. (If it ain’t broke…)
If you just want to get into the next thing (find a recruiter or resumé writer)
If you’re unable to invest the time, money, and energy (coaching isn’t magic ✨)
If you’re uninterested in trying new approaches, tools, and ways of thinking
If you’re not ready to be vulnerable, open, and curious
If you don’t like/respect/trust the coach (although if you don’t trust any coach, that might be something to get curious about)
But…If you know there’s something bigger for you and have gotten as far as you can on your own, I encourage you to consider working with a coach.
Want to know what it’s like to work with a career coach and how they can help you reach your unique career goals?
Check out What To Expect From a Career Coach and How a Career Transition Coach Can Help You Make a Leap.
Still have questions about when to hire a career coach? Leave your comments and questions below.
If you found this post on when to hire a career coach helpful, I’ve created a guide that walks through the exact 4-step process I use with my career coaching clients.
Ready to make money doing work you love? Grab your free 4-step career roadmap.
Author Bio:
Before becoming a coach, Caroline worked in management consulting and financial services. She's made it her mission to help people grow, contribute, and get wherever they want to go.
She’s also a tennis fanatic, aspiring Minimalist, FIRE (Financial Independence and Retire Early) enthusiast, and Aloha Spirit seeker 🤙. She loves to share stories from her unconventional life and career focused on freedom, creativity, fun, health, family, and community. If she can do it, you can, too.
The life and career you want is possible once you have the roadmap. Take the first step by downloading your free career roadmap.
