Where and how do you find the best career coach? Is there such a thing as the best career coach? How do you find the perfect match for your needs?

Career Coach

Looking for a Career Coach – Start With One Question

The first question you should ask when looking for the help of a career coach is “Why am I looking to hire a coach?” Are you looking for someone to help you get ahead in your current career, someone to help you change careers, or are you seeking professional help with selecting the right career?

The answer to this question will not only help you select the right coach, it will also help that coach work with you during your coaching sessions. You will be able to ask potential coaches about their level of expertise in a particular area, and the coach will be able to design a series of questions based on what you want.

How Do You Find the Best Career Coach?

Finding the right coach is similar to finding other professional help, but it is also much different. Finding any type of professional help means you have to have a level of trust, a sense of comfort, a feeling of trust, and belief in professional competency.

However, unlike many other professionals – doctors, accountants, attorneys – there are no official licensing agencies for coaches, and you may find a wide range of competencies and quality among career coaches. There are several organizations through which coaches can receive certification – the largest is the International Coach Federation (ICF). However, it is important to note that having a certification doesn’t guarantee quality – many good coaches don’t have a certification.

Using Personal References to Find the Best Career Coaching Expert

Getting a reference or a referral from a family member, friend, or colleague might seem like a good way to go…and in many cases it is. However, coaching is extremely personal and opinions vary widely from one person to the next. Though personal references are a great place to start, you should do your due diligence on any reference to see if any coach is the best one for you.

Do Your Homework Before Hiring a Coach

Before you sign up with a coach, here are a few suggestions to help find your best career coach:

• Interview a few of the potential candidates – getting a feeling for their expertise and their personality.
• Find out about their rates – the session fees and any discount options.
• Find out about their customer support – email, web, phone, etc.
• Find out if they have written any books, penned any articles, produced any DVDs – so you can check out their work before you sign up for a session
• Ask if they offer a complimentary session – many coaches offer an initial free session as a way of introducing their coaching ability and style. This is a great way to determine if you and the coach have the right chemistry and will be the best career coach for you!

These few important steps will help you determine if a particular coach is the best career coach for your needs. Best is a subjective term when it comes to coaching, but if you have the best one for you, you’ll be more likely to have the best career possible!

Hope you took some great value out of this post today! I’d love to hear your feedback, so make sure you leave a comment with your thoughts or questions. And also, you can click on the Twitter button below to retweet this article…Thank you!

Fred Philips
Business Coach
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