Last week, I did an episode on setting a goal in your professional life – and how to make sure you achieve that goal.

For some of you, you may want help with that goal. For others of you, you may want to make a job or even a career change this year. For still others, you may want to position yourself for success in your current role.

These are all great reasons to hire a coach, so I wanted to dedicate an episode to helping you find the right coach for you.

Coaching vs. Therapy

Let’s start with the difference between a coach and a therapist. Here’s a definition I really like: 

A therapist is needed when you are performing below par for you. It is backward-facing, focusing on trauma in your past that is negatively affecting your present.

A coach is for when you are performing at par and want to perform above par. It is present- and forward-facing, focusing on the thoughts, feelings, and actions that will get you where you want to go.

I know people who started with therapy, then moved to coaching. I know others who started with coaching, but realized they needed to deal with past trauma to move forward. I know of at least one person who has a therapist and a coach presently.

What Kind of Coach?

As I’ve mentioned on this podcast before, I was successful in finding the perfect coach for me because I knew EXACTLY what I was looking for – and was able to articulate it as I spoke with potential coaches or people who knew coaches.

If you are specifically looking for help in your career, what exactly do you want help with? For example, you might want to:

-Improve your leadership skills

-Learn how to step into your power and have greater influence

-Become a more efficient decision-maker

-Improve your interpersonal/communication/delegation skills

-How to be more strategic in what you agree to do – and how to say no when you need to

Notice that none of these goals are job search related. As I tell people, my primary coaching business is for those in job transition; the second rung of my coaching is career coaching for people who want to stay within their current employer and move up or perform at their optimal capacity.

Here are some of the reasons people come to me for job search-related coaching:

-Improve their interview skills

-Plan and execute a more strategic and effective job search

-Learn how to be a better networker (also useful if you aren’t job searching)

-Learn how to negotiate salary and benefits

-They are thinking of a career pivot or reinvention but don’t know how to accomplish this on their own

Within the coaching world, as with many types of professionals, there are generalists and there are specialists. For example, you might hire a general life coach who can help you with your self-confidence, taking the necessary steps to finish your degree or get an advanced degree, or improve your marriage.

Specialists should be clearly articulating their specialty in their marketing materials. There are interview coaches, salary negation coaches, coaches to help female executives step into their power, and coaches to help you take a strategic sabbatical.

Identify exactly what kind of help you need and be able to articulate it to others.

FYI – I would consider myself a semi-specialist. I operate primarily in the job search realm, which is an area of specialization. However, I don’t just coach on interviewing or job search strategy or salary negotiations, so I’m less specialized than some.

Which Format?

With a lot of nuances, there are basically three types of formats for coaching:

1:1

Group

Continuity

1:1 offers the most individual attention, with virtually no one-size-fits-all solutions. The downside will be the cost: This is typically the most expensive option.

Group coaching offers the community of the others in the program and the synergy that comes from working together towards the same goal; it can also be a more affordable option than 1:1. The downside can be the lack of individualized and customized attention and solutions.

Continuity (or monthly) programs typically offer a low-cost option, either as a monthly pay-as-you-go or an annual subscription rate. You benefit from the community – and there may be hundreds, if not thousands, in that community. The downside is also the lack of individualized and customized attention and solutions, as well as the lack of accountability. It’s easy to scoot by unnoticed in a continuity program.

Now What?

Now that you have determined your goal for coaching and have an idea as to which format would best meet your needs, now it’s time to meet with potential coaches to get a feel for what it would be like to work with them and to see if there is chemistry there.

Note that you likely won’t meet individually with someone for a continuity program – and possibly not for a group program, either. There may be a video for you to watch or a group introduction to attend.

Here are some considerations as you interact with the coach, someone from his/her team, and/or materials you receive about the program:

-Do I believe in this person’s ability to help me?

-Is there anything about this person that would inhibit my ability to be helped by them?

-Does the format they use work for me? What about dates and times?

-Have they helped people like me, with a problem similar to mine?

As for finding coaches, there are many “collectives” on the internet that have many coaches working for them – often with a wide range of specialties. You can also ask friends, post the question on social media, or do a LI search.

I’m not a stickler about whether a coach has a coaching credential, although I prefer them to because then I know they understand what coaching is (and isn’t). Some people want ICF-certified coaches; I’m not one of them. My main concern is: Do I believe this person can help me?

A Word About Price

Price shouldn’t be the driving factor in choosing a coach or coaching program. It is, however, a consideration.

-Brand-new coaches may charge as little as $50/hour for a 1:1 coaching session, whereas more experienced and specialized coaches may charge over $1,000/hour.

-Group programs MAY be less expensive than 1:1…but not always.

-Continuity programs are generally the least-expensive option; I know of a great one that charges $297/month and another one that charges $597/year. Especially with continuity programs, make sure you understand the time commitment you are making, how payments will be made, and what, if any, consequences there are to leaving the program.

Are you in the wrong job that chips away at you every day? The CareerSpring document and coaching program will help you find a job that uses your zone of genius, recognizes your value, and pays you what you’re worth.

If you’re ready to take your job search to the next level by working with a highly experienced professional with a track record of client success, schedule a complimentary consult to learn more: 

https://calendly.com/lesaedwards/zoom-meetings2