How to Become a Career Coach

Now more than ever, it can really pay off to learn how to become a career coach.  Because of high unemployment, many workers are reevaluating their careers.  Providing the guidance they need to make smart career choices and attract the right job can pay off in a big way.  Career coaches are in high demand to help people find their perfect career path and teach them how to advance in their field of expertise.

Depending on your background and knowledge, there are a number of services you might consider offering as a career coach.  You can specialize in one specific area of career coaching, or you can make your career coach business comprehensive.  In any case, you will need to plan your business carefully and put a lot of time and effort into making your career coaching business what you want it to be.

For the most part, those who learn how to become a career coach set up a consulting business. They market to their target audience and help the clients they attract find their ideal career path and succeed on that path.  The business offers a career coach a great deal of flexibility.  You can structure your career coaching firm however you would like and focus on any field or niche you would like.

A big part of becoming a career coach is learning how to assess a person’s interests, background, and skills to help match them with the right career.  Some people will seek your help in finding a new career path, and others will want to progress within their current field.  Either way, it will be your job to help them identify their strengths and put those to work to achieve their career goals.

Tasks that a career coach performs range from helping clients prepare for interviews to creating effective resumes and even coaching on proper attire and mannerisms.  Career coaches have to be able to see the big picture while at the same time attending to the smallest detail.

Services Career Coaches Offer

Most people who learn how to become a career coach offer a range of packaged services.  Some of the most common services are: career assessment and selection, resume and interview training and advice, career targeting, networking and contact building, and career management.  Again it is your own experience that will dictate which services you focus on.

A career coach’s skills and experience are their most important tools. While career coaches can come from a wide array of backgrounds, the best career coaches have been where their clients are now and succeeded. Great career coaches also have a large contacts list to draw from, so they can suggest clients to their contacts, and vise versa.

Being a natural leader and having a positive, can do attitude are essential for becoming a career coach, because it will often be up to you to motivate and inspire clients.  Remember, you will work with some people who have recently lost a job, and they will need you to help them see the opportunity in their situation.

While typical career coaches charge somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 per hour for their services, many say the greatest reward comes from helping their clients to achieve success.  Most everyone who learns how to become a career coach is happy they did.

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