the Price of a Career Coach

I paid 75.00 a week for a total of six weeks for career coaching. Each week I had a one hour session with the coach, the first two were in her office, the rest were over the phone. This cost included two text books and a three ring binder with pages of questions for me to answer, you could call it homework for each week. The coaching was to clarify my employment goals and teach me how to find the employment opportunities I would prefer. She also looked at my resume and advised me on changes to make and we did briefly discuss current acceptable interview wear.

The service was excellent, the woman was able to really help me understand what I was looking for in a job, and how I could choose employment that would be satisfying, not just a job. The books we used were really good and I plan to keep then for future reference. Each week I would call in and we would first review my homework and talk about jobs or career paths that my answers pointed to. We discussed ways to make contacts in different fields and how to network to find a job. That was really helpful as well. My coach was not supposed to "find me a job" but help me identify a great career for me, and help me prepare myself for finding a job in that field.

Ask up front about any extra expenses, like books, and workbooks. Ask about career search websites and expenses if you are going to use them. Find out if you are meeting face to face, I was shocked to find we were going to meet via the phone, but it worked out well, saved me gas and travel time. I did enjoy the personal meetings for the first two. Ask exactly what your coach is offering and be clear on what you are paying for. Do they have a list of tasks they preform and outcomes they expect for you to look at? Can they give you the name of a satisfied customer to speak with before you sign up?