Career coaching is an important and up-and-coming career path. A career coach provides guidance for people searching for the right career, whether it’s recent college or high school graduates, individuals interested in a mid-life career shift, or those impacted by disruption to existing industries.

Interested in providing career coaching services? Do you find yourself wishing you knew how to become a career coach? At Transformation Academy, we have the tools you need to get your career coaching pursuit started off strong.

Start by reading through our informative in-depth guide to find out everything that a career coach does, how to become a career coach, as well as what makes someone a good career coach. Interested in life coaching? Learn about how to become a life coach. 

What does a career coach do?

Career coaches offer guidance to people considering a new career path, looking for career advancement, or starting their career for the very first time.

Career Change Guidance

If someone isn’t satisfied with their career path, they may be at a loss for how best to change things up. They also may find themselves needing to reinvent themselves and retool their skills and experience to a new career when their existing career path is shifted due to economic changes.

Career-chanters often what career path their passions and skill set are better suited for. A professional career coach can walk them through their options, assess their interests and abilities, and help them discover what other opportunities they may be poised to jump into.

Career Advancement

It’s easy to get stuck. For many people, once they get good at their job, the path toward advancement doesn’t look as enticing or desirable. However, other people stay hungry for advancement and promotion—and may even hope to attain managerial or executive status.

For people who have these ambitions but need a little guidance along the way, a career coach can help identify improvement areas, navigate corporate structures, and help their clients gain the promotions they seek.

Just Starting Out

Young people early in their careers may seek a career coach to help them identify where their passions are best applied. These days, people don’t just want a career for the paycheck—they also want a job they wake up feeling energized and excited about.

Career coaches can help their clients sort through the options, find skills training programs, and ultimately discover the path that’s right for them.

Who do Professional Career Coaches work with?

Professional career coaches work with people from all walks of life. Some examples of situations where a person might seek the advice of a professional career consultant include:

People looking for balance in their career and personal life.

No matter where you are in your career path, achieving a work-life balance is key. Many people struggle to find the sweet spot where they’re productively engaged with work but still happily engaged in their personal lives. A career coach can help.

People revamping their job search. 

There are few things more frustrating than filling out job application after job application, hoping to get a bite—and then getting nothing. A career coach can help you refresh your resume, rework your interview skills, and find job opportunities that you have a strong chance to land.

Career coaches should be happy to help clients no matter where they find themselves on their career journey.

What makes a good career coach?

Good career coaches provide guidance to their clients that help them navigate the challenges they face in their professional life. Career coaches should be confident in their abilities, have a solid background of experience (including a career of their own), and have knowledge of the current job market.

Career coaches should also have a strong core understanding of several different career paths unless they are specialized in a specified niche.

Factors That Make Career Coaches Successful

Two of the biggest factors that determine whether a career coach has what it takes to help clients are education and experience. Experience is essential to empathize with clients in the middle of a career crisis or transition. It also helps you gain a better real-world understanding of what it takes to develop or change a career.

Education is critical to provide you with the resources to effectively help others, rather than just recall your own experience. This is where it’s helpful to have a specialized career coaching certification, like those offered by Transformation Academy.

Get Career Coach Certified with Transformation Academy

Transformation Academy offers a complete Career Coach Certification program that prepares individuals for professional career coaching. We also offer coaching certifications in a number of areas to ensure that, no matter what your focus is, we have a certification program that suits your needs. View our full catalog here.

Career coaching is a valuable skill, and a career path that is only growing as more and more people demand a fulfilling work life. Tap into that flourishing passion by considering becoming a career coach in 2021! Try out our course, learn the basics, then pay it forward by helping other ambitious job seekers and career advancement lovers find their path and live a more satisfying life.