Career Coach

Careers are like pants. It doesn’t matter if you’re an Artist, a Scientist, or a Firefighter. Most people have to try on a couple different pairs before they find the right fit.

That means that Career Coaches are kind of like the Clerks at the career store, as they help people navigate their choices and choose the best profession based on their strengths, weaknesses, and ambitions.

Sometimes called a Career Counselor or Career Consultant, a Career Coach works with all sorts of clients: for example, high school students who want to know what they should study in college, new college graduates who are looking for direction as they enter the job market, established professionals who want to make a mid-life career change, and seniors who want to start a new post-retirement adventure.

If you’re a Career Coach, however, you’re paid to help people assess their personalities and skills, then research and choose compatible career paths, no matter who hires you. To do that, you’ll interview clients in order to learn about their experience, education, and goals; give personality tests, such as the Birkman Personality Assessment and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, to determine clients’ nature; and research the requirements and qualifications for jobs and industries that interest your clients.

Your duties don’t end with choosing a career, however, as you’re also paid to help clients land jobs in their new fields. To that end, you help them create winning resumes, find job openings, and develop good interviewing skills, all while motivating and encouraging them — just like a good Coach should!