Do you dream of being successful in your career and don't want to leave anything to chance? Then the idea of consulting a career coach is obvious. Especially if you have been stagnating professionally for a long time, impulses from outside can be helpful. However, there are a few things to consider when choosing a career coach.
Professional career coaching can actually put you on the road to success, provided you are inwardly ready. However, since it is not a protected job title, there are many black sheep on the market.
Therefore, we would like to deal in detail with the criteria of a serious career coaching. In addition, you will learn the best way to find a suitable career coach.
Career coaching, also known as career counselling, accompanies and supports people in their professional development. The focus is on the personality of the client. On the one hand, classic coaching topics are dealt with:
In addition, the career coach has a well-founded Labour market expertise. Only then can he realistically assess the chances for his client.
Like almost all forms of coaching, career coaching is based on the assumption that the client basically already has all the resources to be successful. The career coach merely supports him in finding access to his hidden strengths. This means that you will not get any concrete tips or instructions during career coaching.
Rather, the coach will try to steer you in a productive direction by asking specific questions. Some coaches also use role-playing or other types of practical training.
Just a few years ago, professional Coaching mainly reserved for executives. This has changed in the meantime. Basically, anyone can take advantage of career coaching - regardless of whether you are the head of a corporation or an employee. Even (prospective) self-employed or unemployed people can benefit from career coaching.
The professional issues a career coach comes into contact with are as varied as their clients. A Coaching is usually used when the client wants a change. In other words, they are unhappy with some aspect of their professional life. dissatisfied.
The career coach can provide support in the following situations:
A widely used method of career coaching is the so-called "4Z concept". This can be applied to almost all of the above-mentioned topics and issues:
Example:
A career coach is not a psychotherapist. If you suffer from strong Self-doubt and fears that block you in your professional progress, you should rather consult a psychologist.
Also with Mobbing A career coach can only help to a limited extent in the workplace. He may be able to provide impulses in this regard, but you should also consult your employer, the works council, or even an attorney for labor law.
Should you, as a supervisor. Leadership style If you want to optimize your career, a business coach is the more suitable contact person. We will go into more detail about the other differences between career coaching and business coaching later on.
Like any coach, a career coach should above all be empathetic. After all, he must be sensitive to the client's wishes and needs. Not every client immediately finds the right formulations for their actual concerns. A keen power of observation is therefore all the more important. Based on gestures and facial expressions, the coach can recognize important key stimuli.
In addition, the so-called active listening is one of the fundamental characteristics of a good career coach. Here, the coach filters out as much information as possible from his client's narratives, which he then summarizes and repeats. In this way, the core statements that are relevant for the joint work are identified.
It is also important to treat each client respectfully and at eye level. A coach gives impulses, he does not lecture. Even when actively listening, the coach remains as neutral and value-free as possible. The client should feel in good human hands at all times. A serious career coach also does not work according to a pattern, but adapts his methods to the client's needs. Needs of the respective client.
Let's summarize the most important characteristics of a career coach once again:
Finding a career coach is no longer a big problem in the age of the internet. With a simple online search query, you will receive numerous suggestions for coaching services in your area. The biggest difficulty is identifying the black sheep.
Tip: Instead of just searching on Google, it may also be worth taking a look at special databases for coaches (e.g. XING Coaches, Career Experts or Greator Coaches)
Since the market is flooded with self-proclaimed coaches, it is not that easy to find a competent career coach. In order not to fall for a dubious provider, you should not be afraid to inquire about the references of the coach: What training courses has he completed? What awards and certificates does the career coach have?
Also, make sure that the costs are presented transparently. Be sceptical if this is not the case! Serious career coaches offer their potential clients a free and non-binding preliminary meeting. After all, both sides must first determine whether the interpersonal chemistry is right. This is the basic prerequisite for the coaching to make any sense at all.
Furthermore, your individual ideas also play a significant role: Do you feel more comfortable with a male or a female coach? Should the coach be old and experienced or young and dynamic? In which professional topic should he / she be particularly well versed?
The cost of career coaching can vary greatly depending on the provider and the scope. On average, the prices per session range between 100,00 € till 300,00 €.
Important to know: Dumping prices should make you just as sceptical as non-transparent prices! A coaching offer of less than 60.00 € per hour suggests that the coach tends to follow the scheme "mass instead of class" with his clients. Ultimately, the quality of the coaching offer suffers from this.
Some coaches also offer package solutions or base the fee on the client's income. Feel free to ask what options are available in this regard.
Admittedly, a serious career coach has his price. In order to be able to calculate the costs better, you will surely ask yourself how many sessions are necessary. Unfortunately, this question can not be answered in a general way, because the required scope of consultation depends strongly on your personal starting situation. The more topics you want to work on, the more sessions are necessary.
However, to give you a rough idea, let's take a few common examples: Let's assume you want support with a job application (e.g. preparation for an important job interview). In this case, two sessions are usually enough to successfully complete your request.
In the case of a comprehensive professional reorientation, on the other hand, six to ten one-hour sessions may well be necessary. The same applies if you want to prepare yourself for self-employment. In this case, coaching is an evolving process from which you will ultimately emerge stronger.
Career coaching and business coaching are often mentioned in the same breath and not infrequently confused with each other. In fact, certain parallels exist: Both coaching formats deal with the professional area of the client's life. While career coaching is suitable for everyone, business coaching is mainly aimed at executives.
As a manager of a company, your main task is to motivate your employees to perform at their best in order to ensure maximum success for the company. However, not every manager knows straight away how best to achieve this. This is where the business coach comes in: he analyses possible conflicts that affect the performance of the employees.
By the way, many business coaches are former executives with appropriate further training. They therefore know exactly what is important due to their own many years of experience. Business coaches can be freelance or permanently employed by a company. Since career coaches are mainly consulted by private individuals, they are usually always freelance.
Let's summarize the differences once again:
Business coach:
Career Coach:
Perhaps you yourself dream of accompanying people in the realization of their professional goals. In this case, training to become a career coach could be a worthwhile option for you. However, as mentioned at the beginning, this is not a protected job title, so there are no uniform training guidelines.
This means: Theoretically, you could call yourself a career coach right away and start soliciting clients today. However, we would strongly advise you against this approach if you really want to support other people. The most common way to become a career coach is through distance learning or training at a university of applied sciences.
In the meantime, there are numerous (distance) learning courses with well-known providers. The scope, training content and costs can vary greatly. Do not make the mistake of simply choosing the cheapest offer. Instead, you should carefully examine which training is optimal for your future as a career coach.
The requirements you need to meet to become a career coach vary depending on the provider. Some expect a minimum age (e.g. 25 years) and a certain number of professional years. This makes perfect sense: most people would prefer to get career advice from someone who has already had a career themselves! This comes across as more authentic and trustworthy.
Apart from that, you should of course have the interpersonal skills that we explained at the beginning of this article. If you don't like working with people, the profession of business coach is self-explanatory not the right career path for you. It's especially helpful if you already have experience in human resources.
For career starters who aspire to the career of a business coach, it is advisable to first gain experience in relevant institutions after completing their training. For example, the Federal Employment Agency or various universities come into question. If you have gained sufficient experience in consulting here, it will be easier to start freelancing.
A (career) coach in Germany earns an average of 62,162.00 € per year. At the beginning of your career, however, you will probably earn less. After all, you are still busy building up your client base in the beginning. The starting salary in the coaching industry is around 39,672.00 € per year - in some cases significantly less.
Don't be discouraged if you can't make a living from coaching right away in your first year! Starting your own business is always associated with certain hurdles and setbacks. The only thing that helps here is perseverance. This can pay off in the truest sense of the word: Established coaches with a large client base can earn a Annual salary of up to € 100,000.00.
Another way to pave your career path is to train as a Greator business coach. Our training is aimed at both executives and (prospective) self-employed people. The Greator Business Coach training is also suitable as a basis for a later specialization as a career coach. You simply want to develop yourself personally? Then you are also in the right place with us.
A successful career, no matter in which industry, is based on a healthy self-confidence. If you do not believe in your own competencies, you cannot be successful. The following scientific paper shows how important it is to have Career optimism is.
In our training you learn to dissolve inner blockages. Our Greator Business Coach training is based on the latest neuroscientific and economic findings. We familiarize you with the most effective communication and coaching skills. At the end of the training you will pass a theoretical and practical final exam. Afterwards you can call yourself certified Greator Coach designate.
This first valuable reference will help you establish yourself as a coach in the highly competitive marketplace. Maybe you don't even want to become self-employedbut are you aiming for a management position in your current profession? In this case, too, the certificate can open many a new door for you.
The basics of business coaching are also helpful if you find that you would prefer to work as a career coach. Your expertise in the business field can be of great benefit to many future clients.
Particularly practical: The course takes place online and can therefore be easily combined with your work and family life at any time. You alone have your professional future in your hands. So do not hesitate any longer and apply today completely free of charge and without obligation for our certified Greator Business Coach Training.
