What Does a Career Coach Actually Do?

I was recently talking with a graduate student who is about to start her MBA while continuing to work full time. She shared that when she was an undergraduate, she never visited the career center. There were a variety of reasons for that, but now, several years later, she finds herself in a very different place.

She's happy in her current role in the healthcare industry, where she manages a small team. She isn't looking to leave tomorrow. Instead, she's thinking about how she can continue to grow and eventually climb the corporate ladder.

Then she asked me a question I hear often:

"What is it actually like to work with a career coach?"

It's a great question, especially if you've never worked with one before. I explained two things.

1. You are the driver. Your coach is in the passenger seat.

I like to think of career coaching as a road trip.

You're the driver. You decide where you want to go, what matters to you, and ultimately which turns you want to take. Your career coach is in the passenger seat, helping you navigate along the way.

Sometimes that means being a sounding board, someone who will listen without judgment when you're trying to make sense of a situation. Sometimes it means helping you think through options when you feel stuck. And sometimes it means helping you prepare for or work through a specific challenge, whether it's related to your current job or a job search.

A career coach isn't there to tell you what career you should have. The goal is to help you better understand yourself, clarify your options, and make decisions with greater confidence.

2. Career coaching isn't just for people who want to change jobs.

When we hear "career coach," many of us immediately think about resumes, interviews, and job searches. Those are certainly areas where a coach can help. But you don't need to be looking for a new job to benefit. In fact, some of the best times to work with a coach are when things are going well.

That was the situation with this student. She likes her job. She manages a team. She's pursuing an MBA. And she's thinking ahead about how to position herself for future opportunities.

A career coach could help her in several ways.

Understand your strengths and how you're using them

Self-assessments can be a powerful starting point. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) can help you understand your preferences around where you get your energy, how you take in information, how you make decisions, and how you approach structure and organization. The CliftonStrengths assessment takes a different approach, identifying your natural patterns of talent and your top strengths.

But the report itself isn't the coaching. You can read pages about your strengths and still wonder, "Okay...but what am I supposed to do with this?"

That's where the conversation with a coach becomes valuable. Together, you can explore questions like:

• How are my strengths showing up in my current role?

• Which strengths aren't being fully utilized?

• What types of leadership opportunities might allow me to use my strengths more?

• Where might I need to develop new skills as I take on greater responsibility?

The goal isn't simply to put a label on yourself. It's to use greater self-awareness to make more intentional career decisions.

Work through the challenges that come with being employed

Career coaching can also be very practical.

Maybe you have a difficult colleague and aren't sure how to approach the relationship. Maybe you're preparing for a performance review and want to think strategically about how to communicate your accomplishments and where you want to grow. Or maybe you've been told you're ready for the next level, but you're not sure what that actually means or how to get there.

These are all career questions. And you don't necessarily need someone to give you the answer. Sometimes you need someone who can help you slow down, think through the situation from different perspectives, identify your options, and decide how you want to move forward.

You don't have to be unhappy to benefit

This is one of the biggest misconceptions about career coaching. You don't have to be miserable at work, actively job searching, or contemplating a major change. Sometimes you're simply at a point where you're asking: What's next?

Maybe you want to grow into a leadership role, make the most of your current position, or understand your strengths better. Or maybe you just want a thought partner as you navigate the next stage of your career.

That's where a career coach can come in. You are still the driver. The coach is simply in the passenger seat, helping you navigate the road ahead.

Curious what coaching could look like for you? Email me: coachlindseyplewa@gmail.com