So what exactly is career coaching? Is it going to deliver my dream job on a silver platter? Is it for people who ‘need fixing’?

It is important to understand the role of a career development coach and be clear on what it is you want to take from the experience.

1. A Career coach is not a psychological therapist.

What is the difference between a coach and a counsellor? The simple way of looking at it is this: A counsellor helps you look back and fix the problems from your past as a means of helping you come to terms with your current situation, while a coach is only interested in the NOW and how they can help you achieve a more successful and happier future.

Career coaching is a practice that helps people identify and achieve their goals. Similar to a sports coach, a career development coach helps you to better define your professional competencies.

A career coach looks at the obstacles you are facing with regards to employment and career success and assists you in developing, executing and managing a strategy to help you achieve future success.

2. Career coaching is not a quick fix.

The support of a coach is comprehensive and long-term. A candidate for a career management coach is someone who wants to change their career direction, but is uncertain about their objectives.

A career management coach will focus on broad issues relating to the candidate’s career – the past, present and future. Their task is to help the candidate explore and evaluate their value, their skills and where they want to be in their careers.

3. A Career coach is not a mentor.

While a career strategist will also form part of your inner circle or personal support team, their attention will be focused on making shifts in their candidate’s behavioural patterns to enable them to enjoy more satisfying outcomes in their lives.

A career development coach could be compared to a compass, helping people who have become lost doing meaningless things. Maybe you are doing OK, but feel you could be doing much better.

At CPG Executive, we believe that sometimes, a little momentum is all you need to re-direct your life situation.