After Jen Leininger was passed over for her company's CFO position for the third time in 18 months, she decided it was time to hire a career coach. "Something wasn't working and I needed to figure it out," she says.
Leininger figured she'd see Mary Cosgrove, an executive coach, for about three months, and then land a CFO job. Instead she spent an entire year examining her interests, talents and values, ultimately deciding to abandon the CFO track and start her own financial planning business. "I realized that I was actually seeking a job 'title' to justify the time I had put into my career, rather than putting my skills to their best use," she says.
With so many industries in flux, many professionals are hiring executive coaches to help them navigate the new economy and move ahead--or at least stay afloat. But with hourly rates that can start at about $100 and time frames of several months--or even years--employing your own personal guru can be costly. And since the quality of coaches varies wildly--from the brilliant to the incompetent to the downright fraudulent--choosing one requires a considerable amount of research.
In Pictures: Seven Habits Of Highly Ineffective Coaches
What to Expect
Margaret Dikel, editor of The Riley Guide, a career information directory, says good coaches can help clients master a number of career-boosting skills, including presentation, negotiation and communication. They can also help professionals leverage their experience and talents and find new ways to apply these skills.
But they can't get you a job. "That is not the purpose of a career coach," says Dikel.
They also can't tell you what you're supposed to do with you life, as Linda De Seife learned when she hired a coach to help her re-enter the workforce in corporate communications after an extended family leave. "It's not like they said, 'You should do this' and I went out and got a job," said De Seife, who was surprised the process took her a year. "But it did help me present my experiences and my capabilities to potential employers, and that eventually helped me get a job."
Finding the Right Coach
As with most things, references and recommendations are the key to finding a great coach. Ask trusted colleagues and business contacts if they have suggestions, and have the coaches provide you with contact information for four or five people they have helped. "If they can't produce them, that will tell you something," says M.J. Ryan, a career coach and author of AdaptAbilty: How to Survive Change You Didn't Ask For.
Once you speak with the clients, find out what the coach's process looks like and what results the sessions yielded. The former client might be thrilled that her coach helped her find the courage to quit her corporate banking job and become an underwater photographer, but if she isn't earning a living taking snaps of starfish and manatees, her experience will probably have limited relevance.
Many coaches offer initial consultations free of charge, so visit three or four to get a sense of their different styles and determine which you connect with. This is the time to figure out if the chemistry is right. Do you like and trust this person? Will you be willing to listen to her when she gives you difficult feedback?
You also want to quiz her about her background: What qualifies her to give you this advice? While experts disagree on the importance of certification from organizations like the International Coach Federation, a professional organization of personal and business coaches, such programs can at least indicate a minimum level of training.
Most important, look for real insight--since that's what you'll be paying for. "They should be asking important questions that set off light bulbs in you head. They should be able to sum up what you're telling them in way that sheds new light onto your situation, rather than just repeating what you said," says Christine Pearson, Ph.D., a professor of management at the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Ariz.
Hiring a Coach--and Avoiding Scams
To ensure you've found the right counselor, Dikel suggests paying by the hour rather than committing to a long-term program. Not only will this enable you to end the sessions if they're not effective, it will also help you avoid frauds. "Some firms market themselves by saying they will help you institute your job search for a $6,000 up-front fee and claiming they have access to a 'hidden job market.' Run away from that," says Dikel.
Another red flag: Coaching companies that call you. Some firms post job boards to their site; you send in your résumé, thinking it is going to a hiring manager. Instead you get a call from a salesperson.
Tony Rigato worked for a firm where he was instructed to offer three free résumé counseling sessions to hapless job-seekers. "The ultimate goal is to make the person feel completely inadequate and unqualified to search for a job," says Rigato. At that point he would offer them a coaching program--for a fee that was entirely based on their target salary. "This is why I quit. You get exactly the same services but will pay anywhere from $5,000 to $25,000."
While most coaches are honest, it's still a good idea to clarify what you want out of your relationship from the beginning. "Unlike therapy, coaching is results-oriented, so name what you want at the end of three months," says Ryan.
And if at any time you feel the sessions aren't useful, don't hesitate to end them. A career coach, notes Dikel, is like anyone else you hire, be it an electrician or a doctor: "If you don't like what they are doing, fire them and find another."
In Pictures: Seven Habits Of Highly Ineffective Coaches
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