What process should an individual should go through to find the right
coach? Our panel of coaches shares advice on the essentials of
locating the best coach:
"Checking out the types of coaches available in order to identify the
types potentially most relevant to the person's needs would be a good
place to start."
-- Georgia Adamson of Adept Business Services
"Choosing a partner for career change is not to be taken lightly.
Don't close your eyes and blindly point to a yellow page ad.
Referrals from friends and colleagues, checking local libraries and
yellow pages under Employment Counseling, Career and Vocational
Counseling, Employment Testing and Personnel Services can get you
started on the search for the right coach. Additionally, referrals
can be obtained from associations such as, The National Board of
Certified Counselors, American Society for Training and Development,
National Career Development Association, Career Planning and Adult
Development Network, and Career Masters Institute." Editor's note:
Also see our Quintessential
Careers Directory of Coaches.
-- Andrea Howard, employment counselor with the New York State Department of Labor
"Talking with others who have used coaches might also be helpful, as
long as those people can clearly communicate what was good or bad
about their own experience with coaching, and why. Contacting
professional associations with members who offer coaching is another
excellent avenue to obtain information on possible coaching
providers."
-- Georgia Adamson
"Visit the Web sites of coaches, read their bios, read their
qualifications, and testimonials and see if there is a match. Most
coaches are listed in at least one referral search engine, can be
heard speaking somewhere, have a book or article published, or are
interviewed in the press or media. Next, most coaches offer a
complimentary interview session to further determine if there is a
match. You can also ask for references of clients who were in a
similar situation."
-- Janine Schindler, Personal and Career Coach
"Many coaches offer a complimentary session enabling you to determine
if the chemistry is right."
-- Beverly Harvey of HarveyCareers
"Interview several coaches and try sample sessions."
-- Liz Sumner, Life Coach
"The most important thing is that you truly connect with the person
assisting you. Look for someone you can speak with openly, who is not
judgmental, and is only there for your success."
-- Ellen Cahill of Leaps & Bounds: Pathways to Success
"Find someone you have instant rapport with and feel is trustable
because you'll have to give a high level of honesty to yourself and
your coach throughout the process in order for the coaching to work
best."
-- Maria Marsala of Maria's
Place: Coaching, Consulting & Courses, who also suggests readers check out a
Coaching
Q&A in which Marsala was interviewed on choosing a coach
"Interview two to three different coaches. See which one feels right
for you -- you will know."
-- Ellen Cahill
"One-on-one interviews with coaches on your short list should be the
determining factor. Questions about professional qualifications
including professional memberships, articles/books published,
conferences attended, certifications held and how their education has
prepared them for a coaching career should be asked. Services,
success rate, cost, contractual obligations, payment options,
coaching style and services should also be explored. Although your
decision needs to be based on the above factors, you need a coach
that understands you, has enough understanding of your industry and
career experience to help you move forward and can be sensitive yet
tough enough to help you with the current setback or decision. Your
comfort level is the most important factor."
-- Andrea Howard
"The No. 1 quality anyone should look for in a coach is rapport. A
client needs to be able to trust the coach and feel comfortable
working at a level where real change can happen. The relationship is
key."
-- Liz Sumner
Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links) on key college, career, and job-search
terms by going to our Job-Seeker's Glossary of Job-Hunting Terms.
