If you're in the middle of a career crisis or professional rebirth, the right career coach can make all the difference. This pro can make you a blueprint of your future, including the paths you need to take. But the question for now is, how do you choose the career coach who's suitable for you?

 

First of all, know when you should have one. Perhaps you have so many doubts about hiring one. Is it really necessary? What if I'll only end up wasting money? A lot of people stall getting a career coach offering career assessments until they've reached that breaking point - they've been fired, they're about to quit, etc. But remember that as with most things in life, prevention is always the best.

 

Even if you're not that sure you need to hire someone, start researching at least. Ask friends, relatives or coworkers for recommendations, explore blogs, and use the search engines. Give yourself a timeline. If you have no time right now, when? In about two months? Right after tax season? Whatever schedule you set for yourself, commit to it.

 

Now ask yourself what in particular you're looking to learn from a career coach. Due to their diverse backgrounds, you can expect your coaches to have varying skills and insights too. If you want to make a wise choice, then make sure you know what you'd like to achieve from the experience. If you're miserable in your current career, begin by rounding up the bookstores and buying some career books. For further details on how to find the best career coach for you, you can check out http://www.huffingtonpost.com/douglas-labier/why-ceos-dont-want-execut_b_3762704.html.

 

If you want to know more about working through office politics, hire a coach who has worked in a corporate scenario, because that means he would be speaking from actual experience instead of merely theory. Some coaches specialize in specific career transitions, like helping people move to non-profit careers or careers that involve a certain demographic group.

 

Nearly all coaches leave some kind of "paper trail" where you can somehow get a feel of their personal style or approach or insights. You may be more inclined to succeed with a cheerleader type coach offering ceo coaching, or maybe someone who is more reserved and serious. When you read some of their works in advance, you can somehow gauge whether or not you will "click." 

 

Finally, note that your success with a coach today is not going to last forever. Your challenges as a professional will also evolve through the years. Today, your needs might be centered around finding true passion in your work; in about a decade, you could be looking for help in preparation for retirement. In other words, you have to work with a different coach at every unique phase.