What it’s like to get career coaching: FAQs about working with me
When I decided that I wanted to pursue my coaching certification I had never worked with a coach before. My only point of reference was from pop culture: on the Gilmore Girls TV show, Paris had a "life coach" named Terrence—and it was an incredibly inaccurate depiction of what coaching actually is!
Perhaps you've generally heard about coaching, but wonder what it looks like in practice.
The coaching field is unquestionably growing fast, and there are all types of coaches out there who can help you with relationships, your health, navigating transitions, or (wink wink) your career and leadership development.
I believe that the coaching process and toolbox is powerful, meaningful, and essential to helping you capably meet the challenges you face.
But what is it actually like to work with me?
Here's an inside look at some of the common questions I get about the coaching process:
Why would I need career coaching?
As your coach (and unlike Terrence!), I’m not here to tell you what choices to make. I am not the expert on your life—you are.
I'm here to be an objective, non-judgemental sounding board. I'll ask questions that help you to tune out all the voices and opinions around you and uncover your own inner authority.
I'm here to listen to you deeply, to help you make sense of all of the questions, challenges, and opportunities that you’re facing, and provide supportive accountability for taking action.
In the words of a client:
"I thought my need for coaching might demonstrate 'weakness' rather than strength in seeking to improve. And I had no idea how much my views of personal & professional identity would transform. Thankfully my fears were unfounded!"
I'm not a friend. Let’s face it: your friends and family are well-meaning, but not always the most helpful. They have their own hopes and dreams for you. They can't be objective because they have too much skin in the game—what you do or don’t do affects them. As your coach, I don’t have any opinions about which path you should take, so I provide a space where you can clear out the expectations of others and tune in to what you truly want.
I'm not a mentor. Mentors share their experience with you. They tell you, "Here’s what I did to get to where I am, and here are some things that you should do, too." But what worked for me or another client won't work for you. You are an individual with unique identities, experiences, and challenges. I'll give you the space and tools to discern your own custom path forward.
I'm not a partner or spouse. Your partner wants the best for you, so it's especially tough for them to offer support during career confusion. They're watching you grapple with the same stories and complaints over and over again, and even though they're your #1 ally, they often feel helpless to support actual progress. I bring powerful coaching tools to help you stop spinning your wheels and take action. And you'll never see me tire of tackling career conundrums (your partner will love me for that!).
I'm not a clinical therapist. Therapy usually focuses on the past and present, digging deeper into why patterns show up in your life, while coaching is more future-focused: it asks, Where do you want to go and how can you break through what's in the way to get there? That being said, many of my past clients have described the coaching process as "therapy for your career," and there's an element of truth in that: I believe that work is personal. It touches the very core of your identity. As a mission-driven professional, your career is likely close to your heart. There is feeling, emotion, and deep humanity in how you show up to work, and therefore it's no surprise to me when emotion comes up in the coaching process. I'm trained to know the difference between coaching and clinical therapy, and will make a referral if therapy is a more appropriate tool for the situation (I'm always an advocate of engaging both modalities at once!).
How is coaching credentialed?
Anyone can call themselves a coach, even if they have zero training, because coaching is a field that doesn't require licensure or regulation. It was really important to me to gain a rigorous education in the tools and ethical practices that are core to this profession. That’s why I trained through a program that's accredited by the International Coaching Federation, which is the gold standard of the coaching profession. I'm constantly working to refine and sharpen my coaching tools through professional development and continued learning.
How does coaching work?
When I work with clients one on one, we meet via phone or Zoom, and our time together is customized to you. I'll give you an assignment prior to our call so that you can get all of the questions and ideas out of your head and onto paper where we can work with them. We'll figure out what will be most helpful to focus on in our time together, and what you want to walk away with from our session. Then we dive in.
I'll ask questions, and you'll be doing a lot of the talking. You'll definitely feel like you're rambling, going on tangents, and not making any sense!
A client recently shared:
"You told me at the beginning that it will feel like I am rambling and making no sense at all. It was 100% like that all the time, but it made me realize that what I am talking about is legitimate and common."
When it comes to our careers, many of us are used to being polished and giving the appearance that we have everything under control, but you don't have to do that with me. Coaching is messy! To get to clarity, you have to allow yourself to sort through all of the messy stuff first. My super power is listening deeply, reflecting back what I hear, and synthesizing what emerges—so you can truly gain clarity about what matters to you.
Can I afford coaching?
My favorite way to work with clients is over the course of ten 1:1 sessions in the Career Navigation Coaching Package ($3300), where you'll develop your customized Strategic Career Compass that captures who you are, what you stand for, and what you bring to the table. You'll walk away ready to use that compass to make aligned decisions about your career path right now and down the road.
I also offer 1:1 Leadership Coaching over the course of ten sessions ($3500), where we'll tackle your unique leadership challenges—whether that's stepping into a new level of management, building your skills and confidence, or developing your authentic leadership style.
I offer no-fee payment plans so you can split the cost into 1, 2, or 4 installments. Your employer might also support coaching if you share a thoughtful pitch about the benefits to you, your team, and the organization—I've got you covered with a template to do that here.
Let's be real: extended 1:1 coaching isn't always in the budget, but you still need support to get moving, so I've got you covered with these coaching packages:
A single Career Mapping Session ($325) to help you get unstuck, make a decision, weigh your options, or make a game plan. Together we’ll organize your thoughts and plan strategic steps forward.
(NEW!) The Define Your Direction Coaching Program ($750) combines my best self-paced program with 1:1 coaching to help you get into the driver’s seat of your professional life. It's designed to help mission-driven but overwhelmed professionals get out of analysis paralysis and take real action.
Investing in your professional development is a big deal, and can feel kind of scary.
One client I worked with wrote:
“I had never really invested in my own career development before. It felt like a leap, and it definitely was...but it was 100% worth it. I gained so much more than my investment in terms of insight and confidence. It was invaluable to have a neutral, encouraging space to work through messy career-related thoughts and issues.”
If you're not in a position to invest financially in coaching right now, that's ok—I always offer free resources in the monthly Leadership Lab, this newsletter (The Strategic Leader's Toolbox), and my Resource Library.
What is the time commitment?
If you’re like many of the clients I've worked with, you push off your own development until some mythical later date when things will “quiet down” and you can really focus on yourself.
A leader I worked with last fall knew she wanted to coach with me, but kept searching for a clearing in her busy work and family schedule to finally have the focused time she thought she needed. She told me:
"I realized of course that if I waited until I 'had time' I'd never do it because when would that ever happen?"
It wasn't a matter of waiting for the right time to emerge—it was a choice to put herself first instead of last.
This is your real life happening now, and you’re too wonderful to be spinning your wheels in your career. Don’t wait! I encourage you to get started now and I'll be here to support you along the way.
When we work together over the course of several sessions, you can expect one 60-minute coaching call per week plus 1-2 hours for your coaching homework. Our live time together is magic, but the actual forward movement happens between sessions. We'll set you up with assignments from my toolbox that will give you a structured way to reflect, plan, and take action.
What kind of support can I expect outside of our live calls?
You have unlimited email support from me between coaching sessions, so you can always reach out to me to celebrate a small win, vent about a challenge, or ask a question to keep you moving.
I like for you to consider me your career concierge—let me do the research and digging so that you can focus on your important work. Send me any question and I'll find a hand-picked, targeted resource that will help in your specific situation.
The best part about this is that I'm your partner in career navigation—you've been going it alone, but now you have my tools, encouragement, and energy at your side.
What are the outcomes of coaching?
As much as I'd like to spout out facts and figures about how many of my clients have gone on to win a job offers or get promoted, that would be a false way to capture the outcomes of what we do together.
This process is not about quick fixes and making surface-level career moves. It's deep work—about getting to know yourself and taking the time and space to define what matters to you most. It's about developing thoughtful tools that will serve you right now and when curveballs come your way down the road. It's about feeling strong and grounded in who you are, what makes you feel fulfilled, and how you show up to work and leadership.
Often, clients do get more interviews or earn job offers and promotions.
"I was able to restructure my role at the company, enhance my compensation, and feel reenergized and excited for what comes next."
"My new confidence in who I truly am helped distinguish me from other candidates in a recent job search because I can speak about my mission, vision and 'why'—and it led to my dream position."
Sometimes these career moves happen during or immediately following our work together, and sometimes the seeds we plant together bloom a year or more later.
You'll find that coaching is a deep, meaningful, and thoughtful process that will help you feel more clear and confident about who you are—and that ultimately leads to making more aligned career moves.
Let's Hear From a Real Coaching Client
Don't take my word for it—let's hear from a real coaching client in their own words! Meet Emily McHugh, who pivoted from nonprofit director of development to a whole new industry, as the director of strategic initiatives in a tech consulting firm.
CA: What were you experiencing in your life and career that led you to begin coaching with me?
E: I had been climbing the ranks at the same organization for 5 years and knew that I wasn't happy with the organization but also that I didn't want to do the same work somewhere else. I had opportunities to leave, but the work wasn't exciting to me anymore. At the same time, I didn't know how to market my skills for something different. I had spent 5 years honing what felt like a very specific skill set and I felt stuck with it. Not to mention, I was good at it!
The combination of these feelings left me paralyzed. Do I continue doing this thing that I'm good at but I hate doing? Do I start over and try something new? What if I don't like that either?
CA: What outcomes of our coaching were most important to you?
E: Our work together was transformational for my mindset and career trajectory, and I've seen the ripple effect that it's had across my life. I was holding onto things that were no longer serving me—skills that I'd rather leave in the past and antiquated beliefs about work and what a career trajectory should look like. You helped dig me out of a metaphorical hole that I had fallen into—one that made it hard to look toward the future and how bright it could be.
Very tangibly, you helped me redefine who I am as a professional and what skills and strengths I bring to the table, no matter where that table is. My new job (which is a totally different position and industry) is a direct result of our work together. Without your coaching, I don't think I would have the confidence in myself to make a transition like this.
CA: Was there anything that surprised you about the coaching process or working together?
E: It was surprising how self-driven the coaching process was. I'm very Type-A so in the beginning I was kind of like, "Am I doing this right?" It was also surprising how difficult a seemingly-easy homework assignment could be. Thinking about your ideal work day is way harder than it seems!
CA: How would you describe what it’s like to work with me?
E: Working with Carole Ann feels a little bit like going to therapy (which is a good thing!). She is a sounding board for any and all ideas—nothing is too crazy. She asks hard questions that stay with you long after your sessions are over and she challenges you in the best way possible. Carole Ann has a truly incredible gift and I'm so grateful that I was able to work with her. It sounds hyperbolic, but she has unequivocally changed my life for the better.
CA: Thank so much, Emily!
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