Forked over $800 for a 'career coach' and got nothing but fluff

Six months back I paid this guy from Dallas $800 for a 6 session package. Thought he'd help me pivot from retail management into something better. First session he just asked me what I liked to do. Like I couldn't have done that for free in my mirror. Second session he told me to update my LinkedIn. Groundbreaking stuff. By session four I realized he was just reading off a script. No real connections, no industry insight. I could have spent that money on a certification or a conference ticket. Better yet saved it and just asked mentors on Reddit for free. Anyone else get burned by one of these so called experts?

2 comments

2 Comments

parkera2214d ago

Read an article last month that said most career coaches are just recycled HR people who got laid off and needed a new hustle. Makes sense honestly. The good ones are supposedly rare and usually charge way more than $800 from what I've seen. Saw someone compare it to paying for a dating coach when you could just... go talk to people. Same energy here. At least you got some LinkedIn tips out of it, even if that's basically common sense at this point.

seth68314d ago

I hear you, but I think there's more to it than that. The comparison to a dating coach doesn't really hold up because job hunting has a lot of hidden rules and gatekeepers that don't apply to meeting people socially. A good career coach isn't just telling you to update your resume and network, they're helping you figure out what you actually want to do and how to sell yourself in a way that feels natural. I've met a few former HR people who made the switch and they were actually pretty helpful because they knew what hiring managers look for behind the scenes. The problem is there's no barrier to entry, so anyone can call themselves a coach and charge whatever they want. I think the real trick is finding someone who specializes in your industry and has a track record you can verify.