PSA: I Dropped $1,200 on a Career Coach and Got Nothing Useful

I signed up with a career coach last year after feeling stuck in my firehouse role. Cost me $1,200 for six sessions, and honestly, I walked away with generic advice like 'update your resume' and 'network more.' No real strategy on how to move into a leadership position or handle the unique politics of a fire department. She didn't know our field at all, and her tips felt copy-pasted from a corporate playbook. Has anyone else tried one of these coaches and actually gotten something worth the money?

3 comments

3 Comments

lisaf3825d ago

Six sessions for $1,200 and she gave you copy-paste advice? That stings. I used to think career coaches were worth it for anyone feeling stuck, but hearing stories like this changed my mind. I really believed a good coach could give you that inside track, especially for niche jobs like fire departments with their own culture and politics. But if they don't know your field, it's just expensive common sense. Your experience makes me think most of these coaches are just recycling generic tips and charging a premium for it.

the_robin25d ago

Right? It's like paying for a GPS that only tells you to turn left no matter where you're going (but hey, maybe my burnout is just my fault for not turning left enough), @lisaf38.

daniel_lane3023d ago

Wait, so you paid $1,200 to get advice you could have gotten from a fortune cookie? That's brutal, @lisaf38. I've seen this kind of thing a lot in my own line of work - people overpaying for advice that sounds good but has zero practical use. It's like buying a fancy suit but it doesn't fit you at all. The real kicker is when they blame you for not following their generic plan hard enough. Hope you at least got a good story out of it.