Career Definition of a Career Success Coach
A career success coach provides guidance to individuals to help them achieve their career goals. They may work in academic environments, including technical colleges and 4-year universities, to help students determine what careers they are interested in, and then develop a plan for them to obtain the skills and education needed for that specific career. Career success coaches who work for academic institutions might also be involved with recruiting students and promoting the school and its programs.
Career success coaches can also work with companies or civic organizations to provide guidance to individuals who are interested in advancing their careers. They can identify strategies to obtain relevant training and experience that may help individuals obtain promotions or different positions.
| Educational Requirements | Bachelor's or master's degree |
| Job Skills | Ability to multitask; excellent communication skills; strong customer service skills; computer skills, including experience with Word and Excel; familiarity with social media sites, like LinkedIn |
| Median Salary (2020)* | $58,120 (school and career counselors) |
| Job Outlook (2020-2030)* | 11% (school and career counselors) |
Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Required Education
While jobs in this field are available to applicants with an undergraduate degree, some employers require or prefer a master's degree in a field such as psychology, human resources or counseling. Employers might also prefer or require career success coaches to have coaching certification.
Required Skills
Career success coaches spend a lot of time interacting with people, so they need to have interpersonal skills, communication skills and customer service skills. In positions where a coach's work involves promoting programs and schools, marketing skills may also be an asset. It's common for career success coaches to help clients develop their social media profiles or use the Internet to conduct research or provide information about a program's services, so it is important for these professionals to have knowledge of common computer programs and social networking tools. They also commonly work with a number of individuals throughout the day, so they need to be able to multitask effectively as well.
Career and Salary Outlook
Career success coaches are not listed individually on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) website. The ''school and career counselor'' listing is the most similar career option the BLS lists. These professionals should see an 11% job growth rate from 2020 to 2030. The median annual salary for school and career counselors was $58,120 in 2020, per the BLS.
Related Careers
Many of the skills that career success coaches use are also employed by high school guidance counselors, wellness coaches and social workers. These are professions that can involve helping people identify interests, set goals and develop a plan to achieve those goals. Links to information about these career options are provided here.
