The 4 Types of Career Coaches — and one you *really need
Hiring the wrong career coach is one of the most common (and costly) mistakes I see. I’ve made this mistake at least twice, costing me 10s of thousands of dollars, time, and confidence — and I hear about it often from new clients who’ve come to me after having had disappointing experiences that nearly turned them off from what can be an incredible, efficient, and life-changing process.
And full disclosure: while I coach senior leaders in tech, finance, non-profit, and other high-pressure, high-velocity environments, I JUST hired a career coach myself…because I feel stuck. Because I want to be stretched. Because I’m navigating my own transition back into startups and even coaches need coaches — especially when we’re in our own career transitions.
I’ve been coaching for almost 9 years. Over this time, I’ve noticed that most career coaches fall into four main types. Some are incredibly effective. Others… not so much, or just aren’t right for you. Here’s how to tell the difference, and how to find the one you actually need.
1. The “Snake Oil” Career Coach (🚫 Would Not Recommend)
This is the flashy, group-program coach you see all over your feed on IG, Facebook, and sadly, on LI too. They have impressive stats, sleek branding, maybe even a big-name background — but they deliver questionable ethics, generic templates, pre-recorded videos, group sessions, and little to no real one-on-one support.
There’s often a salesperson involved or person you’re communicated with initially, who doesn’t understand coaching, you or your goals, leaving you feeling unseen, pressured, and vaguely guilty for not signing up.
If you’ve ever joined one of those “career accelerator” programs that felt salesy or surface-level, you know what I mean (and I have). Mostly, you end up frustrated and wishing you’d trusted your gut.
Red flags: vague promises, hard-sell/high pressure tactics, generic materials/emails, and little personalized attention.
To be fair — not all group programs are bad. The best ones build real community, accountability, and are thoughtful (also did one of those!). But the key difference? A good career coach should challenge, guide, know you very well, and partner with you — not run you through a copy/paste process, very low touch process, so they can scale.
2. The Tactical Career Coach (🔍 High-Structure, Athletic, Results-Focused)
These coaches focus primarily on strategy and execution — refining your résumé and LinkedIn profile, building your job-search pipeline, crafting your story, and navigating interviews — and they’re VERY efficient and direct.
They’re perfect for someone who’s already done the inner work, has a high clarity around what they want and where they’re going long term, and now wants velocity, structure, and more accountability — less of the woo woo, inner work.
Think of this type as 90% tactics, 10% emotional support, and is high touch. They understand your domain deeply, speak your language, are straight shooters, and help you position yourself powerfully for your next opportunity — especially if you’re a tech leader, startup operator, or senior professional preparing for a career transition or executive role in this highly competitive market.
If you’re clear on your goals and just need an expert to help you package and land them, this coach can be a game-changer (this is the coach I just hired!).
3. The Heart-Led or Transformational Career Coach (💡 Inside-Out Growth)
These coaches start with your identity, values, and emotional landscape — the why behind your work. They’re ideal if you’re going through a big career pivot, layoff, identity shift, or major life change, or realizing you’ve outgrown your old definition of success. This is also a high touch coach.
This kind of coaching is deep, reflective, and powerful. A heart-led coach helps you rebuild clarity, confidence, and purpose, blending emotional work with just enough structure and tactics to move forward. This is me :)
It’s far more meeting someone where they are, and about aligning who you are now with the work and life you want next, and LESS about résumés, pipelines, criteria, and negotiation (though that’s a big part of it) This is perfect for those who feel stuck in their heads or hearts, or in the “I should be….” mindset, and need a blend courage, clarity, confidence, and tactics to unlock what’s next.
4. The Leadership-Focused Career Coach (⚡ From VP to C-Level or Founder)
This is the coach for leaders who are killing it where they are,mhave already mastered the fundamentals and are now navigating the leap from say Director/VP to C, stepping into their first founder or executive role, or transitioning from leader in FAANG, to entreneurship/early stage work.
They’re less about job-search tactics and more about elevating your leadership resilience, talent, habits, brand, and raw skillset — managing complex teams, influencing at scale, making strategic decisions, moving faster, sustaining performance under pressure, managing up, navigating major org change, managing up, communication, and complex politics/relational dynamics — and generally, thinking much more long term about your impact, and your career future. They help you identify and close the gaps between where you are and where you’re headed.
Finding the Right Fit
No single style of career coaching fits everyone. If you’re a leader, founder, or executive navigating growth, change, or the next big step in your career, the right coach will meet you where you are, and get you “there” faster. When in doubt, ask yourself:
“Do I need transformation, leadership elevation/impact, or nut and bolt tactics with linear steps right now?”
“Is there any grief I need to process…things I need to let go of?”.
“Am I lacking more courage, confidence, and clarity, or domain expertise, discipline, and structure”?
The right answer will point you to the right type of coach — and save you a lot of time, money, and frustration along the way.
More importantly, it’ll help you land in the right role faster — with far less anxiety and a lot more groundedness.