Dropped $200 on a career coach and got generic advice I could have Googled

I paid a career coach in Austin $200 last month to help me switch industries from retail to tech, and she basically told me to update my LinkedIn and network more. No real tips on how to actually break into a new field or what skills to focus on. Has anyone else had a bad experience with a career coach, or did I just pick the wrong person?

2 comments

2 Comments

simonmoore1mo agoTop Commenter

Wait, did she actually charge you $200 just to tell you to update your LinkedIn? That is wild. I would have asked for my money back right then and there. Those basic tips are everywhere for free online, you don't need to pay someone two hundred bucks for that. A good career coach should have given you specific advice about which entry level tech roles match your retail experience or what certifications to actually get. It sounds like she took the easy way out instead of doing real work for you. I hope you left a review somewhere so other people don't waste their cash on her too.

gavinhunt1mo ago

I get where you're coming from but I gotta push back a little on that. You say "a good career coach should have given you specific advice," but sometimes a coach is just a sounding board and that's worth something too. If you're stuck and haven't updated your LinkedIn in three years, hearing it from someone with a title can make it click harder than reading a random blog. Not everyone needs a full certification roadmap right away, sometimes you just need a kick in the pants to fix the basics. Two hundred bucks is steep for a single hour but maybe it was a wake up call that got them moving, which is more than another free article would do. I'd be curious what the client's own effort looked like before throwing all the blame on the coach.