If you’ve ever felt unsure about your next career step, you’ve probably come across the term career coaching.

But what really is career coaching, and how is it different from peer advice, mentoring, or figuring things out on your own?

In this blog post, we’ll break down what career coaching is, how it works in practice, and how to choose the right coach for you, so you can decide whether it’s something worth exploring at your current stage.

What is career coaching?

Gill Frigerio and Stephanie Rix describe career coaching as a practical, action-focused process that helps people navigate career changes, align their work with personal goals, and move toward new opportunities.

Unlike general advice, career coaching isn’t based on someone else’s opinion of what you should do. Instead, it helps you understand your own direction and how to act on it. It also differs from mentorship or peer advice.

• A mentor shares their experience and perspective based on their own path  

• A peer or friend offers support, but often from a limited or subjective viewpoint  

• A career coach creates a structured space to help you think, challenge assumptions, and move forward with clarity  

We often explore these differences during our free Career Café online sessions, especially when discussing mentorship and sponsorship. If you’re curious to learn more, you can view our event calendar and book your ticket.  

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What a career coach should (and shouldn’t) do?

A good career coach should:

• help you clarify your direction and priorities  

• challenge your thinking and assumptions  

• support you in structuring your next steps  

• help you position your experience more effectively  

• guide you through key career moments like applications or transitions  

At the same time, a career coach should not:

• tell you exactly what job to take  

• make decisions for you  

• offer generic, one-size-fits-all advice  

• focus only on CV edits without understanding your broader direction  

The goal of coaching is not to give you answers but to help you develop clarity and ownership over your career decisions.

Why career coaching matters and when to consider it?

The job market is more complex than ever. Applications are filtered through ATS systems, competition is intense, and expectations around how you present your experience have evolved.

This often leads to a situation where professionals are doing the “right things” like applying, preparing, and gaining experience, but not seeing the results they expect.

Career coaching becomes valuable when:

• you’re unsure about your next step  

• you feel stuck or misaligned in your current role  

• you’re applying but not getting interviews  

• you want to move more strategically in your career  

For many women, especially in fields like Tech & AI, there’s an additional layer of navigating visibility, confidence, and progression in male-dominated environments that are still evolving.  

As we explored in our blog post on what defines top tech talent today, companies are looking for more than just technically strong candidates. They also look at how you position your experience, communicate your impact, and adapt to changing expectations.  

That’s often where having structured, objective support makes a difference.

How to find a career coach?

If you’ve ever searched for a career coach online or a career coach near me, you’ll know there are many options available.  

Here are a few things to look for:

1. Certification and credibility
Look for recognised qualifications, such as those from the International Association of Career Coaches (IACC). This ensures the coach follows a structured and professional methodology.

2. Practical experience
A strong coach understands more than just theory, but also how hiring works.

At OLLMOO, our coaching approach is shaped by a recruitment background, which means we understand what companies are really looking for and how decisions are made.

3. Structured approach
Coaching should go beyond open-ended conversations. Look for clear programmes, frameworks, and outcomes. Curated materials will help you work at your own pace.

4. Personal fit
You should feel comfortable exploring uncertainty and being honest. That’s where the real value comes from. The best is to have an Introductory Call, where you can get to know each other and see if the coach is able to help in your current situation.  

What does OLLMOO Career Coaching look like?

Our coaching programmes are designed to support you across three key stages:

• Finding Your Career Direction  

• Getting Interviews  

• Landing the Offer  

They’ve been developed by our IACC-Certified Career Coach, Bettina, and are grounded in both coaching methodology and real-world recruitment insight.

Alongside the sessions, you’ll also get access to practical materials, including:

• CV templates  

• structured checklists  

• a behind-the-scenes ebook on recruitment processes

• and a client dashboard to guide your progress  

The goal is to combine clarity with practical action, so you’re not just thinking about your next step, but actively moving towards it. You can explore more about how OLLMOO Career Coaching works.  

Final thought

In career coaching, you’re not fixing something that’s broken. You’re working on seeing your situation from a different perspective, understanding what’s possible and developing a structured action plan to move forward with clarity.

And often, that starts with a single conversation.

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