Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Career Coach

🎯 Role Definition

A Career Coach partners with job seekers, students, and employees to design and implement personalized career development plans, deliver job search coaching (resume/CV and LinkedIn optimization, interview preparation), facilitate skill development workshops, build employer relationships, and track measurable placement and retention outcomes. This role requires strong counseling and coaching skills, labor market knowledge, experience with career assessment tools, and the ability to manage a caseload while delivering both one-on-one and group services. Ideal candidates have experience in workforce development, higher education career services, outplacement, or talent development, and possess certifications such as GCDF, ICF, or similar coaching credentials.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

HR Generalist or Recruiter transitioning into coaching and career development.
Academic Advisor or Student Services Specialist in higher education.
Workforce Development Case Manager or Employment Specialist.

Advancement To:

Senior Career Coach / Lead Career Coach.
Career Services Manager / Manager of Career Development.
Director of Career Services, Outplacement Director, or Talent Development Director.

Lateral Moves:

Workforce Development Specialist / Employment Specialist.
Talent Development Consultant or Learning & Development Facilitator.

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Conduct comprehensive career assessments and intake interviews to identify clients' strengths, transferable skills, career interests, values, and employment barriers, using validated tools and structured questionnaires.
Develop individualized career action plans with clearly defined short- and long-term SMART goals, milestones, timelines, and resources for job search, upskilling, or career transition.
Provide expert resume, CV, and cover letter development and editing services tailored to target industries and applicant tracking systems (ATS), ensuring optimization for keywords and recruiter review.
Create and optimize clients' professional LinkedIn profiles, including headline, summary, skills, accomplishments, and networking strategies to increase visibility and employer engagement.
Deliver one-on-one interview coaching that includes mock interviews, behavioral-based interviewing practice, feedback on delivery and content, and strategies for competency-based and technical interviews.
Teach job search strategies and techniques including targeted employer research, networking outreach, informational interviewing, cold-emailing, and leveraging job boards and social media effectively.
Facilitate group workshops and webinars on topics such as resume writing, LinkedIn best practices, interview skills, salary negotiation, career planning, and industry-specific job search tactics.
Use labor market information and occupational research to advise clients on in-demand skills, industry hiring trends, salary ranges, career pathways, and credentialing or training opportunities.
Support clients through career transitions such as layoffs, promotions, sector changes, re-entering the workforce, and retirement planning, with individualized transition plans and emotional support.
Build and maintain relationships with employers, hiring managers, and industry partners to create pipelines for job placement, internships, apprenticeships, and informational interviews.
Manage an active caseload of clients, schedule sessions, track progression against goals, and ensure follow-up and accountability to drive measurable placement and retention outcomes.
Administer and interpret career assessment instruments (e.g., Strong Interest Inventory, MBTI, Holland Codes, Strengths assessments), integrating results into actionable career recommendations.
Coach clients on negotiation strategies for salary, benefits, and offers; prepare scripts, role-play negotiations, and provide market data to support client expectations.
Maintain accurate, confidential case records, activity logs, and outcome data in career services databases or CRM tools, ensuring compliance with organizational and funder reporting requirements.
Collaborate with training providers, educational institutions, credentialing bodies, and internal L&D teams to align client upskilling/training pathways with employer needs.
Design, evaluate, and continuously improve career programs and curriculum based on outcomes, client feedback, and performance metrics; prepare program reports and recommendations for stakeholders.
Provide culturally responsive and trauma-informed coaching that addresses equity, accessibility, and unique needs of diverse populations, including veterans, disabled clients, and underrepresented groups.
Lead employer-facing recruiting events, career fairs, mock interview days, and hiring panels to increase direct placement opportunities for clients.
Monitor and report key performance indicators (KPIs) such as placements, time-to-placement, retention at 30/60/90 days, wage progression, and client satisfaction scores.
Provide specialized support for niche career situations such as executive coaching, career pivoting for mid-career professionals, entrepreneurship counseling, and freelance/portfolio career development.
Use virtual coaching platforms and digital tools to deliver remote services, schedule sessions, share resources, and maintain engagement across geographically dispersed clients.
Advocate for clients with employers and community partners, facilitate reasonable accommodations when needed, and coordinate wraparound services (transportation, childcare, training stipends) to remove employment barriers.
Stay current with professional development, certifications, and industry best practices by attending conferences, participating in peer networks, and completing continuing education units.

Secondary Functions

Track program-level data and support monthly or quarterly reporting needs for grants, contracts, or internal stakeholders.
Contribute to outreach and marketing efforts to recruit clients and promote career services through social media, campus communications, newsletters, and community partners.
Assist in the development and maintenance of online resource libraries, toolkits, templates, and self-guided career modules for asynchronous client use.
Participate in interdisciplinary case conferences with academic advisors, HR partners, and community service providers to coordinate comprehensive support plans.
Support pilot projects, process improvements, and digital transformation initiatives aimed at scaling coaching services and improving client outcomes.
Supervise or mentor interns and junior staff, providing training on counseling techniques, data entry standards, and program protocols.
Maintain professional confidentiality and adhere to ethical standards, organizational policies, and data protection laws (e.g., FERPA, GDPR where applicable).
Provide occasional administrative support such as intake scheduling, invoicing for career services, and coordination of employer engagement logistics.
Help design and administer satisfaction surveys and client feedback mechanisms, and analyze results to inform service improvements.
Participate in community stakeholder meetings and employer advisory boards to align programming with regional workforce needs.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Resume and cover letter writing optimized for applicant tracking systems (ATS) and recruiter keyword strategies.
Interview coaching techniques including behavioral interviewing, situational interviewing, and STAR-method training.
Proficiency with LinkedIn profile optimization, networking best practices, and social recruiting tactics.
Experience administering and interpreting career assessment tools (e.g., Strong Interest Inventory, MBTI, CliftonStrengths, Holland Codes).
Familiarity with labor market data sources and occupational research tools (e.g., O*NET, BLS data, Burning Glass).
Case management and client relationship management using CRMs or career services platforms (e.g., Handshake, Salesforce, Symplicity, Jenzabar).
Workshop and curriculum design for career development programs and group facilitation.
Competence with virtual coaching and remote collaboration tools (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Calendly, Google Workspace).
Data tracking, KPI reporting, and basic analytics to measure placements, retention, and ROI of career interventions.
Knowledge of employment law basics, reasonable accommodations, and compliance standards relevant to client placement.

Soft Skills

Empathetic and client-centered counseling approach that builds trust and motivates action.
Strong verbal and written communication skills for coaching, stakeholder outreach, and content creation.
Active listening and powerful questioning to elicit client goals, barriers, and values.
Coaching presence and the ability to hold clients accountable while providing compassionate support.
Networking and relationship-building skills with employers, training partners, and community organizations.
Problem solving and career strategy development tailored to individual circumstances and market realities.
Cultural competence and the ability to work effectively with diverse populations and intersectional needs.
Resilience and adaptability in fast-changing labor markets and client circumstances.
Time management and organizational skills to manage a high-volume caseload and meet reporting deadlines.
Negotiation skills and confidence coaching clients through offer evaluation and salary conversations.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Counseling, Human Resources, Education, Psychology, Social Work, Career Development, or related field.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree in Counseling, Career Development, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Education Leadership, or related discipline.
Professional certifications such as Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF), ICF ACC/ PCC (coaching credential), Certified Career Counselor (CCC), or Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) are highly desirable.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Career Development and Counseling
Human Resources, Organizational Development
Education, Higher Education Administration
Psychology, Social Work
Workforce Development, Public Policy

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5 years of direct career coaching, career services, recruitment, workforce development, or related counseling experience.

Preferred: 5+ years of progressive experience in career coaching, employer engagement, program design, or outplacement services with demonstrated outcomes in job placement rates, retention, and wage growth. Experience with grant-funded programs, higher education career services, or corporate outplacement preferred.