Career Coaches: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of career coaches about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for career coaches to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of career coaches expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for career coaches.
What Education & Experience is Needed for Career Coaches?
Do career coaches need a degree? What kind of experience do career coaches typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for career coaches to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for Career Coaches
Jobs Postings for Career Coaches By Education
- Bachelor's degree: 69,460 (39%)
- Master's degree: 37,284 (21%)
- No Education Listed: 33,310 (19%)
- High School or GED: 31,496 (18%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 5,169 (3%)
A bachelor's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of career coaches. According to job data, a bachelor's degree was required for 39% of positions. In 21% of job listings a master's degree was required and in 19% of postings no education level was listed.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Career Coaches
Jobs Postings for Career Coaches By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 25,462 (32%)
- 2-3 Years: 40,955 (51%)
- 4-6 Years: 11,898 (15%)
- 7-9 Years: 1,395 (2%)
- 10+ Years: 838 (1%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for career coaches. In 51% of job postings for Career Coaches, employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience. In 32% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 0-1 years of experience, while 4-6 years of experience was sought in 15% of job postings for career coaches.
What Kind of Degree Do Career Coaches Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for career coaches, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 7 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective career coaches, and in 2021 a total of 161,100 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective career coaches.
Top Degree Programs for Career Coaches
Top 5 Degree Programs for Career Coaches (2021)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Psychology, General. | 140,792 |
| Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services. | 12,234 |
| Behavioral Sciences. | 4,169 |
| Human Resources Development. | 2,315 |
| College Student Counseling and Personnel Services. | 1,082 |
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Psychology, General. | 140,792 |
| Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services. | 12,234 |
| Behavioral Sciences. | 4,169 |
| Human Resources Development. | 2,315 |
| College Student Counseling and Personnel Services. | 1,082 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services, Other. | 451 |
| Executive/Career Coaching. | 57 |
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Degree Options for Career Coaches
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What Skills Do Career Coaches Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by career coaches to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for career coaches, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Career Coaches
Based on 144,204 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Career Coaches
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Student Services | 22,200 | 15% |
| School Counseling | 16,561 | 11% |
| Social Work | 15,732 | 11% |
| Academic Advising | 15,497 | 11% |
| Psychology | 12,007 | 8% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Career Coaches
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communications | 66,747 | 46% |
| Customer Service | 35,418 | 25% |
| Writing | 33,319 | 23% |
| Management | 31,672 | 22% |
| Planning | 29,310 | 20% |
Based on 144,204 job postings related to career coaches, student services was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 15% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for school counseling, social work, academic advising, psychology and case management were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communications was the most desired skill found in job postings for career coaches, followed by customer service, writing, management, planning and leadership.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Student Services | 22,200 | 15% |
| School Counseling | 16,561 | 11% |
| Social Work | 15,732 | 11% |
| Academic Advising | 15,497 | 11% |
| Psychology | 12,007 | 8% |
| Case Management | 11,445 | 8% |
| Marketing | 10,977 | 8% |
| Human Services | 8,980 | 6% |
| Auditing | 8,525 | 6% |
| Mental Health | 8,180 | 6% |
| Office Equipment | 6,745 | 5% |
| Disabilities | 6,673 | 5% |
| Rehabilitation | 6,659 | 5% |
| Project Management | 6,206 | 4% |
| Special Education | 6,182 | 4% |
| Data Entry | 6,098 | 4% |
| Student Information Systems | 5,970 | 4% |
| Higher Education | 5,815 | 4% |
| Student Engagement | 5,732 | 4% |
| Accounting | 5,215 | 4% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communications | 66,747 | 46% |
| Customer Service | 35,418 | 25% |
| Writing | 33,319 | 23% |
| Management | 31,672 | 22% |
| Planning | 29,310 | 20% |
| Leadership | 27,422 | 19% |
| Problem Solving | 23,560 | 16% |
| Microsoft Office | 21,558 | 15% |
| Coordinating | 21,183 | 15% |
| Advising | 20,901 | 14% |
| Detail Oriented | 19,614 | 14% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 19,218 | 13% |
| Operations | 19,168 | 13% |
| Research | 18,337 | 13% |
| Presentations | 16,896 | 12% |
| Organizational Skills | 16,467 | 11% |
| Microsoft Excel | 16,465 | 11% |
| Teaching | 16,035 | 11% |
| English Language | 14,852 | 10% |
| Sales | 14,452 | 10% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about career coaches? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for career coaches.
All Occupations
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.