Cathy Liska 
As a career coach, you may perform roles that pertain strictly to coaching and you sometimes also serve in other roles to guide the client, acting as a counselor or trainer. In doing so, you want to make sure the role you are using best supports the client in moving forward and also that the client clearly understands whether you are in the role of a coach, counselor, or trainer.
How do you effectively balance the roles of career training, career counseling, and career coaching?
- Training often includes resume writing, cover letters, thank you letters, interviewing, and negotiating.
- Counseling often includes assessments and advice.
- Coaching is used for exploration, awareness, empowerment, choice, strategy, planning, and follow-through.
What is beneficial to the client is an awareness of what each role offers, a plan for when each role is in play, and clarity in the moment of the role along with purpose during that time.
The initial levels of coach training will include clarifying what a coach is and is not, agreements which include role definitions and scheduling, and the foundation for providing coaching. Advanced coaching certification will further refine a coach’s existing areas of expertise for career coaching plus enhance their management of the roles and services for clients, which in turn enhances the outcomes.
