What Does a Career Coach Do? Coach vs. Mentor vs. Therapist

What does a career coach do? A career coach works with you on a defined career goal, such as a new direction, a job application or an interview, over a set number of paid sessions. A mentor is someone further along your own path who shares experience, usually informally and for free. A therapist is a licensed clinician who treats mental health problems. Pick by problem: a decision or a plan calls for a coach, insider knowledge of one field calls for a mentor, and low mood or anxiety that affects your whole life calls for a therapist.

I work as a career coach. Since 2022 I have coached more than 2,000 adults in Germany's career and integration programmes, in groups and one to one, and I coach clients privately in English, German, Lithuanian and Russian. I am not a therapist.

Career coach vs. mentor vs. therapist at a glance

What does a career coach do?

The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as "partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential." Applied to careers, that means four kinds of work. These are the four I offer in my career coaching:

• Direction. What fits your skills, what the job market in your country pays for, and which step comes first.
• CV and cover letter. Written for the country and the job you apply for, so a recruiter sees the match in seconds.
• Interviews. We practise the questions you fear until the answers sound like you.
• Motivation. A plan for the weeks when nothing moves, and someone who checks in.

A coach does not find you a job, and a good one will not decide for you. Coaching works through your own answers. My part is the structure, the hard questions, the practice and the market knowledge: in my case, the German job market, where I have worked with job seekers since 2022.

Coaching starts with an agreement. With me, that is a 30-minute call where you tell me where you are and where you want to be. If I can help, we agree in writing on the goal, the number of sessions and the price.

People from my group programmes in Germany describe the work like this:

"I valued the clear structure and the hands-on content. He responded to each participant individually and encouraged us to believe in our professional goals." Valentyna A., medical doctor, seminar participant in Germany

"Thanks to the small group I received many personal recommendations. That personal approach gave me much more clarity about my next steps." Inesa K., accountant, seminar participant in Germany

What a mentor gives you

A mentor knows your field from the inside. They tell you how promotions work in your industry, which certifications count, who to talk to and which mistakes they made. Mentoring usually runs informally: a coffee every few months, a message when you face a decision.

The strength of a mentor is also the limit. Their advice comes from their own path, and your path may differ in era, country or background. A mentor who built a career in Germany in the 1990s may not know how hiring works for a foreign applicant today.

Find mentors through former managers, alumni networks, professional associations and your company's mentoring programme. Ask a specific question first. A request like "Will you be my mentor?" puts pressure on a stranger; "Could I ask you three questions about moving from engineering into product management?" is easy to say yes to.

When you need a therapist

Psychotherapy is treatment. The American Psychological Association describes it as "a collaborative treatment based on the relationship between an individual and a psychologist," and US psychologists must pass a national exam and be licensed by their state. In Germany, the Psychotherapists Act (opens in a new tab) reserves the title Psychotherapeut for licensed professionals and defines psychotherapy as diagnosing, curing or relieving disorders of clinical significance. The same section says that work aimed only at social conflicts or other goals outside medicine is not psychotherapy. Career coaching falls on that side of the line.

See a doctor or a therapist, not a coach, if you notice:

• low mood, hopelessness or loss of interest that lasts most days
• anxiety that stops you from working or sleeping
• a past event that keeps pulling you back
• thoughts of harming yourself

The NHS advice: seek help from a GP if you think you may be depressed. If you are in crisis, call a helpline: in Germany the TelefonSeelsorge on 0800 111 0 111, in the US the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

A career problem and a mental health problem can sit side by side. Someone who lost a job may need both a plan and treatment. The ICF Code of Ethics asks coaches to stay alert to a shift in the value the client gets and, where it fits, to discuss a different coach, professional or resource. In practice: if coaching is not the right help, a good coach says so.

Is a career coach worth it?

A career coach is worth the money when:

• you have a concrete goal or a decision with a deadline
• you will do the work between sessions: research, applications, practice
• the coach knows your market, your country and your type of move
• you want honest feedback on your CV and your interview answers

A coach is a poor buy when you want someone to find you a job, when you need treatment, or when you want advice from a person who has done your exact job. For the last one, find a mentor.

Questions to ask before you hire a career coach

1. What kind of clients do you work with most? Look for a match with your situation: country, industry, career stage.
2. How does a session run, and what do I do between sessions?
3. How many sessions do you expect for my goal, and what does it cost in total? Get it in writing.
4. What credentials and experience do you have? ICF credentials (ACC, PCC, MCC) are one signal. Track record with people like you is another.
5. What happens if coaching is not the right help for me? The answer tells you whether the coach knows where coaching ends.

If you are planning a career change, my guide on how to change careers shows the six steps I use in coaching. If you feel stuck in your twenties, read about the quarter-life crisis first.

Talk to me first

A 30-minute call is enough to see whether coaching is the right help for you, and whether I am the right coach. Book a call and tell me where you are and where you want to be.