Perhaps you’ve only recently come out of university, and you’re feeling a little lost about the whole “building a career” thing. Or perhaps you know exactly what role or salary range you want to go after, but are missing the confidence. No matter what your situation is (whether it’s confusion, fear, or uncertainty stopping you), a career coach can help you identify the right career path and equip you with what it takes to present yourself as the ideal candidate.
To aid you in taking that first step so you can come closer to landing your dream job, we’ve compiled a list of some of the top career coaches in the world: 16 of them, to be exact! So, let’s dive right in and take a look at these coaching experts, their areas of expertise, and the services they provide.
When you’re looking for a reliable career counselor, you’ll want someone to help you transition from a lost, frustrated employee to a thriving professional. The career coaches listed below are known for doing just that!
1. Tammy Gooler Loeb, MBA, CPCC
Leadership and career transition coaching
Location | Format: Boston/global | online
Tammy Gooler Loeb has been offering one-on-one executive and leadership coaching based on customized plans for over 30 years. Each plan incorporates actionable steps and a way to track and manage progress, helping clients reach their goals. Besides leadership coaching, she also provides guidance on career transitions and advancement for people who feel stuck in workplaces and positions that no longer serve them.
Experience & credentials:
- 30 years of coaching experience
- Certified professional co-active coach, Co-Active Training Institute
- Co-active leadership program, Co-Active Training Institute
- Certified practitioner, motivation factor assessment and training program
- Leadership circle 360 assessment
Services:
- Leadership coaching for individuals
- Leadership coaching for companies
- Public speaking
Notable programs/tools:
Tammy is the author of "Work From The Inside Out” and hosts a popular podcast with the same name. To get a flavor of how Tammy works, there are free resources you can access on her website, including a link to her podcast and a downloadable workbook.
Client testimonial:
“Boston University was lucky to have Tammy offer a presentation for us based on her book titled "Work from the Inside Out: Managing Uncertainty, Creating Meaning." It was incredibly insightful and well done. I have been managing a professional development speaker series for almost 10 years, and Tammy's take on some "tried and true" topics like job searching and networking was quite refreshing — she put a new spin on some things that really helped drive home the points she was trying to make. It was honestly one of the best of the over 100 webinars I've moderated. I would HIGHLY recommend Tammy as a speaker and coach, and I can't wait to read her book!” -Jeff Murphy
2. Julia Toothacre, MS
Career coaching and strategies
Location | Format: Utah/global | online
Julia Toothacre is a coach and strategist, and owner of Ride the Tide Collective. With over 10 years of experience in guiding people towards career clarity, Julia developed her action plans with the objective to help clients regain control over their current lives and their future. Then, she provides support as they take the necessary steps to get to where they want to be in their careers.
Experience & Credentials:
- 10 years of experience
- Background in careers coaching in education
Services:
- Career advancement sessions
- Career management sessions
- Career clarity sessions
Notable Programs/Tools:
On Julia’s website, you’ll find links to her podcast, Ride the Tide Collective, that can help answer some of your career-related questions, as well as other resources, like a résumé strategy guide.
3. Kyle Elliott, MPA, CHES
Tech career and executive coach
Location | Format: USA tech hubs/global | online
Kyle Elliott is a high-tech career coach with Silicon Valley managers and leaders among his clientele. Though he works with professionals of all seniority levels, he has extensive experience in guiding executives and people in leadership positions. His mission is simple: to help people find jobs they love by first empowering them to embrace their unique qualities.
Experience and credentials:
- Coaching with Systemic Constellations
- Certified trauma-informed coach
- Certified confidence coach
- 10+ years of experience and 1000+ clients
- Doctor of Education (EdD)
- Graduate certificate in college teaching
- Mindfulness for Educators certificate
- Certificate in trauma and spiritual care
Services:
- Career coaching
- Interview coaching
- Business mentoring
Client outcomes:
Clients achieve increased revenue, a better work–life balance, and overall job satisfaction.
Client testimonials:
“I highly recommend choosing Kyle to help you transition to your next career. Kyle has the ability to listen and to ask the right questions to help you see your actual potential and then he helps you reach your goals. While I hope to not need to find another job soon, if I ever need to make a career change again, Kyle will be the first person I call!” -S. Goldrup
4. Rachel Serwetz, ICF PCC, MBA
Career exploration coach
Location | Format: Global | online
As the CEO at WOKEN, Rachel guides professionals to clarify and pursue their best-fit career path. WOKEN is a career coaching organization that supports individuals from various professions with their career goals and challenges, particularly in career path clarity, upskilling, personal branding, networking, job searching, interviewing, pivoting, workplace navigation, mindset, accountability, and more.
WOKEN offers one-on-one and group coaching sessions. They can be reached through their customized digital platform, and via SMS or email.
Experience & Credentials:
- 13 years of coaching experience
- Certified by ICF PCC
- Worked at Goldman Sachs, Bridgewater Associates, and holds a Tech MBA from NYU Stern
Services:
- Career path exploration via proven methodology and process
- Upskilling & decision making
- Personal branding (professional summary, résumé, LinkedIn optimization, cover letter, portfolio)
- Strategic networking
- Creative job search tactics
- Mock interviews
- Career pivots
- Strengthening your mindset & accountability
- Onboarding and thriving in your new role
Client Outcomes:
Woken once mentored a teacher so she could shift into a project manager role, and she has since been promoted several times. They also coached a speech language pathologist whom they guided into a new career as a UX designer. They've helped professionals make both small and large pivots — these people came feeling unfulfilled by their paths and unsure where to go next. Woken is here to help professionals land in their best-fit path.
Notable Programs/Tools:
- Monthly subscription (no minimum commitment)
- One-on-one coaching (weekly, biweekly, or monthly)
- Texting/emailing with your coach
- Customizable digital career management platform
- Group coaching & group coworking
- Digital templates, guides, worksheets, FAQs for every career challenge
- Blogs, workshop recordings, and other resources
- Free resources: Guides, templates, quizzes, and more
Client testimonial:
“I was stuck in a toxic job that I knew I needed to exit, but did not feel confident in where to go next. Now, I’m in a great new job that's the perfect role, environment, and industry for what I need at this point in my professional and personal life. I landed a new job with confidence! I really enjoyed the accountability and accessibility of resources at WOKEN. Anyone who needs accountability and clarity in their next career move should use WOKEN!” - Maria C.
5. Adunola Adeshola
Millennial career strategist
Location | Format: Global | online
Adunola Adeshola has a mission to help young professionals find and secure roles they’re passionate about. If you’re the type who dreads Mondays and seems to be allergic to mornings, Adeshola’s coaching can help you uncover the missing piece to your career’s fulfilment.
Services:
- Private coaching
- In-house career coaching
- Keynote speaking
Client outcomes:
Her client success stories include individuals who went from receiving zero calls to interviews to landing dream roles at companies like Google, Spotify, and Vogue.
Notable programs and tools:
Besides her 90-day coaching program, she provides guides, checklists, and templates on her website, and writes blog articles that can be accessed by anyone, anytime.
Client testimonials:
"My current role came with a $45k salary increase, and I only applied to 7 positions before landing my ideal role!" -Markova
6. Ramit Sethi
Financial coaching
Location | Format: Global | online
Ramit Sethi’s passion is helping people find theirs. Using personalized, easy-to-follow programs, he guides individuals in reframing their mindset around money and careers, and setting their own rules in life.
Experience and credentials:
- 20+ years as personal finance expert
- New York Times bestseller
- Founder of “I Will Teach You to Be Rich”
- Netflix "How to Get Rich” host
- Stanford graduate
Services:
- Series of online courses including “six-figure consulting,” “mental mastery,” and “success triggers”
- Money coaching sessions
- Keynote speaking
Notable programs and tools:
Ramit has created several tried-and-tested courses, including “No-Stress Negotiation,” “Success Triggers,” “6-Figure Consulting,” and “Finisher’s Formula” — which have been taken by more than 50,000 people around the world. If he looks familiar, you may have seen him on Netflix, where he hosts the “How to Get Rich” program. He also has a blog, newsletter, podcast, and New York Times bestselling book, “I Will Teach You to Be Rich,” that can give you an insight into his methods and approach.
7. Domonique Worship, JD
Purpose-driven career and leadership coaching
Location | Format: USA/global | online
Domonique Worship is a career and leadership development coach on a mission to transform people’s lives. She follows a holistic approach to professional development, encouraging her clients to create a vision for their lives that centers on what matters most to them. Her core values as a coach? Connection, service, and impact.
Services:
- Roadmap to exceptional aligned leadership
- Corporate training
- One-to-one coaching
- Individual coaching packages
- Keynote speaking
Notable programs and tools:
Worship’s one-on-one coaching program is a three-month virtual package that includes an initial two-hour “discovery session”, six one-hour calls, and unlimited email and text support. She also offers 90-minute strategy sessions that utilize meditation as part of coming up with the client’s five-year vision and interview preparation support.
Client testimonial:
“Domonique helped me to have confidence in myself and taught me to understand what is most important to me and how that relates to work and every part of my life. She helped me develop the tools to be successful and happy in business and in life. The lessons I learned will help me with all major decisions for the rest of my life. I absolutely loved working with her and will forever be thankful.” -Christina, Senior Operations Manager
8. Melissa Carvalho, PHR
Coaching, résumé writing, and interview preparation coach
Location | Format: Global | online
Melissa Carvalho is a former HR professional for Fortune 500 companies like Amazon and Walmart, who now leverages her knowledge to help people overcome the feeling of “being stuck.” So, if you want to change career paths, find the path that suits you or access resources for effective networking and personal brand building, Carvalho has your back.
Experience and credentials:
- PHR (Professional in Human Resources)
- Career counselling
- Nationally certified LinkedIn profile expert
- Stress management
Services:
Services include résumé and LinkedIn optimization (which conveniently comes with networking mentorship), clarity coaching that helps you find your direction and purpose, and career fulfilment sessions for boosting confidence and making excellent first impressions.
Notable programs and tools:
Melissa is the host of the Confident, Clear, and Hired podcast.
9. Jackie Mitchell
Leadership and performance strategist
Location | Format: Global | online
Jackie Mitchell works primarily with women who want to take that next step in their careers but aren’t sure how. In her eyes, success is about how you position yourself, what actions you choose to take, and how serious you are about aiming high.
Services:
Jackie has created a four-week course called “Accelerator,” which covers different strategies for gaining a competitive edge in your field, and also offers private performance and leadership coaching.
Notable programs and tools:
Mitchell also has a blog and a podcast called BenchTalk. Check it out to get a deeper understanding of her approach to coaching.
10. Krista Demcher
Business consultant and personal branding coach
Location | Format: USA/global | online
Krista Demcher is the creator of the ACORN method, a five-step system that helps professionals identify their unique strengths and effectively promote their products or services. The approach entails reframing thoughts, building strategies, and improving confidence and communication.
Services:
- ACORN method - her signature approach, which includes a range of individual short courses
- Personal branding speaker
Notable programs and tools:
Besides the group programs you can join alongside other professionals, Demcher also offers consulting to entrepreneurs and business owners with her husband, Brian. “Two brains on your business are always better than one,” as they say!
11. Marlo Lyons, Esq., CPCC, GPHR
Executive and team coaching
Location | Format: Global | online
Marlo Lyons offers coaching to people feeling a little lost on the career front, and executive coaching to aspiring leaders and professionals looking for the next challenge. Her career transition strategy is divided into five steps. It starts with helping clients identify their core values to find fulfilling work, then guiding them all the way through to the interview stage.
Her executive coaching, on the other hand, centers on teaching leaders and managers the art of inspiring their teams, building (or rebuilding) trust among employees, and scaling up their organizations.
Experience and credentials:
- Varied career in TV, Leadership, and HR
- Thousands of hours coaching C-suite leaders, Fortune 500 executives, startup founders, and ambitious professionals
- ICF professional certified coach (PCC)
- Co-active training institute certified coach (CPCC)
- ICF advanced certification in team coaching (ACTC)
- Organization and relationship system coaching trained
- Accenture/Kates Kesler org design trained
- SPHR - Senior professional human resources
- GPHR - Global professional human resources
- California licensed lawyer
- 360 Certified, Center for Creative Leadership
- ADDCA – ADHD coach training (in progress)
Services:
- Career coaching
- Executive coaching
- Team coaching
Notable programs and tools:
Marlo hosts the Work Unscripted Podcast and has authored a book called “Wanted: A Board Career.”
12. Shereen Hoban
Executive, business, and transformation coaching
Location | Format: UK/global | online
Shereen Hoban is all about helping her clients achieve sustainable success, whether that’s in launching their business or becoming an inspiring leader. To do this, she provides support on building resilience, reframing thought patterns, and getting strategic about crushing objectives.
Experience and credentials:
- Postgraduate certificate in executive & business coaching
- European mentoring and coaching council at senior practitioner level
- Qualified executive and business coach and mindfulness practitioner
- Working as an executive and business coach for the last 10 years
- Coached teams to success throughout her career in advertising
Services:
- Elevate personal coaching
- Executive and career coaching
- Business coaching
- Short courses
Notable programs and tools:
Hoban offers different programs, including 1-2-1 executive and career coaching, business coaching, and what she calls the “Elevate” program. The latter is a three- to six-month process that looks deeper into the narratives we tell ourselves that end up holding us back. It incorporates meditation and mindfulness and, as such, it can help set into motion any type of change, personal or professional.
13. Donna Shannon, MCD, NCOPE
Job purpose coaching
Location | Format: USA/global | online
Donna Shannon and her team provide a range of career services and courses. Besides coaching, the Personal Touch team provides writing guidance for professionals. From perfecting résumés and cover letters to optimizing LinkedIn profiles using keywords to attract recruiters.
Expertise and credentials:
- Recipient of the Career Director's International 2024 Career Innovator award
Services:
- Hourly coaching on job searching, negotiation, and interviews.
Notable programs and tools:
- “The Down & Dirty Job Search.” The program can be done privately or in groups as a one-day workshop or a four-week course.
Client testimonials:
“This has been one of the best decisions of my career. Personal Touch Career Services helped me with my résumé, coaching services, and interview prep. Both Donna and Latricia were great and worked with my schedule.” -Laura M.
14. Kim Araman
Dream job coaching
Location | Format: UAE/global | online
Kim Araman admits to something that many may find a little peculiar: she’s always loved job interviews. Encouraging her clients to view interviews as first dates, she tries to channel their passion for what they do to help them make a great impression.
Her coaching is also suitable for professionals wanting to ask for a long-overdue raise or a promotion but don’t feel empowered enough to do so.
Experience and credentials:
- Life coaching certificate
Services:
- Map method
- 3-step method masterclass
- Strategy sessions
- Career launchpad 3.0
15. Mark Ross
Career coaching for finance professionals
Location | Format: NY, USA/global | online
Mark Ross harnesses the knowledge and insights he gained over a decade’s work on Wall Street to help finance professionals land their dream jobs.
Experience and credentials:
- Experience working in various Wall Street roles, interviewing thousands of professionals
Services:
Mark offers different types of one-on-one coaching programs: “Rapid Coach,” designed to match you to your ideal profession and boost your interview and networking skills; and “Career Coach Pro,” which is a thorough six-month program covering topics from résumé coaching through to career consultation and interview preparation. He also offers bespoke one-hour sessions and a range of courses on finance and coding.
16. Jasmine Escalera, PhD
Career confidence coaching for women of color
Location | Format: FL, USA/global | online
Jasmine Escalera, owner of BOLD, is on a mission to help women of color build their confidence and gain enough career clarity to plan their next big move. Escalera has created a group coaching program called “Professional Quitters,” which consists of courses, workshops, and community support for job seekers craving positive change. The name, as you might have guessed, comes from her advocacy for people to quit jobs that don’t serve them. Escalera also works with professionals who aren’t actively searching for work but want broader career, leadership, or executive coaching.
Services, programs, and tools:
- AI résumé and cover letter tools
- Job search
- Career productivity tools
How to choose the right coach
Though each career coach has something different to offer, it can be hard to narrow things down with so many choices. Considering the following points when making a decision can help ensure a great match:
- Write down the specific areas you need help with. You can’t ask yourself, “Who are the best coaches for my needs?” if you don’t know what your needs are.
- Consider your budget. Private coaching may not be right for you at the moment, but enrolling in a course could still be beneficial, for example.
- Do your research. In addition to looking up career coaches on the internet, be sure to ask your network and friends for recommendations.
- Narrow down your options to a few professionals. Once you’ve found some suitable services within your budget, make a list of your top three.
- Research their experience and certifications. Compare the few career coaches you’ve settled on with one another, taking into account their experience and qualifications relevant to your needs.
- Have trial sessions with more than one coach. Book trial sessions or calls with the coaches you’ve selected to get a feel of what they’re like in action.
Final thoughts
No two career coaches are the same. Some have more experience working with leaders, while others love to guide young professionals; and some are looking to support minority groups or women exclusively, who can be more vulnerable to discrimination in the recruitment process and the workplace.
Luckily, there are many people out there who genuinely thrive when helping others. And with the internet bringing together individuals from all parts of the Earth, you’re sure to find the right consultant to advance your career. All it takes is some time for research and commitment to your goals!
This article was originally written by Electra Michaelidou and published in August 2023.