Life Coach

Life is hard for everyone, but everyone has their own coping mechanisms. Some people deal with stress and trauma by trying healthy activities like meditation, exercise, dance, or simply pursuing their favorite hobby. Whereas for others, all of this may seem tougher, there is no shame in asking for help.

Suppose you are somebody who is having a hard time making certain decisions. In that case, guidance from professional coaches can be of great help. These experts aid people in navigating through different aspects of their lives, be it their professional life, marriage, family issues, or other individual challenges.

Each coach is specialized in providing counseling on a particular subject, focusing on a specific issue. Deciding if you need a career coach or a life coach depends on the unique challenges you are facing.

This article will explain the difference between a career coach and a life coach.

Career Coach

Let’s begin by talking about who a career coach is and what help people can get from such coaches.

Who is a Career Coach?

A career coach is someone who will offer you advice to help you achieve your career goals. People usually consult career coaches when they transition in their careers, especially when they have left or lost a job. They can also seek help from a career coach when they experience a sense of unfulfillment at their current workplace or feel frustrated and disappointed with the work environment.

How does a Career Coach Help?

Career coaches help their clients by:

Offering interview training and improving their resume.
Teaching how to negotiate for a reasonable compensation package.
Sorting out career plans and clarifying goals and business priorities.
Coaching on how to jump up in their career, i.e., apply for a more senior role and learn leadership skills.
Improving their soft skills and management abilities.
Increasing their motivation and boosting productivity.
Finding and recognizing gaps and attempting to close them.

And the list goes on. It all depends on the unique challenges you are facing in your career.

What to Expect from your Career Coach?

Career coaches use a problem-solving approach to help their clients and focus on being objective. They ask questions about the client’s life to make the sessions more and more meaningful to them. They offer domain-specific support to their clients, make recommendations and design an action plan that the client can start working on for quick results.

For example, say your career coach is helping you make that career jump that you have been waiting for. They might ask you to tailor your resume and also train you on the required leadership skills. Your career coach will review your progress in the next session, holding you accountable for your advancement.

Now, let’s talk about life coaches and how these individuals help their clients.

Who is a Life Coach?

A life coach is a professional who can help you overcome major personal challenges in your life. People seek help from life coaches when they have unclear goals or experience dissatisfaction with their life in general. It could be because of a difficult marriage, a stagnant career, living in a dysfunctional family, or other personal and emotional trials.

How does a Life Coach Help?

Life coaches help their clients by focusing on the following areas:

Dealing with personal relationships.
Setting goals for their lives and sorting our personal priorities.
Focusing on self-care, self-discovery, and self-awareness
Developing an excellent work-life balance.
Identifying unhealthy behavioral patterns and keeping a check on them
Finding a passion or purpose in life.
Having a resilient and positive mindset.

This is not it. You might face a different challenge but rest assured, a great life coach would identify your problem and offer a fitting solution to deal with it.

What to Expect from your Life Coach?

Life-coaching is similar to talk therapy; only it is more action-oriented. Your life coach will also ask about you and what’s going on in your life. They will create a plan of attack for you and incorporate such patterns in your life that will help you achieve your goals and gain personal satisfaction.

With the help of a life coach, people are able to identify the root causes of their problems and develop a solution, all by making necessary changes to their attitude and behavior.

For instance, you might suffer from anxiety or experience a sense of unfulfillment. Your life coach may find out that a lack of purpose in life is the cause, or it could be an unhealthy routine. They will then help you find a purpose or create a plan for a better lifestyle.

Career Coach vs. Life Coach – Takeaway

Deciding if you need a career coach or a life coach depends on your personal requirement.

Life coaches bring broader and more diverse expertise to the table. They help their clients deal with challenges they experience in their lives. There are no hard lines when it comes to life coaching, as a particular aspect of a person’s life directly or indirectly impacts other parts of their life.

A toxic marriage can prevent healthy career progress. Similarly, a stressful job can trigger emotional stress that could impact personal relationships and friendships as well. This asks for a flexible and comprehensive framework involving skills like empathy, communication, compassion, etc.

Career coaches follow a somewhat limited system to help their clients achieve their specific career goals. The programs are structured and designed to ensure challenging goals are achieved and to continue getting positive results through excellent research and problem-solving skills.