Why should a new or recent grad pay for help from a career job search coach?

By Joanne Meehl

Because you’ll learn how to do a job search and that will likely result in you getting your first career job. These include many things they didn’t teach you in college, even at the Career Center. There are many things the Career Center has to do for you and sometimes can’t get to it all – I’ve been a college Director of Career Services and understand the pressures. And if the staff hasn’t worked in corporate America, as most coaches have, they may not know the latest on getting jobs there. But as coaches, that’s our only job: helping you land that career job. We are measured 100% by our successes so we focus on each candidate getting the best job for them at the best pay that they possibly can.

Yes, this means paying a fee. Some colleges or universities may refer students to a private coach who the college pays, but that would be a rare arrangement. Almost all career and job search coaches work in their own businesses, either alone or with a small team. Fees can vary widely depending on the going rate in the local market. I usually do a project fee that encompasses all services. 

What does the new grad get for their fee? First, we review what the student studied in their major: course names but also topics, and about any internships and what they enjoyed the most. Some of that goes into the resume for starters, then we do LinkedIn, which too many new grads know too little about, and it’s critical to their searches. Networking is another key skill we teach, a skill that will reward the new grad their entire careers. Prepping for an interview is also part of a typical search prep.

Along the way I usually also discuss company culture and business in general. For example, recently I asked a recent grad I’m working with, if he knew what they phrase “we develop our people” means when it comes from a corporation. He did not; most new grads do not. (It means the company does all it can to help you become successful sooner, providing you with training and ongoing coaching and possibly even a mentor who can personally guide you.) Companies that do this are usually in the “best to work for” articles and should end up on the candidate’s short list.

Or I may introduce the new grad, if and when they are fully ready, to people in my network who know people in the grad’s chosen career field. This is worth gold to a new grad who probably does not have a large network yet. 

Does the fee represent “one more bill” to parents (or to the candidate or some combination)? Yes. But if the new grad becomes a new professional, my experience is that the family sees the dollars as very well spent – because the result launches a career.

— Article courtesy of Joanne Meehl, MS, IJCDC, FAVAR®LinkedIn Certified and owner of Joanne Meehl Career Services.