Vent: I spent $300 on a 'career coach' who just told me to smile more

I was stuck in my old job and thought a coach would help me move up. I paid for three sessions, and all she did was tell me to be more positive and work on my 'personal brand' on LinkedIn. She never gave me a real plan or talked about skills I should learn. I feel like I just paid someone to give me bad pep talks. Has anyone else had a good experience with a coach who actually helped with concrete steps?

2 comments

2 Comments

betty_stone23d ago

Ugh, that's so frustrating. It sounds like she was just recycling generic advice instead of looking at your actual situation. A good coach should ask about your specific goals and help you build a real plan to get there, like which courses to take or people to talk to. I'd ask for a partial refund since you didn't get what was promised. Maybe check for coaches who focus on your exact field next time, they usually give better, more practical steps.

jamiekim3d ago

Totally agree with @betty_stone2, that generic advice is the worst. Had a coach do the same thing to me, just spouted the same stuff you can read online. Asking for a refund is a solid move.