I've read about the benefits of a career coach. While I'd like help with my career, I'm still a bit skeptical. How can I make sure I'm hiring a good one? I don't know anyone who uses one, so I can't get any personal referrals.
Career coaches can be very helpful for people working through their career issues. You can start by reading books about career coaching. For instance, you might try Frederic Hudson's "Handbook of Coaching" (Jossey-Bass, 1999). These guides will help you identify what makes a good career coach and may list practitioners and contact information for any professional career-coaching organizations in your area. If that doesn't work, start your research by looking up career professionals in your telephone directory.
The safest way to find a good career coach is to ask your friends and colleagues if they know anyone using one. Since you say you don't know anyone who is, this avenue becomes harder but not impossible. If you can network with enough people, you may find someone who's using one or knows someone else who is and would be willing to talk to you about the advantages and pitfalls of career coaching.
When you have identified at least three possibilities, talk to them. Go see them, if at all possible. If you try this process over the phone, you'll miss out on the face-to-face contact that's so important when establishing any relationship. You may have to pay a small fee for the 15 minutes or so it'll take you to interview them, but it's money well spent if you find the right coach.
Ask each potential coach questions about what's expected of you, what you can expect from them, how other clients describe their services, cost and time frame, and analyze the differences. If none feel right for you, start the process over until you find someone you feel is a good fit.
Lastly, don't pay a large flat fee for services. Arrange to pay the fees on a consultation basis so you can stop anytime, if you aren't getting what you want. If the coach won't agree to this arrangement, find another coach.