Confessions of the Accidental Career Coach

About the Author

Cara Heilmann has dedicated her career to helping others find jobs they love. With a background as a VP and executive in talent acquisition for prominent companies such as ARAMARK, Kaiser Permanente®, and Baxter Healthcare, Cara has honed her expertise in the field. She has successfully guided over 700 individuals to achieve their career goals. Heilmann is also a best-selling author, known for The Art of Finding the Job You Love and co-author of Ready, Set, Go! with renowned author Brian Tracy. Currently, she consults with companies to develop internal career coaching teams, enhancing talent retention through strategic redeployment.

Main Idea

In Confessions of the Accidental Career Coach, Cara Heilmann reveals the essential principles for launching a successful career coaching business. She addresses the dual layers of skills required: mastering the art of career transition for clients and managing the technical aspects of running a business. Heilmann emphasizes the importance of a strong résumé, effective communication with recruiters, and negotiating job offers. Through detailed guidance, she illustrates how aspiring career coaches can help clients achieve their dream jobs while establishing a thriving coaching practice.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Layers of the Career Coaching Business
3. Running Your Business
4. Helping Your Clients Achieve Their Dreams
5. The Résumé
6. Handling a Call from a Recruiter
7. The All Important Offer
8. Hanging Your Shingle
9. Finding True North
10. What’s in a Name?
11. Statement of Work
12. Client Onboarding
13. Managing Fear
14. Conclusion

The Layers of the Career Coaching Business

To succeed as a career coach, one must master two fundamental skill sets, akin to layers of a cake. The first layer involves the art of helping clients transition to their dream careers. This includes preparing clients for interviews, refining their résumés, and coaching them on professional communication and negotiation techniques. Heilmann stresses the importance of these skills:

"The résumé is the most important part of the dossier. While there is a bit of science in the form of solid writing skills, most of it is an art." - Cara Heilmann

Mastering these skills ensures that clients are well-prepared to present themselves in the best light, making a strong impression on potential employers.

Running Your Business

The second layer focuses on the technical aspects of managing a career coaching business. This includes choosing the right business structure, setting up a website, creating a brand name, and marketing effectively. Heilmann advises taking a systematic approach to these elements to avoid becoming overwhelmed. Each component should be addressed thoughtfully to build a strong foundation for the business.

Helping Your Clients Achieve Their Dreams

A coach's primary goal is to assist clients in securing their dream jobs. This requires a well-crafted résumé, a compelling cover letter, a strong online presence, and effective networking. These components collectively form the client's dossier.

"Often, a job seeker will hop on a call without these documents at the ready. This can put them at a severe disadvantage." - Cara Heilmann