I was recently approached for an interview with Kristen Bellstrom, a journalist for Smart Money Magazine for an article on the resume writing/career coaching industry. I had surmised going into this that Smart Money would make a concerted effort to show readers how to get the most bang for the buck when purchasing career coaching products and services and that there was a chance that Smart Money would be scrutinizing the value of coaching services as part of the article’s agenda. What’s really unfortunate is that Smart Money presented such a one-sided editorialized perspective of the industry rather than a thorough investigative piece of journalism. I was in fact misquoted and misrepresented, perhaps in an effort to bend the article towards Smart Money’s skewed perspective.
Instead of presenting information about the industry and the pros and cons of hiring a coach, the article titled “Should You Hire a Job Coach?” is written from the “duh, of course not!” point of view. (The article is not currently available online without a magazine subscription, so you will only be able to link to the article title).
Smart Money doesn’t seem to think their readers are smart enough to evaluate the services of a career coach based on the facts, nor do they think it’s important to inform consumers about what they should look for when considering hiring a resume writer or coach. Instead they chose to present vague information about the industry and the services offered along with a healthy dose of skepticism and then mention what the so called “critics” (who are never referred to by name, profession, or affiliation) think about the services coaches offer.
So since Smart Money doesn’t think it’s necessary to help job seekers figure out if a resume writer or coach is right for them, I decided that I would recommend some questions you might want to ask a prospective resume writer or coach if you are thinking about hiring one.
- What types of services do you offer? What don’t you offer? What types of outcomes can I expect if I use your services?
- What is my investment in the service and what does that include? If the pricing is very different than others you have interviewed in the industry, ask why that is and ask how that pricing is linked to the benefits of the service.
- What type of experience do you have that positions you as an expert in your field? Are you credentialed and if so, what do those credentials mean and how do they differ from other industry credentials? If the writer is not credentialed, ask them how their background and experience positions them as a leader in their industry.
- On a resume, how would you position someone in my field or industry? If you have a specific obstacle such as an employment gap, short tenure in positions, or if you are changing careers, ask the writer how they would overcome those obstacles on your resume.
- Can I see samples of your work?
- Before I make a final decision about hiring you, can I speak to a few of your former or current clients? (In an effort to be respectful of other people’s time, I only recommend this as a final step when you are feeling very confident that you will hire this writer or coach unless something the reference says changes your mind about your decision).
Feeling comfortable with the person you hire is paramount. Purchasing resume writing or coaching services is not the same as purchasing a flat screen TV. The quality of the relationship and the trust you have in your coach and their services is crucial to the success of the process.