Advice > Coaching

Best Career Transition Coaching Services (2024)

By Jeanette Patindol on August 28, 2024 How we wrote this article
Woman looking out of car window contemplating career transition

Making a career change is tough.

It is especially hard for mid-career professionals with well-paying jobs who have already achieved a solid professional identity and track record of accomplishment in their present careers. And their last job interview experience was many years ago.

How do you begin again with something new?

With the right information and tools, though, this doesn’t have to be so hard anymore, especially with good career transition coaching services around.

In this guide, we’ve compiled all the information you need to know about career transition coaching services and come up with a list of the best among them for different needs.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

  1. Everything you need to know about career transition coaching
  2. Top 3 career transition coaching services overall
  3. Best-value career transition coaching services
  4. Best career transition coaching service for getting into big tech
  5. Best career transition coaching service for getting into product management 
  6. Best career transition coaching service for consultants
  7. Best complete package of career transition coaching services
  8. Best career transition coaching service for women 
  9. Best career transition coaching service for getting into finance

Let’s dive in!

Click here to practice 1-on-1 with career transition coaches

1. Everything you need to know about career transition coaching

Today, the average person changes careers five to seven times during their working life. An increasing number of people use career coaching services to gain an advantage over their peers.

With The Great Resignation reshaping workforce dynamics, business strategies, and the recruitment landscape, the need for career transition coaching services has become even more significant. 

In this section, we guide you through all you need to know about career transition coaching.

1.1 What is career transition coaching?

A career transition coach assesses your aspirations, skills, experience, and education and makes informed recommendations about how to reach your career goals. Their feedback is useful for you to make better-informed decisions.

For example, when you want to switch industry such as tech, talking to a tech industry insider who knows what it takes to break into it can give you valuable insider information that you can use to your advantage. 

Or if you’re unsure of your next career steps, a session with an experienced career transition coach can reveal new opportunities you hadn’t considered, as well as help you prepare for challenges.

Career transition coaching services can make both your career transition and job hunt easier.

1.2 What can a career transition coach do for you?

Depending on the platform you choose, when you use the services of a career transition coach, they can:

  • Guide you in clarifying your career aspirations and developing an action plan based on them.
  • Help you understand your skills and experience gaps for the new role you’re targeting.
  • Explain what’s needed to get job offers at top companies in your target industry.
  • Give insights into the industry and companies they’ve worked at and help you understand if you’d like them.
  • Help you assess the next steps in your career as you identify possible opportunities.
  • Help you with job hunt advice and prepare for interviews, which can include resume preparation, LinkedIn profile optimization, sharing job search strategies and skills, and executive coaching on leadership and communication skills.
  • Motivate and guide you as you make the transition.

1.3 How does career transition coaching work?

It depends on the career transition coaching platform. Generally, you book a session with a coach, ask them questions about your target industry, and your profile and opportunities, and they’ll give you advice. 

At IGotAnOffer, here is how it works:

  1. Purchase coaching credits.
  2. Choose a career coach.
  3. Answer a few questions from your career coach.
  4. Do the career transition coaching session.
  5. Apply what you've learned.

1.4. How much does a career transition coach cost?

Career transition coaching services’ costs vary depending on several factors, such as:

  • Coaches’ expertise and how specialized they are
  • Coaches’ level of seniority (e.g., executive coaches cost more than entry-level coaches)
  • Whether coaching services include added services 
  • Booking set-up: individual hours or bulk booking
  • How good the coaching platform’s site is in terms of ease of functionality
  • How much of the coaching fee is retained by the coaching platform?

Generally, the average career coaching rate is $207 an hour, which should get you an experienced coach with deep knowledge of your industry and role. High-end coaching packages begin at around $500 an hour and can run into the thousands.

Of course, if you’re willing to risk it, you can also try some coaches on online marketplaces who charge as little as $50 an hour. Just make sure you read the reviews of their services first before jumping in.

Here are the rates from the ones on our list to give you an idea of the range of career coaches’ rates per hour:

  • MentorCruise: between $40 and $500 per month for mentorship 
  • The Muse: ​​$56 to $275 for a 30-minute Q&A session
  • Career Contessa: $75-$280 per 50-minute session
  • GrowthMentor: $99 per month for unlimited calls (although some mentors charge)
  • IGotAnOffer: $119–$149 per hour for a one-hour session
  • RocketBlocks: $225 per hour for an expert coaching session 
  • The Product Refinery: between £150 and £400 per session 
  • Stephanie Chiu (RoadtoTech):  $97 for a 30-minute career consultation; $2.5k for a 10-session career coaching package
  • InspiHER Tech: $4k for a 6-month package
  • PathUp: $289 for 1 coaching session; $1,499 for the 3-month Career Fulfillment Program
  • Hi Counselor: Fixed cost starts at $10,000; income-based repayment at $9%–14% of your monthly income until you reach the payment cap

If you’ve decided that you’re ready to get some career transition coaching, let’s take a look at the best places to find a career coach.

2. Top 3 career transition coaching services overall

2.1 IGotAnOffer (Best for planning next career steps) 

IGotAnOffer career coaching service

​Okay, we may be biased here, but a 4.9 average Google Reviews rating is hard to ignore.

If you’re looking to make a career switch into tech, consulting, or finance, or are considering your next steps in those industries, IGotAnOffer (IGAO) is the ideal platform for you. 

Its 190+ career coaches have worked at top companies such as Google, McKinsey, Goldman Sachs, etc., and so will be able to give you expert, highly relevant advice. Many of these coaches have had firsthand experience of transitioning industries (e.g., from consulting to finance to product management).

Click on a coach’s profile and instantly see their hourly availability. Book your online session in just a few clicks, something that can take longer on similar platforms. Prices are clearly displayed before you book, If you’re not satisfied with your session, you get a full refund.

Pricing:  starts at $119 for a 1-hour session
Reviews: 5.0 on Google, 4.96 on its own site
Coaching expertise: All coaches have worked at top companies (Google, McKinsey, etc.).
Money-back guarantee: 100% refund if you're not satisfied
Pros: Easy booking system, good prices, great range of coaches
Cons: Online-only, in-person not available

2.2 MentorCruise (Best for long-term mentorship)

MentorCruise

​MentorCruise offers a risk-free trial with each career transition expert to let you test the waters first and build confidence before you commit to a long-term mentorship. 

Since there are many Career Transition tools and methodologies, MentorCruise’s experts help you navigate through the entire career landscape. Depending on your needs, MentorCruise offers career transition tutors, coaches, mentors, training, and resources.

While this type of structure might work for some people, paying for and committing to a whole month of mentorship might be a little too expensive for others. 

MentorCruise does offer a 20-minute introductory call for $39, so you can get that if you’re not sure whether a long-term career mentoring program is right for you. They also have a 7-day free trial to help you assess whether a specific mentor is a good match.

Pricing: 7-day free trial; $40-$500 per month for mentorship
Reviews: 4.6 stars on Trustpilot
Coaching expertise: with a vetted and curated selection of mentors for different kinds of needs
Money-back guarantee: open to refund requests for canceled sessions 
Pros: Different long-term mentoring packages; easy booking
Cons: Finding the right mentor and program match can take some time

2.3. PathUp (Best for in-depth career change program)

PathUp

PathUp offers a 1:1 Career Fulfillment coaching program for professionals looking to make a career change. Its primary goal is to help clients identify a new career path, providing some soul-searching guidance and practical solutions to navigate their career transition. 

The program is pretty in-depth and requires you to commit to weekly coaching sessions for three months.  It looks a bit pricey, but the company offers a 2-month payment plan to make it easier on the pocket. If you don’t have the budget or time to commit to a long-term program, you could opt for their single coaching sessions as well. 

The website only profiles founder and lead coach Teresa Lee, but not the company’s team of coaches. So if you want the flexibility of choosing your own coach, you might not have that option here.

Pricing: $289 for 1 coaching session; $1,499 for the 3-month Career Fulfillment Program
Reviews: 5 stars on Yelp
Coaching expertise: founder and lead coach Teresa Lee and her team have helped clients get jobs at top companies such as Hulu, Facebook, J.P. Morgan, and more.
Money-back guarantee: none
Pros: offerings include single coaching sessions and multiple-session programs
Cons: roster of coaches is not profiled on the website

3. Best-value career transition coaching services

3.1 The Muse 

The Muse

The Muse is a highly rated career coaching website with a roster of high-quality coaches offering traditional career coaching services, from resume review to LinkedIn profile review to full-on career coaching LinkedIn review, among others. 

It offers three tiers to suit different budgets: Mentor, Coach, and Master Coach. You can filter out your options based on these tiers, coaching services, and specialty.

If you’re just seeking a quick session to answer a few job-related questions, a 30-minute career Q&A with a Mentor is your most cost-effective option. This option will include a call and a follow-up plan of attack from your coach. 

While the 30-minute Q&A may work for some people, if you’re looking for a more thorough coaching service, this might not work for you, and you may have to get their more in-depth (meaning: pricier) services.

Pricing: $56 to $275 for a 30-minute career Q&A 
Reviews: 4.8 stars on Featured Customers
Coaching expertise: vetted coaches are categorized into three levels: Mentor, Coach, and Master Coach
Money-back guarantee: none
Pros: a range of options for different career coaching needs and budgets
Cons: 30-minute coaching session might turn out to be too quick for your needs

3.2 GrowthMentor

Product refinery coaching

GrowthMentor is a great option if you’re willing to make a long-term investment at a lower cost.

Basically, you subscribe to a membership plan, then hop on a call with any career transition mentor for 30-minute mentorship sessions. 

Their Light plan ($49 monthly) allows for one free call a month, with a Slack community and access to more than 100 hours’ worth of video library content and City Squad local events. City Squads are mastermind groups connecting growth-minded people based on where they live.

The Pro plan ($99 monthly) offers everything in Light, including unlimited calls a month, hands-on matching, and help requests. With the Pro plan, you can hop on calls with different mentors and learn from their multiple perspectives and experiences in a shorter time.

GrowthMentor’s coaches mainly specialize in founding start-ups, marketing, and product management. So, if your career transition interests are in these industries, GrowthMentor would be a good fit for you.

If not, or you'd like to see other options, see our list of the best career mentoring services.

Pricing: $99 per month for unlimited calls (although some mentors charge) 
Reviews: 4.8 on TrustPilot 
Mentor expertise: Ranges from mid-level to CEO 
Money-back guarantee: Only in the first 14 days before you’ve made a call 
Pros: Relatively lower rates 
Cons: Booking is not immediate, and mentors may decline sessions

4. Best career transition coaching services for getting into Big Tech​ 

 4.1 IGotAnOffer 

IGotAnOffer tech career coaching

IGotAnOffer’s coaches are experts who have worked at the very top tech (FAANG+) companies. So, they can give you valuable feedback and insights on the tech career roles you want to transition into.

It has a wide array of tech career coaches from diverse backgrounds: software engineers, engineering managers, data scientists, product managers, and more. Browse its roster, and you’ll surely find a match who will be able to give you expert, highly relevant advice.

Click on a coach’s profile and instantly see their hourly availability. Book your online session in just a few clicks, which is not a strong feature of other similar platforms. Prices are clearly displayed before you book, and if you’re not satisfied with your session, you get a full refund.

Pricing: starts at $119 for a 1-hour session
Reviews: 5.0 on Google, 4.96 on its own site
Coaching expertise: All coaches and mentors have worked at FAANG and other top tech companies 
Money-back guarantee: 100% refund if you're not satisfied
Pros: option to choose your own coach; affordable rates; no lock-in period
Cons: doesn’t offer a comprehensive job search program

4.2 Stephanie Chiu (The Road to Tech)

The Road to Tech

​Stephanie Chiu of The Road to Tech is a self-taught software engineer with a background in chemical engineering and manufacturing. Since successfully making the switch to tech, she has been offering free career advice on Instagram. This has led her to offer career coaching services for people like her—those with non-tech backgrounds who want to transition into big tech engineering roles.

At the moment, we can’t find her on third-party review sites, but if you look at her Instagram account, @theroadtotech, you’ll find screenshots of reviews and success stories from her coachees. 

If you’re curious about how she made her career transition but don’t want to invest in a session just yet, you can get her Roadmap to Tech resource for free by signing up for her newsletter.

Pricing: $97 for a 30-minute career consultation; $2.5k for a 10-session career coaching package
Reviews: available on the Results Highlights Instagram: @theroadtotech
Coaching expertise: Chiu is a self-taught software engineer who successfully transitioned from manufacturing to big tech
Money-back guarantee: not available
Pros: options for single sessions and long-term coaching
Cons: online-only, in-person not available; single coach operation

5. Best career transition coaching services for getting into product management​ 

5.1 IGotAnOffer

IGotAnOffer career coaching service

​IGotAnOffer has 50+ product management coaches, all of whom have worked at Meta, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Netflix, or another top tech company. 

If your goal is to improve your chances of getting a PM job at a FAANG or similar tech company, you’ll find a wide choice of coaches who can give you insight specific to the company you’re targeting.

Click on a coach’s profile, and you can instantly see their hourly availability. Book your online session in just a few clicks, unlike on other similar platforms. Prices are clearly displayed before you book. If you’re not satisfied with your session, you get a full refund.

Pricing: starts at $119 for a 1-hour session
Reviews: 5.0 on Google, 4.96 on its own site
Coaching expertise: All coaches and mentors have worked at top companies 
Money-back guarantee: 100% refund if you're not satisfied
Pros: option to choose your own coach; affordable rates; no lock-in period
Cons: doesn’t offer a comprehensive job search program

5.2 The Product Refinery

Product refinery coaching

​The Product Refinery coaching is particularly suited for product managers (PMs) who are keen to level up on their next job search. What we find interesting about The Product Refinery is that it’s focused on providing coaching services for product people. Its small roster of coaches has worked in startups, scale-ups, and big enterprises in a variety of industries, so you can easily find a coach who shares your career transition interests. 

Their website offers three ways to engage with a coach: 

  • You can opt for a one-off session. 
  • If you’re working through a single challenge, like improving your job search strategy, they recommend a package with a set number of sessions with a coach. 
  • If you want a longer-term coaching relationship (and have the budget for it), you can go for the retainer package. 

Pricing: Free 30-minute consultation; between £150 and £400 per session 
Reviews: not available
Coaching expertise: Minimum 10 years experience in product leadership
Money-back guarantee: none mentioned
Pros: designed for product managers
Cons: no in-person sessions 

6. Best career transition coaching service for consultants 

6.1 RocketBlocks

RocketBlocks interview coaching

RocketBlocks specializes in coaching for consultants and those seeking roles in tech companies. It was built by former Bain, BCG, and McKinsey consultants to help aspiring consultants land the roles they want. 

You start by selecting a path, such as management consulting or strategy and business operations. Or, you can select multiple modules if you’re exploring multiple paths.

Then, you book your career coach, as well as avail of their targeted drills, concept review services, and consulting guides.

Their experienced, expert coaches charge $225 per hour. For similar services, though, IGotAnOffer only charges $149 per hour.

Pricing: $225 per hour for expert coaching
Reviews: 4.0 on Knoji
Coaching expertise: consulting and tech
Money-back guarantee: none
Pros: with targeted drills and concept reviews for self-testing
Cons: online only; in-person coaching is not available

7. Best complete package of career transition coaching services 

7.1 Hi Counselor

Hi Counselor

​Hi Counselor offers a pay-on-result career accelerator program in the following career tracks: software engineering, product management, sales, and data science. 

They offer a choice of two packages, Starter and Advanced, which vary in the number of included mentoring and coaching sessions and price. The packages include upskilling courses, 1-on-1 mock interview sessions, salary negotiation advice, and other forms of support meant to help you land a job at top companies. 

However, you won’t find any information on the upskilling courses for your industry track. You’ll have to sign up for an info session to find out more about any program you’re interested in.

Pricing: Fixed cost starts at $10,000; income-based repayment at $9%–14% of your monthly income until you reach the payment cap
Reviews: 4.5 stars on TrustPilot
Coaching expertise: not available
Money-back guarantee: program fee is waived if you don’t land a job within 12 months
Pros: choice of two packages
Cons: Information on upskilling courses and mentors is not readily available

7.2 CloseCohen

CloseCohen

​CloseCohen offers career coaching services for senior-level and executive professionals and has gotten great reviews from clients across various industries. 

If you’re aiming to get promoted to a senior management position, it’s a great place to consider. Their Senior Level Career Coaching program is a comprehensive program that helps you identify your market fit, which jobs to target at your level, how to best present and pitch yourself at interviews, all the way to negotiating a salary.

CloseCohen’s principal coach, Alisa Cohen, has 20+ years of coaching experience and has held impressive leadership positions at big corporations like Starbucks and Amazon. It’s not clear whether the company has other coaches or if Cohen is the only coach you’ll be able to work with. 

Unlike on IGotAnOffer, their website does not readily provide the rates, so you’ll have to book an intake call to get a figure.

Pricing: rates disclosed during the intake call
Reviews: 4.7 stars on Yelp
Coaching expertise: principal coach Alisa Cohen has 20+ years of coaching experience
Money-back guarantee: none
Pros: step-by-step, comprehensive program 
Cons: no published rates

8. Best career transition coaching services for women 

8.1 Career Contessa

Career Contessa

​Career Contessa is a career resource website for women. Aside from career coaching services, the website offers a job board, online workshops, and a podcast all about helping women thrive in the workforce.

If you’re specifically looking for a female mentor who knows the struggles of women in male-dominated industries such as tech, then Career Contessa is a good match. They may have a limited range of mentors, but they do represent a vast array of industries. The price range of each mentor also greatly varies, with some charging as low as $75 per session and others with a rate of $250, depending on their years of experience, so there’s one for every budget. 

IGotAnOffer also has many female mentors, especially in the tech, finance, and consulting fields. If your target role or industry is not represented in Career Contessa, you might find a good match on IGotAnOffer instead.

Pricing: $75-$280 per 50-minute session
Reviews: 5 stars on Facebook
Coaching expertise: hand-selected by Career Contessa
Money-back guarantee: issues refunds for canceled sessions
Pros: with mentors across a great range of industries
Cons: limited number of options for mentors

8.2 InspiHER Tech (Best for women in tech)

InspiHER

InspiHER is a career transformation website that offers career coaching specifically for women in tech. It was founded by tech recruitment expert Laurie Swanson when she found a dearth of career support for women in the male-dominated world of tech. 

InspiHER’s career coaching package includes 12 1-on-1 sessions with Swanson, emails in between sessions for on-the-spot support, and more. The entire package kicks off with a 75-minute career strategy session where you and your coach will discuss and plan the rest of your 6-month coaching journey.

There are a few quick testimonials available on the inspiHER website, and you’ll also find some more in-depth reviews of coachees on Swanson’s LinkedIn. Her coaching package does not come cheap, but you can book a free discovery call to find out if it’s the right fit for you.

Pricing: $4k for a 6-month 1-on-1 career coaching package
Reviews: coachee reviews and testimonials on website only
Coaching expertise: founded by Laurie Swanson, tech recruitment expert with 2 decades of experience
Money-back guarantee: info not available
Pros: founder has over 20 years of experience in tech recruitment; for women in tech
Cons: expensive; no single session offering; no in-person sessions

9. Best career transition coaching service for getting into finance 

9.1 IGotAnOffer

IGotAnOffer career coaching service

​There aren’t a lot of career transition coaching platforms available for people wanting to break into finance, except for sites run by individual coaches. You’d best be served by IGotAnOffer. It has expert coaches for getting into accounting, asset management, corporate finance, equity research, hedge fund, investment banking, private equity, venture capital, and wealth management careers. 

With its average 4.96-star rating from over 16K reviews on its site, its coaching clients are usually very satisfied.

Browse its roster, and you should find a match who will be able to give you expert, highly relevant advice.

Click on a coach’s profile and instantly see their hourly availability. Book your online session in just a few clicks, which is not a strong feature of other similar platforms. Prices are clearly displayed before you book. If you’re not satisfied with your session, you get a full refund.

Pricing: starts at $119 for a 1-hour session
Reviews: 5.0 on Google, 4.96 on its own site
Coaching expertise: All coaches and mentors have worked at FAANG and other top tech companies 
Money-back guarantee: 100% refund if you're not satisfied
Pros: option to choose your own coach; affordable rates; no lock-in period
Cons: doesn’t offer a comprehensive job search program

Book Career Coaching Sessions with IGotAnOffer↑

We hope you find our recommendations useful! We’ve made sure to include a range of good career coaching platforms fit for different situations, but we believe IGotAnOffer is an excellent all-round option with a wider range of high-quality coaches than anywhere else.

So if you want to check out our career transition coaching services, browse our platform’s over 190 coaches with experience at many top companies. Search by industry, role, or company to find the right match for you. You can see the coaches' hourly availability and book your online session in a couple of clicks. 

 

 

 

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