Revamped and Ready: The CPCC Program Gets a Fresh Facelift

Keeping up with the times, I reimagined and updated the Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC) program, including the videos, written materials, and case studies. Of course, I included some legacy videos beloved by the more than 2,700 CPCC participants and credentialed CPCCs from more than 40 countries worldwide who have already engaged in the CPCC program.

The updated materials include an expanded section on salary negotiations, a specific section on workplace and group coaching, additional coaching scenarios and career transition requirements, more career coaching questions with expanded coaching proficiencies, executive leadership competencies and coaching, coaching for COVID-related/other emergent issues, including working from home, and more. There are several new résumé samples, two new case studies with résumés, and a review of job announcements and résumés for gathering keywords and messages for résumé and LinkedIn profile development. 

Beginning in 2025, I will include a live component to the CPCC program for students who desire to engage in live coaching sessions by delving into the coaching proficiencies, practicing the coaching proficiencies with Diane and other participants, preparing career management action plans for clients, and developing a coaching program. This live component will be offered quarterly – so students can begin the CPCC program at any time and join the quarterly calls as their schedules permit during the 12-month completion time.  The live practice coaching sessions will help career coaches build confidence as they learn the career coaching proficiencies, skills, strategies, and tools.  

The live sessions will allow participants to ask questions focused on client scenarios and current client issues, and enable participants to engage and practice career coaching skills. 

We will also include time for Q&A to cover some of the most often asked questions from CPCC participants including:

My client did not complete his homework. What can I do to get him to complete his homework?

• There are a couple of things you can do to prompt a client to complete homework. Begin the sessions with a service agreement whereby the client agrees to submit homework promptly. Try to obtain an upfront commitment to begin the coaching sessions. 
• If the client does not respond to completing homework after a 3-strike or other rule you determine, you can move that client to the sidelines until he agrees to follow the program. 
• Hold a coaching session to ask the client what is preventing him from completing homework and try to create a solution together (e.g., if the homework is too overwhelming, perhaps ask for less response initially; if the homework involves completing worksheets and the client does not like that type exercise, ask him the questions directly and keep notes; if the client does not understand how to edit his LinkedIn profile, consider screen-sharing and walking the client through the process in a live session). 

I feel like I am more of a consultant; I speak too much. How can I focus more on listening and not providing guidance? 

• Listening is a key career coaching competency. We do not make decisions for our clients, so we must pose open-ended questions to engage them in making decisions independently.
• Remove all distractors, e.g., phone and texts, email, and background noises.
• Ask the client for permission to brainstorm ideas. 
• Recap and clarify what you heard – to ensure clarity. 
• Take notes. 

I finished the CPCC materials but am not confident yet. How can I feel more confident in leading coaching sessions?

• The CPCC program has many resources and tools that you can use to manage career coaching sessions. The coaching log and Diane’s Query Piece are two essential tools that you can use to begin coaching sessions. 
• The beloved GearBox also has many resources and templates you can customize and use with your client populations.
• By outlining a career coaching program and leading a client or two through the program, you will learn to adjust your coaching program and processes – and after a few clients – you will be much more confident and create a program that works well for you and your client population. For example, if you coach executives, you may need a complete 6- or 12-week program. You may only need to work with young adults for 4 or 6 weeks. Some coaches who work with the military only get to coach them for two or three sessions. You will adjust as you understand what sessions work well and which sessions need adjusting. Determine the greatest needs of your clients and focus the coaching sessions on these needs. 
• Create easy-to-use checklists and tip sheets for your clients. 

How do I charge for my career coaching services?

• You can charge hourly or as a bundle program for your coaching services. 
• Determine how many deliverables your coaching package will include, e.g., determining direction and a career management action plan, assessment tool, résumé, LinkedIn profile, interview preparation, salary negotiations, onboarding, and basic research.
• Determine the number of hours it will take to work with a client (including face-time hours and back-end work). 
• Determine your hourly rate and multiply it by the hours it will take to coach a client through XX sessions and deliverables. 
• Our colleagues charge anywhere from $100 to $450+ per hour. 

How can I build my career coaching business? 

• To build a career coaching practice, be credible, and be visible from day one. 
• If you work a day job and plan to open a career coaching practice in the next 3 to 5 years, get credible and visible now. 
• Launch a small website, monitor your LinkedIn profile, write blogs, and build relationships with stakeholders now (e.g., if you coach engineers, offer to write blogs or career coaching/career management tips for an engineering organization) – so that when you open your business, you are established as an expert for your population. 

In the new live CPCC sessions, we will discuss these questions and many more based on specific client scenarios. I have learned that no one client is like the next. They each approach a career coach at a different stage in their job search process, and we must understand the career coaching proficiencies and the entire career management process from A to Z to coach our clients to become Job-Search-Proofed.