#1 What is career coaching?

Career coaching involves personalized guidance to help people navigate their professional journey, such as job transitions, skill enhancement, and goal setting. A coaching relationship is a unique bond between two equal partners who commit to each other ánd to a shared goal for a period of time. The coach provides facilitates this proces with tools and strategies for career growth and problem-solving.

#2 What differentiates me as a career coach?

With 17+ years of experience at industry giants like Netflix, Google, Dentsu and Nike, I wholeheartedly believe coaching requires more than real-life experience. Therefore I’ve started professional training at Vista Nova to become a Noloc-registered career coach. This study lasts a year, consisting of 600+ study hours, and will be completed in June 2025. I believe this gives me a unique perspective as a career coach.

#3 What does Noloc stand for?

Noloc is the professional association for career professionals and job coaches in the Netherlands.

Quality Assurance: Noloc-registered career coaches have undergone rigorous training and must meet strict requirements, such as having at least 1,200 hours of relevant career coaching experience. This guarantees that they possess the knowledge and skills needed to effectively guide clients through career transitions, skill development, and professional growth​

Ethical Standards: Coaches with Noloc certification adhere to ethical guidelines, ensuring that their practices are professional and respectful. This means clients can trust that their information is handled confidentially and that the advice provided is in their best interest​

Continuous Professional Development: Noloc members must engage in ongoing education and intervision (peer reflection) to maintain their certification. This ensures that Noloc-registered coaches stay up-to-date with the latest career coaching techniques and trends​

#4 What happens during a career coaching session?

Sessions are either 60 or 90 minutes long and follow the same flow. Kick-off with a check-in and main questions from the coachee. Followed by going over the pre-made exercises—reflections, questions and insights. Wrap up with takeaways and actions, if applicable an explanation of the new exercises.

#5 How many sessions do I need?

Recommendation is to start with 7 sessions to go over Adriaan Hogendijk’s lemniscate model. These equate to 7 steps moving from past, present to future. Each step, or session, comes with its own set of exercises and tools bespoke to your personality and coaching question.

#6 Is online coaching possible?

Yes, that is possible. We can also follow a hybrid model where we combine in-person and online.

#7 What’s the difference between career coaching and therapy?

Although there is some overlap between the two, career coaching tends to be forward looking and will move you in a relatively short period of time from reflection, to action. Career coaching is focused on positive action that you can start with today to develop you further. Therapy however tends to focus on understanding and resolving old trauma and pain. It has a more reparative nature and is more focused on the past. As an example: during a therapy session questions will lead you further down the topic and how come certain trauma took place or what the effect was on you. Where as in career coaching questions would be more focused on your takeaways or lessons from a past situation.

#8 What’s the difference between career coaching and job coaching?

A career coach and job coach serve different purposes, though services may overlap in certain areas. A career coach is focused on long-term career growth and fulfilment whereas a job coach assist people in finding and securing a job in the short-term. Generally speaking career coaching is more broad, strategic and holistic versus job coaching more specific, tactical and focused.

#9 Who took your photos?

Olga Esser, a lifestyle photographer: https://www.instagram.com/olga.esser/