Best Chicago Career Coach Badge 2023

2023 Winners: Add your badge to your marketing materials.

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Chicago is a booming town with plenty of job opportunities.

With so much competition, it can be difficult to land your dream job on your own.

Hiring a professional to help with this process can significantly improve your marketability.

That’s where Chicago career coaches come in.

A career coach is a lot more than a friend to hold your hand throughout a job search.

Career coaches typically come from years of recruiting or HR experience. This experience can make them extremely valuable resources for navigating a job search.

Rather than searching through hundreds of career coaching services, we’ve done the work for you. Below, we’ve compiled a shortlist of the very best career coaches in Chicago.

Best Career Coaches in Chicago

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Find My Profession
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Find My Profession Best Overall More Details right arrow icon
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Jody Michael Associates
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Jody Michael Associates In-Person Services More Details right arrow icon
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Executive Coaching Concepts
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Executive Coaching Concepts Executive Focused More Details right arrow icon
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Nielsen Career Consulting
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Nielsen Career Consulting Attorney Focused More Details right arrow icon
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Lansky Career Consultants
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Lansky Career Consultants 40+ Years Experience More Details right arrow icon

How We Choose Winners

Each of the Chicago career coaching services below was reviewed taking into consideration the following:

Cost

The cost of the service compared to other Chicago career coaches.

Credentials

Overall experience, awards, and certifications.

Process

Effectiveness of the process from start to finish.

Reviews

Client reviews on third-party platforms.

This list was hand-curated to serve all industries, professions, and career levels. While many of the services on this list are from Chicago, these career coaches are virtually available whether you are in Chicago, Aurora, Naperville, Joliet, Rockford, or Elgin.

Average Chicago Coaching Cost

Chicago Career Coaching Cost
$1300
$100
$2500
average mark
low average high

Chicago Career Coach Reviews

Find My Profession
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Find My Profession

Find My Profession is a top career coaching firm that exclusively hires Certified Career Coaches, Certified Interview Coaches (CIC), and Certified Salary Negotiation Specialists (CSNS). This company stands out from other career coaching services on this list with two unique offerings.

Career Discovery: This 90-minute session with a certified career coach is designed to help you discover your dream job in just one session. While most career coaches require months of sessions, Find My Profession has designed this career coaching service with your time and budget in mind.

Reverse Recruiting: Takes career coaching to a whole new level by managing your entire job search for you. Their career experts will find, apply, and network to jobs on your behalf, landing you interviews.

Find My Profession also offers additional career coaching services such as interview training, salary negotiation, and more.

With 900+ 5-star reviews, Find My Profession has developed a reputation of helping job seekers land the job of their dreams.

PROS

You can save hundreds of hours searching for jobs, filling out applications, customizing your resume, and networking. Finally, you can pay someone to find you a job. Your dedicated Reverse Recruiter will create a personalized strategy to manage all aspects of your job search. Each Reverse Recruiter only works with four clients at a time, providing you with personalized attention and care.

CONS

If you’re looking for a traditional career coach to help you change career paths, this service may not be a good fit. The Reverse Recruiting service is for professionals who know what kind of job they want but don’t have the time or energy to find it on their own. There is also usually a waitlist of about one month.

REVIEWS

4.9/5 based on 394 Trustpilot reviews
4.9/5 based on 276 Sitejabber reviews
5/5 based on 147 Google reviews
5/5 based on 53 Facebook reviews
5/5 based on 8 BBB reviews
5/5 based on 4 Yelp reviews

COST

$2,500 per 4-week period

CONTACT

(831) 888-0967 or help@findmyprofession.com

Check out some of our 5-star reviews:

JC on May 30, 2022

Excellent service provided

[Reverse Recruiter] is by far the best career finder I have ever had to pleasure to work with. He truly goes above and beyond in everything he does when he works with you, and the results definitely show it. He was professional throughout the entire experience. His attention to detail, overall industry knowledge, and the way he takes care of his clients is best in class. Also, turnaround time and email responses were done very quickly. If you don’t work with [Reverse Recruiter] for your career finder/job search needs, you’re missing out big time! Can’t thank him enough for everything he has done.

Chakib Abi-saab on 5/14/22

Outstanding service

I had the opportunity to work with [Reverse Recruiter], and I must say the experience was excellent. The communication was great, the level of professionalism and effectiveness was very high, from identifying the right jobs to networking with the right people in LinkedIn! I highly recommend this service to anyone in a senior position who is serious about finding a new job. Take it from me, you can not do it better yourself.

Dave Curtiss May 19, 2022

Find My Profession review

Working with [Reverse Recruiter] and Find My Profession reminds of the raptures in the film Jurassic Park. They were relentless in all aspects of my job search. I understand that your spouse or others may question the cost but it was worth every penny. ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND!

Ife Daramola August 30, 2021

Worth the investment

I used the Find My Profession service to rewrite my resume and to revamp my Linkedin page. I also used the Find My Profession career finder service and worked with [Reverse Recruiter] to help me apply for roles and market my profile to potential employers. [Reverse Recruiter] worked very diligently to ensure that my profile was marketed to top-level executives in my industry and his efforts eventually led to my finding the perfect role which I received a great offer and that I accepted. This is a great service and I believe it is worth the investment for those who are looking to find their next role.

Dan St Peter July 6, 2022

FMP – landed me the job!

From the very beginning of my initial application, it was clear [Reverse Recruiter] was here to help me in the next stages of my career journey. This wasn’t going to be an ordinary job search experience. Based on our enrollment conversation, [Reverse Recruiter] took the lead managing the job search process for me. She asked the right number of questions to build the search criteria specific to my interests (role, industry, location). [Reverse Recruiter] scanned the horizon weekly and staged available opportunities reducing my effort/stress and allowing focus on my personal and family obligations. Upon my giving a prospective position the green light, [Reverse Recruiter] submitted a tailored application on my behalf and followed up with the employer as necessary. Along the way, [Reverse Recruiter] freshened my resume and online profile to take advantage of today’s job search criteria. She also expanded my LinkedIn presence connecting me with dozens of professionals. Above all, [Reverse Recruiter] listened carefully to my evolving needs and adjusted the job search process accordingly. It was as if [Reverse Recruiter] was personally committed to helping me find the right match (which she did!). Depending on your time and energy available, Find My Profession team members can either take full lead on the job search process or can supplement your existing plan. Don’t go it alone.

Kelley White April 12, 2022

Great service for busy…

I am so pleased with my experience with [Reverse Recruiter] at FMP. I was looking to change industries, but too busy and overwhelmed with my day-to-day to embark on the journey on my own. No only did he do the heavy lifting with applications, but was a readily available resource in coaching to ensure I nailed interviews and marketed myself in the best way possible. He was helped to give me realistic expectations without short-changing myself or my skills to get the job I wanted. Thanks to him, I was able to secure a great role at my dream company within 6 weeks!

Dan West February 28, 2022

[Reverse Recruiter] was…

[Reverse Recruiter] was hard working and excellent and he directly led to me finding a job in 30 days! It was a pleasure to have him behind the scenes finding opportunities.

Sarah Streiffert August 18, 2021

Excellent Service!

I started using the Career Finder service on July 16th, and a month later on August 16th, I was offered a job! I really appreciated [Reverse Recruiter’s] guidance and expertise through this process. It had been 18 years since I’d had to job search, and had no idea where to start. While the price was high, I thought if this service shortened my job search by a few months, then it would be worth it. [Reverse Recruiter] was very skilled in networking, helping me find positions that were of interest, but weren’t necessarily ones I would have looked for myself, applying, (and outside his job description), dealing with my emotions as I got rejections, and became frustrated trying to figure out what I was searching for. The position I landed was something that I probably wouldn’t have thought to look at myself. I appreciate how fast I was able to find something that I feel like will be a great fit, and I would highly recommend [Reverse Recruiter] and this service.
Jody Michael Associates
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Jody Michael Associates

Jody Michael Associates was founded by – yep you guessed it – Jody Michael. Established in 1995, Jody Michael Associates specializes in executive career counseling. However, they also offer resume writing and workshops. Jody has more than 40,000 one-on-one coaching hours with top-level professionals, and her firm also has offices in Atlanta, San Francisco, and New York.

PROS

Jody Michael Associates has worked with individuals at some of the biggest companies in the world including PayPal and Goldman Sachs. They have the necessary experience to guide you along your career path.

CONS

Jody Michael Associates is a nation-wide firm based in Chicago. Jody Michael Associates also has a few bad reviews online, which may be concerning.

REVIEWS

4.5/5 based on 109 Yelp reviews
4.8/5 based on 106 Trustpilot reviews
3.6/5 based on 10 Facebook reviews

COST

~$200+ per hour

CONTACT

(773) 275-5566

Best Agencies That Help You Find Jobs

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Executive Coaching Concepts
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Executive Coaching Concepts

Executive Coaching Concepts is an experienced Illinois based coaching service. Willy Steiner is the president of the firm and is dedicated to assisting senior executives with their individual and organizational performance. Willy also offers team coaching as an additional service to help out teams who need an operational overhaul. Last but surely not least, Executive Coaching Concepts has developed innovative incentive systems with General Electric, RCA Corp., and Galileo International.

PROS

Executive Coaching Concepts has more than 20 years of experience in career coaching. Willy has worked with hundreds of clients across three different continents. His service is almost exclusively focused on executives and high-level earners.

CONS

Executive Coaching Concepts appears to be a one-person business. That is great if you are looking for personalized service, however, Willy may be unavailable when you reach out to him. Additionally, there are only a few online reviews of Willy’s coaching services.

REVIEWS

5/5 based on 2 Google reviews

COST

~$200+ per hour

CONTACT

(847) 778-9046

Nielsen Career Consulting
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Nielsen Career Consulting

Nielsen Career Consulting has been in business since 1990. Sheila Markin Nielsen founded the professional career coaching service after serving as the executive director of Lawyers for Alternative Work Schedules. Sheila gives her “Map of the Quest“ presentation on networking for business development and assists large Chicago law firms with career placement and coaching.

PROS

Nielsen Career Consulting uses a sliding scale for payment, making their service affordable in relation to the stage of your career. Sheila Nielsen has worked with over 4,500 professionals, which is nothing to sneeze at.

CONS

Nielsen Career Consulting is focused on lawyers more than any other industry. You may want to choose a career counseling service that has broader expertise. However, if you are a lawyer in the Chicago area this is a perfect fit!

REVIEWS

5/5 based on 4 Yelp reviews

COST

~$100+ per hour

CONTACT

(312) 340-4433 or sheila@nielsencareerconsulting.com

Lansky Career Consultants
5

Lansky Career Consultants

Lansky Career Consultants was founded by arguably the most seasoned job coach in the Chicago area. Founded in 1982 by Judith L. Lansky, she has established herself as one of the best career coaches that money can buy. Judith offers other intangible professional coaching services that focus on things like structure, accountability, momentum, and pacing.

PROS

Lansky Career Consultants has worked with corporate clients such as IBM Corporation, Homestar Bank, and Kraft Foods. Because Judith has been involved in the career advancement field since 1974, you can rest assured that she can help you take the next steps in your career. She will work with you to create a plan that works for your personal objectives.

CONS

Lansky Career Consultants website is a tad bit confusing and hard to find what you are looking for.

REVIEWS

4/5 based on 6 Yelp reviews
4.6/5 based on 5 Google reviews
5/5 based on 2 Facebook reviews

COST

$175 per hour

CONTACT

(312) 494-0022 or jlansky@lanskycareerconsultants.com

Previous Years Winners

Career Coaching Winners (2022)

Find My Profession, Jody Michael Associates, Executive Coaching Concepts, Nielsen Career Consulting, Lansky Career Consultants

Career Coaching Winners (2021)

Find My Profession, Jody Michael Associates, Executive Coaching Concepts, Nielsen Career Consulting, Lansky Career Consultants