That $200 career coaching call that made me feel worse

Back in 2019, I was stuck in a dead-end admin job in Cleveland and thought spending real money on career advice would fix things. I paid $200 for a one-hour video call with a coach who was supposed to help me switch into project management. All she did was tell me to update my LinkedIn and practice interview answers, stuff I could have googled for free. I left that call feeling like I wasted cash I didn't have, and it took me months to try anything again. Looking back, I wish I'd spent that money on a cheap online certification or just asked a friend in the field for coffee. Has anyone else thrown money at a career service that gave them nothing useful?

3 comments

3 Comments

dianahayes1mo ago

$200 for someone to tell you to update your LinkedIn?! Girl, my jaw literally dropped reading that. That is some next level robbery, I can't even. Like sorry but any free YouTube video or blog post will tell you the same stuff for zero dollars. I'm honestly mad for you that you spent that kind of money and got nothing but basic advice. Those career coaches really be out here charging rent money for tips that are common sense. You deserved way better for that cash, especially back in 2019 when every dollar counted.

stellanelson1mo ago

Did your coach give you any real specifics about your personal profile or was it all generic "fill out your summary" type stuff? I've always wondered if these people actually analyze your industry or just copy paste the same advice for everyone. Because $200 for a template email and a "make sure you have a photo" is wild.

nancycooper1mo ago

Maybe it's not quite robbery, idk. I mean, some people just don't want to deal with figuring stuff out on their own, so paying for the shortcut makes sense to them. But yeah, $200 does seem like a lot for stuff you could find in ten minutes of searching. I guess it depends on how much someone values their time over their money though.