Career coaches don't have a magic formula for helping their clients (if we did, we'd be bottling it and making millions!), but why has career coaching received so much press lately? Pick up any magazine and you're likely to see a reference to coaching: Oprah, Redbook, Self, Fast Company, Health, Inc., and many other business magazines. What career coaches do offer their clients is an easier way to career success than if they were to try and do it on their own.

Unlike traditional career counseling or even therapy, career coaching is action-oriented and future-focused. A coach is trained to ask the right question at the right time, listen to what's being said (as well as what's not being said), and offer unconditional yet objective and honest support and feedback. A coach is like having a trusted advisor, mentor, consultant and cheerleader who's only agenda is to support you in getting what you want.

If you're unclear about where you're headed, a coach can help clarify your purpose, values, and goals. If you know where you're going and what you need to do but find yourself getting off-track, a coach can help you focus and find more effective ways of getting results. And if the very thing that you're longing for -- change -- scares you, and you get stuck, a coach can help you move beyond resistance.

You're probably a good candidate for career coaching if:

1. You're interested in exploring your values and goals. This is the foundation on which all else is built.

2. You have the capacity for self-exploration. Clients with an open mind and willingness to explore and self-assess will likely see better results.

3. You have a willingness to get uncomfortable. If you're willing to step outside your comfort zone, you're ready for coaching.

4. You're ready for change. Change is hard and sometimes, it's just a matter of being ready to do it.