Feeling stuck in your career hunt or job? Haven’t been able to achieve a career promotion despite doing all you can? Or just feeling lost and unfulfilled? It might be time to engage a career coach.

Sitting down with career coaches is especially beneficial if you need:

• Personalised, actionable advice. If you find that advice from your friends/colleagues/family/the internet isn’t helping, you might find the expertise of a career coach beneficial
• Actual progress. How many of us have sworn to work on our personal brands, but can never seem to find the time to actually get things done? Engaging a career coach means you invest both money and time, which are pretty good motivators to stop slacking if you’ve been.

Don’t rush into things, however, and take your time to find the right coach! Ask around and see if your peers have somebody to recommend, or take your time surfing the net and checking websites like LinkedIn. Once you’ve found someone that aligns with your goals and needs or someone you feel like you can establish rapport with, do a quick background check. Does the coach have certification? Who has he/she coached before? What are the reviews like? If the information is less readily available, many coaches offer a free consultation session that you can use to do some fieldwork research!

Note: If you’re still a student, please don’t wait till it’s too late; speak to the career coaches stationed at your school’s career guidance centre as often as you require! As you’ll see, their services aren’t cheap. Alumni do have certain privileges worth checking out, too. Former NTU NBS students, for example, are eligible for 2 complimentary one-on-one career coaching sessions.

Moving along…here is a starter list for you if you’re looking for a career coach!

• Anagram Group

Founded in 2013, Anagram Group offers corporate training and executive coaching; their clients include Government agencies (MOE, CDAC) and MNCs (Standard Chartered, New Balance).  Anagram Group’s achievements include winning the ‘Future of Work’ Award, which was awarded by the British Chamber of Commerce in Singapore. Participants will be coached by Anagram Group’s co-founder and Managing Director Mark Stuart, a certified behavioural consultant and leadership trainer.

Cost: The group conducts executive coaching, with several options available. These are: a 15-minute phone session for SGD75, a one-off session for SGD 290 (phone/skype) or SGD390 (face-to-face), a 3-month package for SGD 2,000 (phone/skype) or SGD 2,800 (face-to-face), as well as group coaching (single or 3-month packages available).

• Sciente International

Sciente International specializes in technology recruitment. The organisation offers free technology career coaching for individuals who are unemployed, or unable to find a new job for more than 6 months. Coaching sessions are open to core technology development as well as operational support roles and are conducted by members of Sciente International’s senior management team, who possess career coaching and relevant industry experience.

Cost: Pro-bono, typically 30 minutes per session

• Gary and Pearl International

Gary and Pearl International

Cost: For Executive Coaching, Gary and Pearl International charges SGD 270 for the first session and SGD 180 for the subsequent session. They also offer a Whatsapp messaging option, which costs SGD 45 monthly (includes a 15-minute voice call). For pre-careers counselling, expect to pay SGD 180 for a 2-hour individual consultation, and SGD 180 for a 1.5 hour voice coaching and interview skills session.

• e2i

For those of you who didn’t know, the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i for short) offers career coaching sessions! All you need to do is make an appointment for a one-to-one session online and you’re good to go. The skills-based institute also provides employability workshops and masterclasses, many of them complimentary for locals. Group Coaching for Professionals is also available.

Cost: Free

• Aventis Learning Group

Aventis Learning Group has provided corporate training for over a decade, and their clientele includes Government agencies and corporations such as WDA and Singapore Airlines. They offer career coaching for organizations and individuals, with a focus in the Finance, Marketing, Human Resource and Organizational Psychology sectors. They also run Executive Corporate Makeover workshops for those who need to rebrand or better promote themselves.

The organization swept up four awards at the T.E.D Awards in 2018, one of which was best Corporate Training Provider in Personal Effectiveness & Productivity.

Cost: Free complimentary Advisory Session, followed by 4 sessions of Career Coaching (1.5 hours each). Please enquire with Aventis Learning Group for exact rates.

• WSG’s Careers Connect

Established in 2001, Careers Connect provides career coaching and advice at no cost.
They support Singaporeans from all walks of life—from fresh graduates, mid-career switchers, back-to-work and experienced professionals. Dedicated 1-1 Career Coaching, job preparatory workshops and networking sessions are also available.

• Sandbox Advisors

Founded in 2008, Sandbox Advisors holds the record for being the pioneering career publication in Asia. They also provide career-related counselling, coaching and training services in the areas of career guidance and discovery, transition and job search strategy, as well as well-being and advancement. They also offer quick career Q&A sessions.

Cost: Please enquire with Sandbox Advisers for exact rates

• Andrew the Executive Coach

Andrew, as his website hints at, is an executive coach who has coached and mentored individuals in a wide range of organizations, across many industries. His sessions will guide his clients through a process, which is dependent on the stage they find themselves at. These are: how did I get here, where am I going and finally, how am I going to get there. He is a certified facilitator for a number of assessments: these include the Gallup StrengthsFinder, and MBTI Step I & II.

Cost: Please enquire with Andrew and his team for exact rates. Coaching sessions typically last for 90 minutes each session, with a complimentary consultation meeting to better understand what the client needs. Group coaching (called pod coaching here) is also available.

We hope this list helps you get to a good start and wish you all the best in your career! Heard of any good coaches that we can add on to our list? Drop us a message and let us know!