HOW TO HIRE · HEALTH & WELLBEING · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to hire a career coach in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.
A career coach in Ireland costs €70–€180 per session, typically around €110. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask before you book, and what you must be handed when the job is done.
- Search and compare — no account needed
- Nearest to you first
- One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews
THE 60-SECOND VERSION
Hiring a career coach in five steps
- Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?No register covers career coach work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — job Search Strategies — they help clients develop effective job search strategies, including networking techniques and leveraging online job platforms.
- How does coach's experience change the price?Training has to be paid for, and the rate reflects it. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does specific services offered change the price?The style chosen can double the hours on the same job. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does length change the price?The longer the booking, the more it costs. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- What is not included?Interview Preparation — career coaches provide mock interviews and feedback to enhance your performance in real interviews — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a career coach job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Check before you book
No register applies
NO REGISTER APPLIES TO PRIVATE TUTORS. Anyone may advertise as one. Where the student is under 18 the thing that matters is Garda vetting, obtained through an organisation under the National Vetting Bureau Acts 2012–2016 — and a parent cannot apply for it on a tutor's behalf, so the only practical check is to ask the tutor to show you the disclosure they hold and to read its date. A qualified teacher will also be on a teaching register, which is checkable.
Look for the trader badge and the ID-checked badge on the Locufy profile — both are checked by us, not claimed by the provider.
What to check instead
Garda vetting, shown to you, with its date; A subject qualification, and how much of their work is this subject at this level; Whether lessons are one-to-one or shared, and where they happen; For online lessons, whether sessions are recorded and who holds the recording; Cancellation and payment terms in writing — block-paid lessons are the commonest dispute; Two references from current families.
Ask for each of these before you agree a price, and get the answers in the same message as the quote.
Insurance
Expect public liability, and professional indemnity if they advise on exam strategy. From a company, ask for the insurer, the limit and the VAT number, and ask who actually attends: the team that turns up may be employed, subcontracted or both, and only one of those is supervised by the firm you are paying.
Ask to see the current certificate of insurance — the insurer's name, the limit and the date it runs to.
Trader or private seller
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a trader must tell you they are a trader, and your consumer rights — work carried out with reasonable skill and care, and a cooling-off period on a contract agreed in your home or online — apply to traders and not to private sellers. On Locufy the trader status is shown on the profile.
Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile, and ask anyone else for it in writing before you agree a price.
VAT
No VAT: this service is exempt, so there is none to add and none to reclaim. A quote that adds it is wrong. A trader under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge it; one over it must, and must show it separately.
Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →
A good answer: No register covers career coach work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — job Search Strategies — they help clients develop effective job search strategies, including networking techniques and leveraging online job platforms.
A good answer: Training has to be paid for, and the rate reflects it. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: The style chosen can double the hours on the same job. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: The longer the booking, the more it costs. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Interview Preparation — career coaches provide mock interviews and feedback to enhance your performance in real interviews — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a career coach job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
A good answer: Expect public liability, and professional indemnity if they advise on exam strategy — personalised Career Assessment — A career coach will conduct a thorough assessment of your skills, interests, and values.
A good answer: A written scope and a price before the career coach starts, and an itemised invoice after — life Coach with Career Focus — combines life coaching principles with career guidance, addressing personal goals and work-life balance alongside career aspirations.
Getting the quote right
- Coach's experience — training has to be paid for, and the rate reflects it.
- Specific services offered — the style chosen can double the hours on the same job.
- Length — the longer the booking, the more it costs.
- Frequency of sessions — a quick job still has a minimum charge attached.
- In writing before anyone starts — a message on Locufy counts
- What is NOT included, named
- Who actually attends, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
- The VAT number, and whether it checks out on the Revenue register
Walk away if
- They will not talk about it: coach's experience — training has to be paid for, and the rate reflects it
- They will not talk about it: specific services offered — the style chosen can double the hours on the same job
- They will not talk about it: length — the longer the booking, the more it costs
- A price for the career coach before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
- Cash only, or a large deposit before anything at all has started
- No written quote, or one that moves once the career coach has begun
What a career coach costs: €70–€180 per session
The figures are for the job, per session, and a quote for your own is the only number that binds anyone. Career transition coach and Executive coach each carry their own band. Career Coach price guide →
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.
KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE
Career coachs near you, with the badges that matter shown
ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you.
- Look firstCoach's experience — training has to be paid for, and the rate reflects it — that is what the career coach is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
- Agree what is being doneSpecific services offered — the style chosen can double the hours on the same job — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
- The work itselfLength — the longer the booking, the more it costs — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
- Check it togetherFrequency of sessions — a quick job still has a minimum charge attached — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the career coach is still there.
- What you are handedThe itemised invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, complexity of your career goals — special requirements add steps the standard job does not have.
- Personalised Career Assessment
- A career coach will conduct a thorough assessment of your skills, interests, and values.
- Interview Preparation
- Career coaches provide mock interviews and feedback to enhance your performance in real interviews.
- Job Search Strategies
- They help clients develop effective job search strategies, including networking techniques and leveraging online job platforms.
- Career Transition Coach
- Specialises in helping clients navigate significant career changes, providing support in identifying transferable skills and new opportunities.
- Executive Coach
- Focuses on senior professionals, enhancing leadership skills and strategic thinking to improve workplace performance and career satisfaction.
- Job Search Coach
- Assists individuals in finding job openings, crafting resumes, and preparing for interviews to increase their chances of landing desired positions.
AFTER
When the job is done
Hiring a career coach: questions people ask
The cost of career coaching can vary based on the coach's experience, location, and the specific services offered. Coaches with specialised qualifications or extensive experience may charge higher rates.
A typical coaching session usually lasts between 60 to 90 minutes. However, the duration may vary depending on the specific needs of the client and the topics being covered.
Yes, many coaches offer packages for multiple sessions that cover various aspects of career development. This can provide a more comprehensive approach to your career goals.
Career coaching generally does not include job placement services or guarantee employment. Coaches focus on guidance and skill development rather than direct job placement.
NO REGISTER APPLIES TO PRIVATE TUTORS. Anyone may advertise as one. Where the student is under 18 the thing that matters is Garda vetting, obtained through an organisation under the National Vetting Bureau Acts 2012–2016 — and a parent cannot apply for it on a tutor's behalf, so the only practical check is to ask the tutor to show you the disclosure they hold and to read its date. A qualified teacher will also be on a teaching register, which is checkable.
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 the work must be carried out with reasonable skill and care, and put right if it is not. Say what is wrong in writing first.
MORE GUIDES