The idea of a career coach sounds good. For a fee, an experienced person will help you develop and enact a professional, goal-oriented plan - like a fitness trainer for business. Depending on what you think, a career coach may not be much more than a mentor you pay to see. In some cases, you may find invaluable step-by-step advice from a coach. In other cases, a mentor in your field who can provide richer insights may be what you really want. So, what's the difference between these two and how do you determine if you want the help of either one of them? Coaches and mentors help in different ways Career coaches and mentors both provide you with experience, insights and ideas. However, they often serve very different purposes. Career coaches most commonly work with individuals hoping to make some kind of career change. They act more like guidance counselors and accountability partners to help professionals achieve changes they want to see in their careers. A coach may n...