What to Expect in a Career Coaching Session

The short answer: In a career coaching session, expect some preparation before you meet, a working conversation instead of a pitch, and something written to take home. In my Repositioning Session, you fill out an 8-minute intake form at least 48 hours ahead. Then we spend 120 minutes together on Google Meet and build four working documents. You leave with a ten-day plan, and we meet again on day ten to look at what happened and adjust.

The worries I hear before people book

I hear some version of these a lot. Maybe one of them is yours.

• “I don’t want to be sold something.” People worry the call is really a pitch for a bigger package.
• “I don’t want to feel embarrassed.” They’ve been searching a while. They don’t want to explain, again, why it isn’t working.
• “I don’t want to leave with nothing.” They’ve had calls that felt good in the moment and left no trace a week later.
• “I don’t know what I’m supposed to bring.” They don’t want to show up unprepared and waste the time.

Those are fair worries. The best way I know to answer them is to show you exactly what happens, step by step. So that’s what this article does.

What makes any coaching session useful

This part is my view, not research. After years of doing this work, I think a useful session, with me or anyone else, comes down to three things.

1. Preparation. If the first half hour goes to background, you’re paying for a conversation you could have typed.
2. Honesty on both sides. You tell the real story, including the parts that aren’t working. The coach tells you what they see, even when it’s not what you hoped.
3. Leaving with something written. Talk fades. A document you can open on Tuesday morning does not.

If a session you’re considering doesn’t have those three, ask about it before you pay.

What to expect in a career coaching session with me, step by step

Here’s the whole Repositioning Session, in order.

1. You fill out the intake form. It takes about 8 minutes. Please send it at least 48 hours before the session.
2. I prepare. I read your answers before we meet, so we don’t spend the session on background.
3. We meet for 120 minutes. It’s one-on-one, on Google Meet.
4. We build four working documents together. More on those below.
5. You work the ten-day plan. That includes reaching out to the people we identified together.
6. We meet on day ten. We look at what happened and adjust the plan.

Before: the intake form

The form is short. It is not a test. It’s how I get your background before we meet. The 48 hours gives me time to think about your answers before we talk, instead of hearing them for the first time on the call.

During: 120 minutes on Google Meet

Two hours sounds long. It’s that long because we’re building, not just talking. I’ll ask a lot of questions. You may say some things out loud for the first time. And you’ll practice your story during the session, so it sounds like you.

What you leave with: four working documents

1. A market-value brief. A researched compensation range for the roles and markets we identify, with the sources and assumptions explained. You can see how I got to the number.
2. A target-role map. Ten roles to investigate, with the reasons each one fits. It also names the roles to stop chasing. For many people, that second list matters just as much.
3. A sixty-second professional story. A short way to explain who you are and what you do, in words that make sense outside your last company. We practice it during the session.
4. An outreach and ten-day action plan. This includes five relevant people we identify together using your LinkedIn.

A note on that last one. Identifying people is not the same as getting a reply. It does not guarantee an introduction, a response, a referral, an interview, or an offer. What it does is give you a place to start that isn’t another blind application.

After: the ten days and the day-ten call

The plan is built to fit ten days, so it’s short enough to actually do. On day ten, we meet again. We look at what you did, what came back, and what didn’t. Then we adjust. Some parts of the plan will work better than others. The follow-up call is there so you don’t have to figure out the next step alone.

What the session does not include

I want you to know this before you book, not after.

• I don’t apply to jobs for you.
• It is not a full résumé or LinkedIn rewrite.
• It is not a recruitment service. I don’t place people in jobs.
• It does not guarantee a job offer.

If you already know your target and need your documents written, that’s a different kind of help. The session works out where to aim. It doesn’t write the résumé.

Who it’s for, and who should wait

The Repositioning Session is for experienced professionals, usually ten years or more, whose search has stalled. It’s designed for people who have been searching three months or longer. It tends to fit if:

• you can see several possible roles, but you’re not focused on any of them
• you’ve updated your résumé and it still isn’t getting traction
• it’s hard to explain your value beyond your job titles
• you’re ready to act on a plan

If that list sounds like you, you’re not the only one. A long search is something I hear about a lot. It still deserves a plan, not just more applications.

If you’re not sure yet what’s wrong, you don’t need to pay for a session. Start free. SEEN helps you see the skills you already have, in language employers use. And if you’re still deciding whether this is a repositioning problem at all, 7 Signs It’s Time to Reposition Your Career walks through the patterns I look for.

What it costs

The Repositioning Session is currently $297 for the first four paid beta clients. The planned standard price after those four sessions is $597.

If you want to compare it with other kinds of help, How Much Does Career Coaching Cost? breaks down every option I offer, including the free ones.

Questions people ask

What if I don’t know what to say during the session?
That’s normal. You don’t need a polished answer. The intake form and my questions do a lot of the work. What we build comes from the way you describe your real work, not from a script.

Do I need an updated résumé before I book?
Not necessarily. Bring what you have. The session is about direction, value, and outreach. A résumé can be useful background, but we won’t spend the time rewriting it.

Is this a sales call for something bigger?
No. The session is the work. You leave with four documents and a follow-up call on day ten. If you ever want more help later, that’s your call to make.

A little about who’s writing this

I’m Tonia Emanuel. I’ve been a certified coach since 2015. I spent fifteen years in corporate client success. I’ve lived through corporate change, parenting, and reinvention, and I build this work from what I’ve seen up close.

Your next step

If your search has been stalled for three months or more and you’re ready to work a plan, book the session.

Book the Repositioning Session

Not ready to book? Start with SEEN. It’s free.

Sources

This article uses no outside statistics. Session details come from the Repositioning Session page.

• Coach You 360, Repositioning Session | Career Strategy (live page, checked September 2026). https://work.coachyou360.com/