Ask the expert: Checklist for picking a good helping hand

What is a career coach, how do you go about consulting one, and what should they be advising you on? What qualifications do they have for the job? Dr MARIE WILSON, head of management and employment relations at the University of Auckland Business School and a veteran of 20 years in corporate management and small business, offers some helpful ideas.

I'm thinking of getting a career coach, but I am worried that I'll hit a dud - no one I know has used one, and they don't have to be registered.

Everyone is quite interested to see how my experience pans out, of course.

What do you think are the questions I ought to ask to screen the people I thinking about engaging?

Most counsellors will offer an initial interview free to allow both sides of the transaction to assess the match.

As with any professional you are hiring, you will want to know about their training and preparation to be a career counsellor.

You should also ask for contact details of former clients so you can assess their satisfaction with the person's services. Before you go to this initial meeting, prepare a list of what you expect from the counsellor.

Have this in hand for your meeting, but ask them first to tell you how they normally operate, and what services and support they provide.

You can check this against your list and then discuss in detail the items that you see as a fit and what gaps you think may exist.

Check out several practitioners and compare their strengths and weaknesses.

It's worth taking your time to make a good decision; it is a substantial investment and it is your career we're talking about here.

I am a former senior executive at a now-closed technology start-up, but am not sure of the best plan from here. Should I take on short-term consulting projects? Or should I accept a full-time position, even if it's a step down?

That depends on what you want to do longer term. In terms of planning, what do you see as your likely role in five to 10 years?

There will probably be a series of experiences and learning that will be more like to get there, and that is the path you should probably follow.

That isn't to suggest that careers are "all planned out" - there are plenty of opportunities, obstacles and changes that we don't expect - but rather that your choices now should reflect your longer-term goals.

Without knowing your goals, as well as your history, it's difficult to advise on the choices you present. Certainly consulting is more entrepreneurial, but your longer-term goals are a better bet for decision making.

You might also give some thought to how you present yourself: "a former senior executive at a now-closed technology start-up" is not the best point of entry into either of the roles you have mentioned.

It seems I might be in line for a promotion, but it will require a change in work hours from days Monday to Friday to evening and day shifts, six days a week, so my precious weekends won't always be my own.

I know the job is a step up and another closer to my goal, but I am really worried that the hours will ruin my home life and affect my health.

Observation of others in this role would suggest it's a really stressful job, as well, though it's not stress that bothers me, as I work quite well under pressure.

Concern for the balance between work and home is quite important and potentially as stressful as the job itself.

Are you able to sit down and talk with people who are in the job, or perhaps have been in it in the past, so you can get a better feel for the requirements?

Then you could try to figure out if it is really what you want to do, and whether it is worth what it requires of you.

Assuming it is, you need to fence off time that gives you the equivalent of your weekends, but perhaps at a different time of the week.

Break-time, particularly with friends and family, is one way of managing stress, but beware of thinking that four half-days are the same as two full ones.

You will still need an uninterrupted span of break-time, whenever it can occur.

If you expect that the promotion will be more stressful than your current job, you should prepare yourself by investigating stress management techniques.

* E-mail your questions for Dr Marie Wilson to answer.