1 Open-ended questions

Open-ended questions are great for initiating conversations, building rapport, and encouraging clients to reflect and share their opinions. For instance, you could ask them what they are passionate about, how they define success in their career, or what challenges or opportunities they face in their field. You could also inquire about how they cope with stress or uncertainty in their work environment, as well as which skills or competencies they want to develop or improve. All of these questions can help you gain a better understanding of the client and their needs.

2 Probing questions

Probing questions are questions that follow up on the client's responses to open-ended questions, and are used to clarify, deepen, or expand their understanding of their situation, needs, or goals. These questions can help to explore motivations, values, assumptions, or barriers, as well as assist in identifying and evaluating options and resources. Examples of probing questions include inquiring how a conclusion was reached, what a concept means to the client, how important something is to them, exploring the pros and cons of an option, and outlining the steps necessary for achieving a goal.

3 Scaling questions

Scaling questions are useful for measuring a client's progress, motivation, or commitment, and helping them to set realistic and achievable goals and milestones. For instance, asking them to rate their level of satisfaction, confidence, or readiness on a numerical scale of 1 to 10. For example, how satisfied are they with their current career situation? How confident are they that they can make a successful career change? How ready are they to take action on their career plan? What would it take for them to move one point higher on the scale? How can they celebrate or reward themselves when they reach a certain point on the scale? These types of questions can be beneficial in understanding the client's mindset and helping them to make progress.

5 Challenging questions

Challenging questions are a great way to stimulate your client's critical thinking, creativity, or accountability. These types of questions can help them overcome limiting beliefs, identify blind spots, or generate new ideas or solutions. Examples of challenging questions include: “What evidence do you have to support that belief?”, “How does that assumption help or hinder you in achieving your goal?”, “What are some alternative ways of looking at or doing things?”, “How can you test or validate your hypothesis or idea?”, and “What are some of the consequences or implications of your actions or inactions?” Asking relevant, respectful, and supportive questions and listening actively and attentively to your clients' responses will help you to elicit their career aspirations and guide them through a meaningful and productive career coaching process.