Types of coaching and who each one is for
Before you look for a coach in Spain, work out what you want to change, because each type of coaching has a different goal. Career coaching is for finding a job or changing company; executive coaching, for people who manage others; personal coaching, for goals outside work; and team coaching is commissioned by a company for a group.
The useful question is not "which coach is best" but "which coach works on what I need right now". This table sums up the four most common types:
| Type of coaching | Who it is for | What you work on | Who usually pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Career or professional coaching | People looking for a job or wanting to change company or sector | What to look for, which offers to apply for, how to present your experience, interviews | The person |
| Executive coaching | Managers and executives, or people aiming to become one | Leadership, decisions, the step up to a senior role | The person or their employer |
| Personal coaching | People who want to change something outside work | Habits, relationships, personal organisation | The person |
| Team coaching | A team inside a company | How the group works, roles, conflict | The company |
CompassHub offers career coaching: it is designed around your job search and your applications, including if you are aiming for a senior role. If what you need is personal or team coaching, a coach who specialises in that will suit you better. If you are unsure, we explain what a personal coach does and when one helps.
How to assess a coach: training, experience and fit
To assess a coach, look at three things: whether they have specific training you can check, whether they have experience in what you need, and whether you get on when you talk. It matters because coaching is not a regulated profession in Spain: ICF Spain points out that the sector has no official regulation from the public administration.
Which training qualifies a coach
The International Coaching Federation (ICF), the international association of coaches, awards three credentials. According to ICF Spain, on its website updated on 9 March 2026, these are the minimum requirements for each level:
| ICF credential | Coach-specific training | Experience with clients | Mentoring |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACC (Associate Certified Coach) | 60 hours | 100 hours | 10 hours with a mentor coach |
| PCC (Professional Certified Coach) | 125 hours | 500 hours | 10 hours with a mentor coach |
| MCC (Master Certified Coach) | 200 hours | 2,500 hours | 10 hours with a mentor coach |
ICF Spain warns that, today, anyone can call themselves a coach without having the training or skills required. That is why it explains how to verify a coach's credential in the ICF directory, which shows the type of credential and its expiry date.
What experience to look for in a coach
A credential tells you a coach knows how to coach; it does not tell you they understand your problem. If you want to find a job, ask whether the coach has ever been on the hiring side: whether they have read CVs, run interviews or chosen between candidates.
At CompassHub that is the starting point. The coaches are Helena Casanovas, Ignacio Guasch and Pol Guasch, and CompassHub's team of coaches has more than 15 years in headhunting, that is, finding and selecting professionals on behalf of companies.
How to tell whether a coach is a good fit
You can tell whether a coach is a good fit in the first conversation. Look for these signs:
- They ask more than they talk. A coach who has the answer before understanding your situation is not listening.
- They do not promise results. Nobody can guarantee you a job or a salary.
- They make clear what you will work on, how often and how you will both know it is working.
- They tell you what you would rather not hear, respectfully. That is what you are looking for.
In-person coaching versus online coaching
Online coaching works just as well as in-person coaching when what you are working on is your job search: your CV, your LinkedIn profile, your applications and your interviews are already digital. In-person coaching makes sense if you need to rehearse something in the same room or find it hard to concentrate on a video call.
Online coaching is already part of the profession. According to ICF's 2025 Global Coaching Study, produced with PwC and published in September 2025, 47% of coaches use digital coaching platforms, mainly for one-to-one virtual sessions (35%).
To choose between the two formats, ask yourself:
- What will you work on? Documents, offers and video interviews: online. Physical presence or public speaking: in person.
- How much time do you have? Online saves you the journey and fits better around a job.
- Is there a good coach nearby? If the coach who suits you lives in another city, online solves it.
A coach in Valencia, Madrid or any other city
CompassHub's coaching is online, so it does not depend on where you live: it works the same whether you are looking for a coach in Valencia, Madrid, Bilbao or a small village. What does matter is where you want to work, and you state that in the form, along with the format (on-site, hybrid or remote) and the roles you are looking for.
How much a coach costs: price ranges with sources
What a coach costs depends mainly on their experience, the format and how many sessions you book. As a reference point, ICF's 2025 Global Coaching Study estimates that the average fee for a one-hour session is $234 (USD), a worldwide average based on coaches' own survey answers.
That figure is not a price for Spain, nor a recommended rate. We do not give a range for Spain: we have not found a dated study with a clear method that publishes one, and we would rather not make it up.
What does move the price, with any coach:
- Experience. The same ICF study finds that revenue and fees rise with the coach's experience.
- Format. One-off sessions or a fixed programme over several weeks.
- Who pays. Coaching a company commissions for its executives is negotiated differently from coaching you pay for yourself.
At CompassHub, creating your profile is free and coaching is accessed through a waiting list. We do not publish session prices on this page: the team explains how access works when they get in touch.
What to expect from the first session with a coach
You should come out of your first session with a coach knowing three things: what you will work on, how you will measure progress and how often you will meet. If it is not clear by the end, ask before carrying on; a good coach will appreciate it.
To get the most from the first session, bring:
- A specific goal. "Change jobs within six months" is more useful than "feel better".
- Your material. Your CV, your LinkedIn profile and the offers that interest you.
- What you have already tried. Knowing what has not worked saves time.
With CompassHub you do not book the first conversation. You fill in the pre-registration form, join the waiting list and a coach gets in touch when they can, with no fixed timescale. When they do, they already have what you told us: which roles you are looking for, where, in which format and from what salary you are open to offers.
If you want a coach with years in recruitment to review your applications, fill in the form: you join the waiting list and a coach gets in touch when they can.
Which CompassHub coaching page is right for you
The right page depends on what you want to work on. If your goal is to find a job, change company or step up to a role with more responsibility, the career coaching page explains what CompassHub's coaching includes and how it connects to your job offers and applications.
If you would first like to know who is behind it, About us introduces the team: CompassHub is part of the Neuronix group, and we have more than 15 years in headhunting, human resources and technology.
If you are looking for personal or team coaching, CompassHub is not the right place. In that case, look for a coach with a verifiable credential in the ICF directory and experience in that type of coaching.