“Sarah, you and your team are clearly top-tier in resume writing—I can see why you’re the go-to in this space. My challenge is that I’m looking for more than just a powerful resume. I need someone who can also coach me on how to leverage and execute on that resume. For that reason, I’ve been leaning toward finding one person who offers both services.”

Look—I get it. Busy executives and professionals want a one-stop shop: one person they can call who will answer all their questions, guide them, and help fast-track their job search. It sounds convenient, efficient, and even cost-effective. But here’s the catch: coaching and resume writing are two very different disciplines, each requiring its own set of skills, perspective, and expertise. Trying to combine both into a single service may feel simpler, but it often limits the depth, strategy, and impact you can achieve in either area.

This happens in many professional fields. For example, my child recently visited the dentist and was told they needed braces, so we were referred to an orthodontist. Before getting the braces, a tooth had to be removed by an endodontist. That meant three different dental professionals, each with specialized expertise, were part of my child’s care team. Sure, we could have found a small-town dentist who did all three procedures, but we wanted to work with specialists who had the training, experience, and focus to deliver the best results.

The difference between an executive coach and an executive writer

An executive job search coach and an executive resume writer serve complementary but distinct roles. A coach focuses on strategy, mindset, and execution—they help you clarify your career goals, develop your personal brand, prepare for interviews, network effectively, and make decisions that advance your long-term career trajectory. Great coaches are skilled at asking great questions, often have backgrounds in talent or strategy, and are natural connectors. Good coaches often combine CliftonStrengths relationship-building strengths—such as Individualization, Developer, Empathy, and Positivity—with strategic-thinking strengths like Input, Learner, and Strategic.

A resume writer, by contrast, specializes in transforming your experience and achievements into a polished, market-ready document that tells your story and positions you for the roles you want. Strengths such as Ideation, Learner, Deliberative, Strategic, Input, and Futuristic are particularly valuable for writers, as they support both the creative and strategic dimensions of the writing process. At Briefcase Coach, many members of our writing team hold advanced degrees—ranging from a PhD in English to an MA in Creative Writing or even a law degree—bringing deep expertise and precision to every executive resume we craft.

The Temptation to “Double Up”

Hiring a single professional to handle both executive coaching and resume writing can feel like a smart, efficient choice. The perceived benefits are clear: it’s convenient to have one point of contact who can answer all your questions, coordinate your strategy, and guide you through the process. It can also seem like a cost-saving move, as you’re paying one person rather than two. The fallacy is that convenience and cost-saving rarely translate into quality or effectiveness. By trying to cover two highly specialized disciplines, a single provider often sacrifices depth, nuance, and strategic insight in one or both areas.

The caveat is that I think there are some top-notch folks who work with early-career and mid-level professionals who can deliver on both resume and career clarity work. In these cases, the scope of experience and the level of strategic complexity tends to be more manageable, allowing one person to effectively guide clients through both crafting a compelling resume and clarifying career goals. Paula Christensen and Jenny Fink are two names that immediately come to mind.

Clarity Around Deliverables

When you hire two distinct professionals to guide you through one of the most important challenges of your career, you create clarity around roles, expectations, and deliverables. At Briefcase Coach, we intentionally offer all of our marketing collateral “à la carte,” allowing us to tailor our services to each client’s unique needs and goals.

We’ve seen some executives invest $10,000–$15,000 in “all-inclusive” packages with other providers only to realize later that the scope is limited, with hidden restrictions and less flexibility than expected. By separating services and choosing the right expert for each aspect of the process, clients gain transparency, control, and a more customized approach—ultimately leading to stronger outcomes.

Get Exactly What You Need

When you hire one person or one company “to do it all,” you often end up paying for services you don’t actually need or that deliver very little value. Many of these one-stop-shop providers rely on “vaulted” content—templates, videos, or generic guides—that you’re expected to use for self-service. Not only can the quality of this content vary widely, but much of it is readily available for free on other websites (including Briefcase Coach’s own unvaulted resource page). What initially appears to be a premium, all-inclusive package can turn out to be a bundle of generic materials with minimal personalization, resulting in fewer tangible outcomes than you expected.

How Two Experts Create a Stronger Brand

It’s almost always more effective to have two distinct professionals who each work squarely within their own areas of strength, rather than relying on a generalist to cover everything. At Briefcase Coach, we’ve built our model around that philosophy. We regularly partner with some of the world’s top executive career coaches—including respected names like Kathy Caprino, Lisa Nirell, and Gina Riley.

We work well together because we know that combining deep, specialized expertise produces far better outcomes for our clients. These coaches excel at helping executives clarify their vision, develop strategies, and execute their job search plans, while our team focuses on translating that clarity into powerful, market-ready career branding materials.

Expert Advice vs. Generalist

At Briefcase Coach, we’ve been immersed in the executive résumé space for over a decade, and our passion is evident in the details. We stay at the forefront of industry trends—studying everything from font selection and user experience design to applicant tracking system (ATS) technology and evolving content strategies. This obsession with both the art and science of résumé writing allows us to craft documents that are not only visually striking and easy to navigate but also strategically engineered to perform well in today’s competitive hiring environment.

I’ve seen resume samples from “do-it-all” coaches … and YIKES! Some are not great.

Sometimes, coaches who dabble in resume writing aren’t fully versed in the latest best practices or the subtle mechanics that make a resume truly effective—things like ATS optimization, strategic keyword placement, and formatting that balances readability with visual appeal. They may also feel less confident in their own writing abilities, which can lead them to rely heavily on AI-generated prompts, such as those from ChatGPT, rather than drawing on deep experience or personalized insight.

Why Don’t You Just Add a Team of Coaches?

I’ve given a lot of thought to this. I generate a lot of leads through my articles, social media, and referrals– it would be very easy for me to hire coaches to work under the Briefcase Coach umbrella as a new revenue stream. I haven’t for good reason. I firmly believe coaching is deeply personal—it’s about trust, chemistry, and finding someone whose approach resonates with your goals, values, and career trajectory. I don’t want to just randomly assign my clients to a coach who uses a one-size-fits-all strategy.

Every job search is unique, and every job seeker faces distinct obstacles and personal challenges. Some job seekers might need a cheerleader to lift them up when they’re feeling deflated. Others need to work with a trained psychotherapist to help them navigate depression. And some clients simply need a “kick in the pants,” to be held accountable, and kept on track toward their goals if they’re struggling with taking action.

Coaches come in many different flavors, and the best coaches are the ones who find a way to drive you to achieve your goals.

My brand and perspective as a career branding-focused firm might not align with the coach you need to hold you accountable, challenge your thinking, and guide you through the emotional and strategic complexities of your next opportunity. That’s why, rather than trying to offer everything under one roof, I partner with top executive coaches whose expertise and style are complementary, ensuring clients get the right guidance from the right person at every stage of their journey.

It’s About Better Outcomes

In the end, separating executive coaching from resume writing isn’t about creating more work—it’s about creating better outcomes. By partnering with specialists in each field, you gain clarity, precision, and strategy at every step of your career journey. Executive coaches help you define your vision, set actionable goals, and navigate complex decisions, while expert resume writers translate that clarity into powerful, market-ready materials that get results. Choosing the right expert for each aspect of your career not only maximizes your investment but also positions you to stand out, advance with confidence, and achieve the opportunities you truly deserve.