Career Coaching Intake Form Template

Career coaching is most effective when the coach understands the full picture before session one. This intake form captures career stage, current situation and frustrations, the ideal career in two years, specific goals like resume help or salary negotiation, and job search status — so your first session can focus on strategy instead of background.

Use this template

Last updated 21 August 2026

Fields in this template

Full Namerequired
Email Addressrequired
Phone Number
Current Job Title and Companyrequired
Career Stagerequired
Early career (0–3 years experience) · Mid-career (4–10 years experience) · Senior / experienced professional (10+ years) · Career changer — moving to a new field · Re-entering the workforce after a break · Graduating student — entering the workforce · Executive / senior leadership · Entrepreneur / freelancer
Current Career Situation and Frustrationsrequired
Ideal Career in 2 Yearsrequired
Career Coaching Goals (Select All That Apply)
Resume and LinkedIn optimization · Interview preparation and practice · Networking strategy · Promotion or raise negotiation · Career pivot to a new field · Starting my own business · Work-life balance and burnout · Leadership and executive presence · Salary negotiation · Finding my purpose or passion · Managing a difficult workplace situation
Timeline for Career Change or Goal Achievementrequired
Immediately — I need to move fast · Within 3 months · Within 6 months · Within 1 year · Long-term planning — no immediate urgency
Are You Currently Job Searching?required
Yes — actively applying and interviewing · Yes — passively looking and open to opportunities · No — focused on growth within my current role · No — evaluating options before deciding

Who uses this template

Career coachesJob search coachesInterview coachesResume and LinkedIn coachesCareer transition coachesOutplacement servicesUniversity career centersHR professionals offering career development coaching

About this template

Career coaching is a broad discipline — the same coach might work with a recent grad who can't land interviews, a mid-career professional burned out by 15 years in the wrong industry, and a senior executive planning a pivot to entrepreneurship. A good career coaching intake form does the work of differentiating these clients before the first session, so the coach arrives with a relevant approach rather than generic advice.

This template is built around the most important career coaching questions: where is the client now (role, stage, situation), where do they want to be (specific vision), what specific help do they need (the goals checkbox surfaces this without requiring clients to know the terminology), and how urgent is the timeline. The job search status question is particularly useful — clients actively interviewing need different immediate help than those focused on long-term career development.

formformform makes this intake form simple to deploy in any career coaching practice. Share the link in booking confirmations, embed it on a coaching website, or include it in a client portal welcome sequence. Every submission arrives complete and ready to review.

12 form ideas you can build with this template

Tech Career Change Coaching Intake

Gathers software role experience, transferable technical skills, and target company types for professionals pivoting into or within the technology industry.

New Graduate Career Coaching Intake

Captures major, graduation date, internship history, and target industry for students navigating the transition from education to employment.

Layoff Recovery Career Coaching Intake

Documents termination context, financial runway, industry target, and psychological readiness for professionals rebuilding after an unexpected layoff.

Return to Work After Career Break Intake

Captures break reason (caregiving, health, travel), skills gaps, and confidence level for professionals re-entering the workforce after extended time away.

Sales Career Coaching Intake Form

Collects current quota attainment, deal size, industry focus, and specific sales skill development goals for individual sales professionals.

Healthcare Professional Career Coaching Intake

Gathers clinical specialty, burnout indicators, and interest in administration, consulting, or industry transitions for healthcare workers considering career change.

Military to Civilian Career Transition Intake

Documents military occupational specialty, rank at separation, and civilian career goals for veterans navigating the transition to private-sector employment.

Freelancer to Full-Time Career Coaching Intake

Captures freelance experience, target role type, remote preference, and income floor for independent contractors seeking stable employment.

Salary Negotiation Coaching Intake Form

Collects current compensation, target offer, competing offers in hand, and negotiation anxiety level for professionals preparing for high-stakes compensation conversations.

Executive Job Search Coaching Intake

Gathers C-suite role history, target company size and stage, board interest, and geographic constraints for senior leaders conducting confidential executive job searches.

Academic to Industry Career Transition Intake

Documents research specialization, publication profile, and target industry functions for PhD researchers and academics transitioning to corporate roles.

Promotion Strategy Coaching Intake

Captures current performance review feedback, promotion blockers, stakeholder dynamics, and timeline for employees working toward a specific role advancement.

What's included

Current job title and company for context-setting

Career stage dropdown from early career to executive

Frustrations and ideal career paired long-text fields

Multi-select coaching goals checkbox covering 11 common career needs

Timeline dropdown for urgency assessment

Active job search radio button for coaching approach tailoring

Instant submission notification so coaches can prep before sessions

Clean layout suitable for embedding on career coaching websites

How to create a career coaching intake form

1
Click 'Use this template' to load this career coaching intake form into formformform.
2
Customize the career stage dropdown to match your target client segments — if you specialize in executive clients, remove early career options.
3
Adjust the coaching goals checkbox to include the specific areas you coach in, and remove anything outside your scope.
4
Update the timeline options to match how you structure your coaching programs.
5
Set your notification email so each new intake arrives before the scheduled session.
6
Share the link via booking confirmation email or embed it directly on your website's coaching page.

Best practices for your career coaching intake form

Ask about frustrations, not just goals

clients often don't know what they want, but they always know what's not working. Starting with frustrations surfaces the real coaching agenda.

Use the goals checkbox to discover coaching needs clients don't volunteer

many clients come for 'job search help' but check 'work-life balance' and 'finding my passion,' which are the real underlying issues.

Ask for a specific two-year vision, not a vague goal

'a role in product management at a tech company with a team of five, making $150K' is coachable. 'A better job' is not.

Capture job search status at intake

it determines session structure immediately. Active candidates need tactical help now; career explorers need strategy first.

Respect timeline urgency

clients with a 30-day job search deadline need different sessions than those planning a 12-month career pivot. Use the timeline field to set realistic expectations.

Follow up with industry-specific resources

if the intake reveals a client pivoting from finance to tech, your prep homework is to research that transition before session one.

Frequently asked questions

What should a career coaching intake form include?

At minimum: current role and career stage, what's not working in the current career situation, the ideal career vision, specific goals like interview prep or resume work, and timeline. Job search status is also highly useful for tailoring the first session.

How is career coaching different from a job placement service?

Career coaching develops the client's skills, clarity, and strategy — it doesn't place them in a job. Coaches work on resume, interview skills, networking, and career vision; placement agencies source and match candidates to specific roles.

Can I use this form for outplacement coaching programs?

Yes — add fields for company name, severance timeline, and package details. The core questions (career stage, ideal career, goals, job search status) are directly applicable to outplacement clients who need to move quickly.

How long before the first session should clients complete this form?

Ideally 48 hours before the session, so the coach has time to review and prepare tailored questions. Send the form link in the booking confirmation email immediately after scheduling.

Should the coaching goals be a required field?

Making it optional is recommended — some clients genuinely don't know which areas they need help with. The intake call itself can surface this. Requiring every field increases form abandonment.

Can I use this form for university career center coaching?

Yes — adjust the career stage dropdown to focus on graduating students and early career. Add fields for major, graduation date, and whether they want on-campus, remote, or hybrid roles.