There are few jobs that one can truly say have a direct impact on people’s lives. Traditionally, those who wanted to help people went into the medical field, teaching or law enforcement.
Recently, life coaching has become a more common career path for those who want to help people live better lives.
Being a career coach is a huge responsibility and any advice or comments must be carefully thought out.
Here is what everyone needs to know about becoming a life coach.
1. You don’t need to have it all together
The life coach’s own life need not be picture perfect, but they do need credibility.
The best life coaches are often those who have overcome life challenges of their own and chose to share the lessons they learnt along the way to benefit others.
Furthermore, experiencing hardship often makes one empathetic, which is an essential quality for any successful life coach.
2. You must get certification
Having proper certification will make it easier to land clients.
Life coaches who are starting out need to prove their capabilities, especially if corporate accounts are the target.
Do some research about how to gain life coaching accreditation and learn more about the different programmes. There are three main tracks:
- Executive coaching is the most relevant for those who want to work with business leaders looking for help to effectively manage their teams.
- Academic coaching is a perfect match for those who wish to influence the younger generation.
- Wellness coaching involves helping people take better care of their health and adopt a more sustainable lifestyle.
3. You must be a good listener
This might come as a surprise, but working as a life coach has a lot to do with listening and less with expressing one’s own beliefs and ideologies to clients.
The life coach’s job is not to tell people what to do, but to use their acquired knowledge, skills and experience to help clients tap their potential and create the life they want.
People are different and there is no one-size-fits-all protocol to improve people’s lives.
The coach must listen without judging or projecting their own interpretations. Only then can they move forward and customise a suitable coaching plan.
Being an effective listener will take a life coach far in their career, so, give this skill the time and attention it deserves.
4. You must identify your preferred outlet
Life coaching is a job, after all, and the individual must be able to monetise their skills to make a living.
A certificate and the required skill set are not enough, it takes business acumen.
Take the time to identify the preferred outlet – more of a public speaker? Or is the preference for one-on-one sessions?
Regardless of the coaching track the life coach is interested in, they need to understand which will allow them to thrive and do their job with maximum efficiency.
If shooting YouTube videos and collecting subscription fees work, then focus marketing efforts on this platform and forget about industry trends.
It will take some time but, eventually people will understand where and how to shine as a life coach.
Final thoughts
Life coaching is not a traditional career, so expect some challenges along the way. But it is a fulfilling job that anyone with the right intentions can thrive in.
Have an honest conversation with yourself to identify “why this choice?” If you believe deep down that you want to help people improve their lives, then life coaching is the right choice for you.
Dennis Relojo-Howell is the founder of Psychreg and host of The DRH Show. You can connect with him on Twitter @drelojo_howell.
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