Are you thinking about a career as a Coach?
If you are thinking about a career as a Coach there are a number of things you need to consider before getting started. Here are just a few hints and tips to get you started.
Firstly, why do you want to be a Coach? Coaching is a really rewarding career however your personal motivation is really important. Make sure you are motivated by what being a Coach will bring you and not as an escape from a job you dislike.
Why do I mention this? Well often I get enquiries from people who want to become a Coach because they think it is a quick and easy way to escape from a job they don’t like, a boss who bullies them or a lack of flexibility around hours. Although training to be a Coach may solve those problems it is not a great reason to choose coaching.
Most successful Coaches want to do this work because they want to make a difference in the world and because they are fascinated by people. If this resonates with you then Coaching may be for you.
There are other reasons like being your own boss, flexibility of hours and no commute. I see these as benefits and not the reason to become a Coach in the first place.
The second thing to think about is training and experience. These days most people will expect their Coach to have some kind of Accredited Qualification as well as relevant experience. Make sure the train with a Coaching organisation that offers you an Accredited Certification with a recognised organisation such as the Association for Coaching. Such organisations have standards and ethics that you can check. It is also worth asking about the experience of the Trainer. Some people teach courses but do not have real world experience as a coach.
Thirdly, start thinking about what kind Coaching you want to do. Do you want to work with self-financing clients looking for personal and professional development? Do you want to work within Business? Do you want to work in a special niche area?
As you think about the type of client you want to work with also think about how you will find your clients. In my previous post I recommended that you stay in your day job while you train and start to build your practice. This is so important. It will give you a safety net while you get everything in place.
There are other things to consider as you start moving into Coaching and over the next few weeks I will share some other considerations with you.
For those of you who are already Coaches reading this, what advice do you have for people starting out?