“A coach is someone who tells you what you don’t want to hear, who has you see what you don’t want to see, so you can be who you have always known you could be”
- Tom Landry.
I have been in the field for a long time, and I am nothing but grateful for the path I chose. It has helped me better understand myself, which is visible in my meaningful interactions with big company executives, fellow coaches, and others who come to me for guidance.
And amongst those are clients who want to transition to coaching as a career.
Some of them are 50+ years old and don't feel passionate about the big bucks anymore, and want to enter a new sphere, while some are in their 20s with a clear-headed decision to become a coach.
According to the International Coaching Federation, 70% of people who have used a coach witnessed an improvement in work performance, and 80% witnessed increased confidence and communication skills of 72% improved.
These statistics are sufficient to indicate the value of coaching in people’s lives. It is a rewarding career option, offering the opportunity to inspire people and guide them to uncover the hidden potential that can lead them to greatness. Not only for others but the personal development and transformation that occurs as a by-product of the field is incomparable.
There are different coaching types ranging from executive coaching, leadership coaching, life coaching, and so on. Some people do deep research into the field before entering. But others are either too hesitant to try or too impulsive to jump in without any information.
This blog gives a broad framework, divided into 5 simple stages, to help you decide whether you should transition to a coaching career, and if you do, what should be your guiding factors to become an excellent one.
Stage -1 Curiosity & Exploration
Before you go all in, you must have all the information about the profession and make a calculated and wise decision. It is not as rosy as it might seem.
To get the most authentic information, extensively read about other coaches’ experiences in their newsletters, watch some relevant videos, listen to their podcasts, and browse through their websites to see the effort it takes to be a pro in the field and the kind of concepts you would be working on.
Some famous podcasts that you can refer to are the Coaching life podcast with Phil Goddard, Natural Born Coaches podcast with Marc Mawhinney, and the Excellent Executive Coaching Podcast by Dr. Katrina Burns. It allows you to have first-hand information from the people earning their income through the field.
The field wants you to have solid theoretical knowledge, which will be a base for conducting your coaching sessions. You cannot find this theory on Internet channels with coach courses websites for free. It requires significant research and authentic certifications to be considered legitimate. Do not worry. We will talk about the importance and types of certificates in Stage 3.
Another area where you need to undertake exploration is niche identification. Coaching is a vast domain, and you cannot master all sub-domains. But you must have a basic understanding of each to identify your area of interest where you would like to gain expertise.
Last but most importantly, while this field is about helping others identify their potential and work toward greatness, it requires you to work on yourself first. Many new coaches choose to ignore personal development, but it is crucial. You cannot coach others and help them to know themselves better if you don’t understand how your mind, heart, and gut (intuitions)work. While preparing to become a coach, work on personal development parallelly and see your transformation and the process through which you help your clients.
Stage -2 Reality Check & Critical analysis
The massive coaching field is often misconstrued as requiring a few certifications and can be monetized instantly. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. You have to prepare yourself psychologically for a career transition like this.
This readiness needs to be at the 2 levels:
First is your finances. Most people who wish to transition receive a paycheck at regular intervals, and lead a stable life. You have to be patient, as monetization of your career will require time and effort. Before jumping all in, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you have backup income for at least 2 years?
- Is your family ready for a change like this?
- Will your current expenses be managed if you are not receiving a steady income for 2 years?
*Please Note -These reflective questions are only for mental preparation, things may grow early or may delay)
The second is understanding the depth of your interest. You need to introspect if you’re ready to go all in or if it is a temporary inquisitiveness. This is because coaching requires hardcore effort and won’t work with shallow knowledge or half-hearted effort. The answers to the above questions are a glimpse of the hurdles you will encounter on the path to becoming a coach.
Learn more about dual certification program.
Stage -3 Authentic Studies
After you’ve decided to transition to coaching, you've done half of your job. When your gut has signaled you toward the desired path, you shouldn’t hesitate to face hurdles on the way. And now is the time to focus on the other half of the job, where you will work on building credibility as a coach.
And we know it is harder to study after a long gap when you are too invested in money-making.
Isn’t it exciting when you know what makes you happy and learn something new after gaining wisdom and experience in life?
Your primary focus needs to be on strengthening your conceptual base, and there is a need for niche identification for the same. There are different coaching styles, and the more specialized your work is, the better you will earn. Research the courses offered by reputable institutions once you identify your niche.
You should not choose an institution or course based on cost-effectiveness but on quality. There are no shortcuts to these prestigious coaching certifications, so you need to focus on authenticity. The theory programs are not like school classrooms where you focus on exams as an end goal. Choose the coach training institutes carefully. Here, you need personalized attention to grow better. And for this reason, you need to pick coach-training universities having fewer enrollments to guarantee better attention and a high-quality curriculum to guarantee better retention.
Some ICF certified coach training certifications which we at Matrrix offer are:
| COURSE NAME | NO. OF HOURS REQUIRED | EXPERTISE |
| BAC - Become an Associate Coach | 60 hours + 10 hours Mentoring | Level- 1 Foundational |
| BPC - Become a Professional Coach | 125 hours + 10 hours mentoring | Level-2 Advance |
| BMC - Become a Master Coach | 75 hours + 10 hours mentoring | Level-3 Mastery |
| MINDFULNESS practitioner trainer level -1 to 5 and ICF Master Coach (Short Courses) | 30 hours / 25 hours program | - |
For more information, visit https://www.matrrix.in/mindfulness-practitioner.
The more you refine your niche with time and experience, the more certifications you need to explore to master your field.
Stage - 4 Branding and Marketing
Coaching marketing research and strategy is the most crucial stage of the framework because inadequate effort here can cost you the hard work you’ve done so far. This is why apart from coaching practice, you should invest in high-quality marketing efforts.
You might not get clients as soon as you become a certified coach.
You might need to offer pro bono coaching services to build credibility and become confident in your skills.
You can also explore marketplaces like BetterUp, CoachHub, Simply.Coach, Coaching, etc., where you can offer your services.
But focus on building your personal brand. You have to prepare yourself psychologically that it might take almost 2 years to build a brand that people identify with immediately. But the result will be worth the pain and effort.
For effective branding, you must do the following:
- Don’t hold back on your expenses because any amount of advertising and marketing will ultimately land the ball in your court. Coaching business marketing plans need to be thorough and well-framed.
- Hire experts who know the field and have a proven record of being good marketing professionals. You will save time, money, and energy.
- Leverage the power of social media. Brands have turned their fortunes by building a visible digital presence. Hire social media branding professionals to help you carve your niche in the space.
- Be patient and keep refining your skills using freelance marketplaces.
Stage - 5 Ongoing Learning and Expansion
I have seen many people stop pursuing studies further because they are getting enough money for a comfortable living.
We recommend the following programs for your growth and expansion in the field of coaching. You can visit the links to know more.
- NLP - Neurolinguistic Programming
- Mindfulness Practitioner Certification
- Hypnotherapy Certification
- Advance program In Counseling and Psychotherapy Skills And Techniques
- Train the Trainer and Specialization
- Psychometric Assessments Certification like Harrison assessments, Gallup strengthsfinder, Hogan certification, MBTI assessment.
Having various skills and not depending on one thing as a multiplicity of skills allows you to have a more comprehensive learning and coaching experience and build strong credibility.
But I suggest you shouldn’t stop learning after earning a few certifications. Like Buddha says, “Never stop learning because life never stops teaching.”
I still look out for new courses to upgrade my knowledge base. It not only adds a feather to my laurel cap and helps me earn better but also improves the way in which I conduct my coaching sessions.
You might be surprised to find a super-specialized niche because of continuous learning that you enjoy thoroughly.
And now that you’ve decided to take action, GO FOR IT because “No one builds a legacy by standing still.”
Are you looking for a smooth transition to coaching as a career?
Connect with the Master coach Dr. Paras and witness the transformation in your life.
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