A coaching career is a rewarding one to have. If you are a people person, who revels in helping others to achieve their goals, then it’s an ideal career avenue. Here are some of the many opportunities a coaching career can provide you with. As well as what could be required of you.
Coaching Career Opportunities
In the last 5 years there has been a steady increase in demand for qualified coaches. For many, it is now the norm to use a coach to set goals and create action steps to achieve them.
The increased recognition of the value of coaching has led to a larger number of pathways to practice coaching.
6 Coaching Career Options
- Life Coach: focuses on the personal needs of a client. Thus, setting and strategising of goals in relation to, for example, personal development, social interaction, relationships and careers.
- Behaviour Coach: Assists clients to improve and adjust behavioural patterns with the intention of fostering better life choices and productivity.
- Career Coach: Assists clients within areas of professional development. For example, looking for a new job, transitioning between roles or practising a skill such as public speaking or interviewing.
- Business Coach: Also called an executive coach, these coaches work with professionals to help them better succeed within their business environment. They can work with individuals or the management of a company. Within a corporate setting, they encourage the attainment of organisational goals.
- Leadership Coach: These coaches tend to focus on upper management and executives. They assist in creating vision and fostering strategic thinking. Additionally, they help nurture leadership capabilities.
- Educational Coach: Work within the educational environment. They assist in the identification and rolling out of best practices. They usually work with educational officials but could also work with learners.
Career Opportunities for a Coach
Coaching is a career which enables you to work within a team or have your own business. To be a successful coach you need to constantly be learning. Therefore, it is a continuous journey of personal development.
Coaching is a skill set that can be used by professionals within a wide range of industries. Such as human resources, organisational development, financial planning, medical health care, mental health care, facilitation, training and talent development.
Coaches can work within various sectors. They are great additions to non-profit organisations, and corporations and even the government have a place for them.
Essentially, depending on how good your skill set is and the calibre of your qualifications, you could have an endless number of career opportunities.
Universal Coaching Skill Sets
While most coaches specialise, there are a number of skill sets that coaches need, no matter what industry they niche within. The International Coaching Federation (ICF) has 8 core competencies within 4 broader domains.
4 Essential Core Competency Domains
- Understand and apply relevant coaching and ethical standards.
- Develop good relationships which are based on trust and professionalism.
- Great communication: Listening, questioning and explaining.
- Promoting learning and outcomes.
In addition to skills, there are a number of universal techniques that coaches use. These are basic categories of tools which overlap with positive psychology interventions.
3 Universal Techniques
- Imagery and visionary motivational techniques.
- Mindfulness exercises.
- Gratitude exercises and activities.
Character Traits of Good Coaches
Coaches need to have good emotional intelligence. This they rely on in order to effectively communicate with their clients.
One of the most important characteristics is a positive attitude. This impacts how encouraging a coach can be, as well as their ability to persevere alongside the client. Coaches need to be committed to helping others identify and leverage their abilities so that they can succeed. They therefore need to be skilled in working with people and have effective communication skills.
Coaching qualifications assist a coach to establish themselves on a firm foundation and be equipped with the right tools. Once someone has found a particular area of coaching they are passionate in, they tend to specialise in it. However, whatever your chosen field, a coach needs to have a broad professional understanding of a number of different fields and industries. This includes understanding trends, changes and new developments within multiple sectors. Coaches therefore need to be self-motivated so that they are continually educating and equipping themselves.
Qualifying as a Coach
Certified courses are an important foundation for a coach. They could prove to be the “golden ticket” within a coaching career. This is because, when looking for a coach, many prospective clients are looking for someone whose coaching foundation is reputable. One of the ways to advantage yourself, within the coaching arena, is to have a basic understanding of psychology. This is because of the rapid rate of change across people’s personal and business lives. Thus, the need for a coach to have a good and more in-depth understanding of the human psyche.
Where to Study Coaching
Undergoing training through an accredited institution, with a well-standing reputation, can make a difference in what coaching career doors open for you. SACAP has a range of coaching courses. These are accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and aligned with COMENSA. For more information on how to start becoming a coach, enquire now.
Related Courses
Coach Practitioner Programme
Management & Leadership
Advanced Coach Practitioner Programme
Management & Leadership
Postgraduate Diploma in Coaching
Management & Leadership
