Many people would never think of becoming a coach, but there are plenty of reasons to jump into the executive coaching field. Most people would put money at the top of the why-I-want-to-start-coaching list. Yes, you can earn a good living coaching executives and professionals. The potential to earn a superstar living is one of the most captivating reasons to become a career coach.

Most coaches love their work. As a coach, you get to help people achieve their career dreams. You can be Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy all rolled into one by giving executives the gift of success.

The coaching field is booming and it will continue to grow in the foreseeable future. Yes, coaching gigs will be plentiful, and though it is a highly competitive field, there is plenty of room for you. Become an expert in coaching others and build a laundry list of happy clients, and your bank account will swell like a tsunami. A thriving business, satisfied clients, and a swelling bank account are a few of the measures of business success.

What is the One Word That Makes Coaches Cringe?

Becoming a career coach means you have to sell yourself. Yes, marketing and promotion are necessary evils in the coaching industry. Marketing is the one word that makes great coaches cringe and weep! The horrors of marketing are so great for some coaches that they eventually drop out of the field and go back into the employee pool.

One Way to be a Coach and Avoid Marketing?

If the thought of marketing makes you nauseous, owning your own coaching business is probably not a wise choice. However, there is an option. There are many large coaching conglomerates who hire coaches. They provide training and marketing; you do the coaching. You will have to use their guidelines and systems, but it’s a perfect gig for marketing-phobic coaches.

What are the Requirements for the Coaching Field?

There are no requirements etched in stone needed to hang out a shingle and call yourself an coaching expert. However, there are some basics that will make you more appealing to clients. You should have a degree in business and broad scope of business experience. Working in the HR field or in corporate training is also beneficial to entrepreneurs who want to become a coach. Having a firm grasp of skill development and human behavior comes in handy when teaching executives how to improve and enhance their skills.

Though you can certainly become a career coach without certification, enrolling in and completing a certification program will introduce you to new coaching methods, sharpen your skills, and provide you with more information that can be used to benefit your clients.

Though your personality and satisfied clients are your most prominent selling points, the degrees and certifications you earn will also reflect on your ability to manage and improve the careers of potential clients.

Do You Really Want to Become a Career Coach?

Before you throw away your old career and make the leap into coaching, make a thorough assessment of your qualifications, experience, and abilities. If you are painfully introverted and quiet, it might be best to stay in that cubicle. However, if you are at least somewhat extroverted and enjoy talking one-on-one or in groups, coaching may be in your future. If you truly enjoy helping people achieve their goals, it might be time to use your experience to guide others along the pathway to success and become a career coach.

Fred Philips
Business Coach
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