Being a life coach is an exciting endeavor that more and more people have come to appreciate. We often see life coaches establishing their presence and reputation online by having their own blogs, contents, and web pages. We see some of them getting featured in news outlets, in social media, in talk shows, and many other media avenues. With this much exposure and popularity by some life coaches, we may be asking ourselves if being a life coach is a good career. We’ll find out more about it as we go along.
Table of Contents
Life Coach in a Nutshell
One of the best definitions of a life coach is someone who understands the principles and dynamics of success and how these can be applied in life. They are a special type of coaches in that they coach people to be successful in a much greater ballgame – life itself. Using the principles they have mastered, they are sharing and teaching these principles to people for them to apply in their lives and achieve the success that they seek.
The Life Coaching Profession is in its Infancy
This professional avenue is still relatively new compared to other established professions. Although it shares the same concepts as psychology, counseling, and social work fields, it establishes itself as a distinct profession due to its more involved and interactive nature with the clients. Also, being a new type of profession means there is still a lack of regulation and training in this field. Currently, the International Coach Federation (ICF) is one of the few recognized professional associations for coaches and currently a leading body that approves life coach training programs. Trainers and educators at wetrainlifecoaches.com understand the importance of having an ICF certification for their programs. While a professional license is not necessary for life coaches as of the moment, the certification from a respected governing body such as ICF can help establish a solid foundation for life coaches and for those aspiring to be one. This profession is becoming more competitive, a life coach certification will be your edge in the competition.
A Career that Helps People is Awesome
People who work to make other people succeed in life are mostly held in high regard by others. Teachers, trainers, sports coaches, and life coaches are among the noble professions that look after the formation and success of others. Life coaches are a special bunch due to their more involved and systematic approach for their clients. They have a wide range of areas to focus when it comes to their clients such as relationships, career, health, family, or spirituality to mention a few. Life coaches should be good communicators, knowledgeable, organized, self-motivated, creative, empathetic, and should also be good and strong leaders. These are essential qualities since their job involves guiding, leading, and motivating their clients in achieving their full potentials, making their dreams a reality, and reaching their aspirations.
Life Coaching is a Flexible Career
Flexibility and freedom are two of the most important factors that people look for in a job. Being a life coach offers both. You have the option to work as an employee for a certain company or organization or work independently and establish your own line of business. Your work can also be a full-time, part-time, or even a freelance basis. Being an independent professional also means being free to choose your working hours. While life coaching is ideally a daytime job, it can actually be made available for people who work on night shifts. Having a 24/7 availability also increases your client reach and having your own website and marketing strategies will help generate a strong client base. Your income opportunities are also flexible and depend on how much effort you put into your job, regardless of you working with a company, being independent, working full-time, part-time, or freelance. The more passionate you are about this job, the better your prospects will be when it comes to income.
In a relative sense, being a life coach is a good career. It can be your calling if you have the passion to help, lead, and motivate people. It is a fulfilling career whose true measure of success is the number of people you have helped to succeed in different aspects of their lives. Thus, if ever you are considering a shift in your career path, instead of consulting a life coach, you can also choose to become one instead.