If you’re interested in becoming a life coach and deliberating between life coaching courses, here are a few things you Have To Know before you enroll to any life coaching training program.
1. What kind of life coach are you looking to be?
Life coaches have many specialties including business, career, finances, health and relationships. Through a systematic process, life coaches help their clients improve performance and obtain results their clients could not have achieved on their own. Your goal as a life coach is to help your clients establish achievable goals, take better action, make smart decisions, and more fully use their strengths. The life coaching courses should reflect the general area in which you want to specialize in. Who do you want to serve??
2. Determine if the life coaching courses are certified.
Why is finding accredited life coaching training courses important? The reasons are:
1) You want to be certain you are getting top quality training that has been verified through an industry-approved process. A life coach who has been accredited by the International Coach Federation (ICF) for example has met ICF's tough requirements of coaching. An ICF accredited coach has obtained very specific coaching instructions, has completed a set number of experience hours and has been coached by a mentor coach.
2) You want to have another weapon in your marketing arsenal when you are ready to promote your services. Place yourself in the mindset of a prospective client. What would they be doing after your initial interview with them? Chances are, they will open up your webpage, review your profile and study your qualifications. A life coach that has an industry recognized accreditation has a much higher chance of securing that client than one that has none. An accredited life coach can also easily justify higher fees for his or her service.
3. You should know if the life coaching course instructors have the necessary experience and aptitude for training life coaches
While a program may have been accredited by an institution, the educational experience can vary depending on the skill of the life coach instructor to teach and guide the student. In the ideal case, you would want to get the training from someone who was passionate about developing great life coaches. In addition to researching the curriculum and accreditation, you should also investigate the life coach instructors as well. How long have they been a life coach? Get references from current and past students. Search for references in trade journals or in press reports.
Becoming a life coach is a noble pursuit that brings great professional and personal satisfaction. Getting the right life coach training is an important step in your journey so consider these important points before committing to any life coaching courses.
