Life coaching is an intricate career choice as you are taking responsibility for someone else’s life. However, it is also very interesting and contenting as you get a chance to interact with a myriad of young and enthusiastic minds. Although no set academic program, you can get certified as a life coach with The Life Coach Academy to build a career in this amazing domain and become a kingmaker.

Life coaching is to assist your people to grow and achieve their goals in both personal and professional realms. It is all about improving their life quality. Being a good communicator and having ample experience of life can help you become an accomplished life coach.

Personal traits like empathy, good listening, and understanding can brighten your chances of success. While some skills you will develop through experience, training in teaching, counseling, and communication can be greatly helpful. The following pointers highlight some aspects of preparatory study for building your career as a life coach.

Educational requirements and work background

Being a life coach calls for the ability to motivate people and encourage them to achieve their highest potential in every aspect of life. Clearly, you cannot go completely unprepared for the job.

While there are no formal standardized degree courses, some training programs help you sharpen you skills required for the job. You can opt for courses that offer skill development in the field of teaching, counseling, human resource development, business consultation, and more.

These courses aim at developing your personal traits and interpersonal skills that help you understand your subject properly and help them effectively. If you are looking for some specialization like professional coaching, you can pick courses like business consultation.

Specialization training

While generic skill development courses can be helpful you can also research and find some specific life coaching courses. These are dedicated life coaching courses that teach you about goal setting, coach-client relationships, and communication techniques.

You can enroll in dedicated life coaching schools or attend weekend workshops. You can also join additional training to learn the latest coaching skills and techniques. Take up a coach-training program to assess your current standing and decide which course you should join. You can also seek advice from other experienced life coaches.

Looking into the essentials

Just like every other job, life coaching also requires a specific aptitude. It is your ability to perform the job adequately and a quintessential element in determining your suitability for it. First and foremost, you need to have a flair to help other people.

Apart from that, you need to be an excellent listener who listens intending to understand their problems and perspective. Great communication skill and profound knowledge of the field you want to cover as a coach is also imperative.

Vital certifications

As mentioned earlier, there is no standardized education or certification for life coaching. You also do not need a certificate or ask for it when applying for the job. Mostly the life coaches practice independently. In other cases, you might have to showcase your experience or demonstrate it through practical sessions. However, there are a few agencies that offer certification for life coaches based on written and oral tests (demonstrations), and client coaching hours.