Let’s start with the basics. Individuals passionate about helping others and supporting others in achieving goals and reaching greater potential may be great candidates for a life coaching career. As ideal as life coaching can sound at first, it does require investment of time and resources initially, but it is more accessible and attainable than ever before.

Life coaches may start with small goals in the field, and some expand into specialty areas, such as executive and leadership coaching, and find themselves contributing to a corporation’s success. Knowing what coaches get paid, how to get started, and how to find your first clients can be daunting, so let’s break the process down into five simple steps.

Step 1: Check Your Skills

Not everyone can be a successful life coach. Some common traits of life coaches include loving what you do and being good at it. Some of the most essential skills include:

  • Active Listening
  • Confidentiality
  • Continued Desire to Learn
  • Empathy
  • Goal Setting for self and others
  • Positive Outlook
  • Organization
  • Time Management

Doing a pre-assessment of your life experiences, strengths, and goals, and connecting with others in this field is a good way to determine whether this might be something for you.

Step 2: Decide on a Focus Area

The field of life coaching can be very specific, so identifying your passions and seeing how they fit into a certification program and plan is strongly encouraged before starting the education and training process. Life coaches often begin with a basic certification and may choose to go straight into a specialty area or pursue it later in their career. Some individuals know they want to do spiritual coaching or executive leadership coaching, and that plan looks a little different.

Coaching is highly personalized, which means coaches can take it as far as they like. At a minimum, having an ICF certification is valuable and recognized, making it easier to get your first clients after completing training.

Step 3: Don’t Skip That Certification

Although coaching isn’t regulated per se, there are recognized and credible certification programs that offer training, practical application, and mentorship coaching. It is strongly recommended to seek out the best organization to plug you into the best opportunities for training, resources, and professionals in the field. Life Purpose Institute gives coaches full access to everything that matters when starting your life coaching career.

The International Coaching Federation (ICF) is the best-known life coaching program in the world and has developed some of the most successful coaches in the industry. Certifications in this competitive field will make a significant difference in credibility, marketability, and client trust. Corporate clients will rarely hire uncertified coaches to work with their executives and leaders, so don’t skip training and certification if you are serious about a life coaching career.

The comprehensive training programs offered through Life Purpose Institute and ICF include practical training, feedback from professionals, resources, and continued support. Practical training can provide testimonials and fine-tune your craft before you start seeing your own clients.

Step 4: Self-Marketing Through Networking

It is safe to say that life coaches tend to enjoy being around people, so the networking element isn’t as much of a challenge for most individuals. However, sometimes trying to sell oneself and offer value is another hurdle for life coaches. If you are going to invest time, energy, and resources into certification, don’t miss the opportunity to use networking as a form of self-marketing. Life coaching doesn’t have to be a hard sell but can be subtle and meaningful. Remember, having a social media account that shows your certification instantly gives you credibility in the coaching industry, and clients want to see that you have what it takes to help them discover and reach their goals.

steps to life coachingStep 5: Represent Life Coaching Well

Once life coaches are actively working in the industry, they have the perfect opportunity to represent life coaches well. Maintaining professionalism and confidentiality, and upholding the highest ethical standards, will not only serve clients but also advance your career path. Continue to seek guidance from others in the field and never stop learning and growing personally. Life coaches pave the way for those who follow, so always be mindful of how you are affecting others.

As with anything, there are more layers to becoming a life coach, and it greatly depends on whether you choose a specialty area of focus. However, these five steps can get you to practicing and booking your own clients. Life Purpose Institute also offers great resources and support for marketing to get those first clients booked. If you think life coaching might be for you, contact Life Purpose Institute today for a free consultation with one of our incredible support team members! We have what it takes to help you on your life coaching journey!