How to start your career in coaching

We are called on a weekly basis by people asking how to get into coaching.

So we hope it’s useful to share the thoughts we’ve developed over 20 years in the industry.

1. Start with a solid foundation – your qualification

In a yet to be regulated profession, we believe it’s vital to begin a coaching career with a clear and solid foundation, namely a recognised and respected coaching qualification.

Find a quality coach training provider, one recognised by the major accrediting bodies – the International Coaching Federation, the European Mentoring and Coaching Council or the Association for Coaching.

Find a provider that suits you – they are very varied in approach, quality and robustness. Do your homework, speak to alumni and be prepared to put in the time and effort to gain your qualification.

Once qualified, gain your levels of accreditation via your chosen accrediting body, and insure yourself and your practise.

2. Surround yourself with brilliant professionals

Nurture, grow and build your network of professional support.

-              A supervisor

Start with supervision. We believe every practising coach needs to be in supervision – whether individual and or in a group environment.

Why? Because in a confidential profession, we need other eyes and ears on our practise to help us to keep learning, to work through dilemmas, and to keep us on the right path, enabling us to do our best work in the service of our clients.

-              A therapist

Consider periods of working with a therapist. Professional coaches often find out new things about themselves through their conversations with their clients, and it can be really useful to have the right place to work through things that might be coming up. Your own neutral, objective, confidential space. It also gives you great additional insight into how your coachees might feel when they are facing you in your own practise room too… 

-              A mentor

Secure yourself a good mentor. Someone more experienced that you. If possible, find someone whose wisdom and experience is extensive, and who has the generosity of spirit to want to share this with you.

-              A network

Hang out with like-minded coaches.  Go to events, build relationships, attend courses, have coffee with people who are as determined and passionate about their profession as you.

3. Remember we are all Practitioners

Never stop practising and learning from your practise. We think of our work akin to artisan craftspeople in their workshops, checking a design, filing the corners.

As coaches, we need to keep testing the questions, reflecting on the responses, practising and developing our skills through our coaching conversations.

We must never lose sight of the fact that we will always have lots to learn, each client is a new person with a new situation, and we must always remain open to it.

Your coaching qualification is like your driving test - work hard, do well and pass. But you only really learn to drive when you’re on the roads, navigating the motorways, and avoiding the occasional near miss. That’s when you become a driver.

And it’s through practise that you become a true coach.

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We’re always excited to meet new coaches and share our own views and experiences.  To help our profession we’ve set up a separate entity – Coach Community – to help coaches build their practice.

And for all the new and aspiring coaches, good luck on your own journey!