How To Become A Career Coach

A Life Coaching Speciality Filled With Opportunity
 

When you become a career coach it opens a world of fabulous opportunities whether employed or working solo.  Here's why and seven career areas you can work in.  

Why Becoming A Career Coach Is So Rewarding

When you coach clients to find their best career there are new areas to choose from and  job opportunities.

It can also be a natural area in which to use your life coaching skills because:

• You use similar life skills tools as you would in personal growth coaching
  
• You will help the client address any changes in behavior they need to make
  
• You will help the client become more aware of and identify the sort of job or employment path that would work for them.
  
• There are many new areas to choose from and quite a few job opportunities as an internal coach with recruitment companies.

Adult Career Coaching Is in High Demand

Coaching related to employment and work preferences is not just for school leavers.

Adult life and career coaching has become much in demand as people decide to follow their hearts in what they really want to spend their days doing.  It can be very rewarding to coach a client who has spend years in a job they hate to finding a new fulfilling career.

The Coaching Tools Company has a very useful tool called the 'Career Discovery Ponder Sheet'

So now lets look at:

Seven Things Your Career Coaching Client Might Want 

1. Redundancy
Maybe the client comes to you because have been fired or made redundant and as well as exploring new career options, their confidence needs restoring. Even if there are glowing references and a payout with redundancies, there is often an emotional cost that can leave a person feeling fragile and disillusioned.

If you choose to become a career coach you'll find the chapter on cleaning up old failed goals in my book Be Your Own Goals Coach very valuable and useful with people who have a lot of negative thoughts about themselves after redundancy.

And career coach Steve Preston has written an excellent book Winning Through Redundancy; Six Steps to navigate your way to a brighter future.

2. Job Change
Times have changed when it comes to defining a work path. Not so long ago people were expected to get a job when they left school and stay there, until retirement. Change jobs regularly and you could be labelled unstable!

Nowadays, as you evolve and discover new paths, it’s seen as quite OK and even encouraged and desirable to change direction and employment many times in your working life!

I am sure no one left school wanting to become a life coach!

You can find more about deciding whether to  become a life coach as your niche by following  Cindy Schulson's step by step system to find your niche.

3. 'Empty Nesters' and Retirees
'Empty Nesters', those parents whose children have been their life but have now left home, are often looking for adult life and career coaching to find a new and fulfilling direction to fill the gap.

Same goes for people who have retired from their long time job but still want to be part of the workforce, maybe by owning a small business or consulting.

Marc Miller's book Repurpose Your Career : A Practical Guide For baby Boomers, is also worth a look. 

His own story is fascinating and the book is specifically targeted to Baby Boomers -  a growing coaching niche for career coach.

4. No Change Just Progress
Alternatively, someone who comes to you for career coaching may be quite satisfied with their career path and how they are going.

They may just want to improve their communication and relationship skills, get some tips on time management and maybe to master How and When to Delegate so they can accelerate up the career ladder to where they know they belong.

5. A Better Career Fit
The client may come to you because he or she feels like a round peg in a square hole. Or their current occupation seemed like a good idea at the time, (or they were pushed into it by parents or peers) and they now feel it it’s time for change to a more authentic career.

6. School Leavers
After all the stress and strain of exams, and even with good passes, school leavers are often still unsure of their first career path and need career life coaching to help them decide which direction to take in either further education or a job.

7. Resumes, CV's and Job Applications
Sometimes the client who coms to you for career coaching will want help with these. If you have the background and skills you can offer this as part of your service. Alternatively, form an alliance with an expert in this field to refer clients on to and have them refer you clients when appropriate.

Using Personality and Workstyle Profiling To 
Guide Your Clients

Many life coaches who also become a life coach use a profiling system to help the client understand their best career fits and maybe why previous career choices haven't worked. There are numerous profiling systems around and it is a good idea to become certified in one that resonates with you, and fits your coaching specialty, so you can confidently include it in your career life coaching process.

Personally, I am familiar with DISC and have used the Kolbe™ Profiling System to help me better know my clients. I have found Kolbe a particularly wonderful tool for clarifying working style and the sort of working environment that will bring stress free work satisfaction.

You'll find more  ideas in  jobs and opportunities for life coaches  and  you can read more about choosing and promoting your coaching niche including some great advice from marketing expert Cindy Schulson.