Before you begin your life coach training, it’s smart to first understand the job description, required tasks and skill requirements necessary to become a life coach.

The job description for personal coaching varies based on the life skills you wish to emphasize with clients, but generally conforms to the following:

A personal, private and positive experience designed to assist clients in changing careers, relationship

development, business motivation, weight loss, self-understanding,  and stress management.  Life coaches may also assist clients with developing healthy boundaries, time management skills, goal setting and overall skills for healthy, balanced lives.

A life coach is different from a therapist, as the focus of the sessions center on the present and future.  The past is not ignored, given that past traumas and events often lead to our present path of self development.  Instead, goals and behaviors that change the present and future are front-and-center, versus dwelling on emotions and emotional patterns.

Life coaching is on the rise, not only due to affordability, but people are seeking them out because the relationship of power between the life coach and the client is typically more equal, friendly and balanced than that of a client/therapist relationship. If you want more information on what a life coach does, read our article on “What Is A Life Coach?”.

Knowledge Before Becoming A Life Coach

Life coaching offers many challenges, but amidst the challenges are many rewards. People need positive outlets for change to occur. The world needs a lot of these outlets, and now is a great time to start training to become a life coach. Of course, you probably already knew that and are at least interested in this career path.

Life coaches come from everywhere — business executives, human resources, corporate trainers, accredited therapists, consulting, non-profit counseling, and community outreach programs.  However, before you consider training and building your credentials ask yourself these questions:

• Do you manage your own life effectively;
• Do you see the best in everyone, and wish them success?
• Are you an effective communicator?
• Are you authentic, empathetic, or apathetic?
• Do you actively listen and engage people?
• Have you been told you are inspirational?

If your answer is yes to most of the above, then life coach training might be your next step toward a successful career.  Now that you know the job description and that you have the personality to achieve success as a life coach, what about the personal benefits?

• Helping others achieve their dreams.
• Sharing in the success stories of others.
• Ability to design your own schedule.
• Unlimited earnings based on personal work.

A life coach must help and motivate others to achieve their personal goals and become successful in life. If you chose to start your own private business as a life coach, then you will also be responsible for maintaining the business records and operational aspects of owning a business. The alternative is working for an association of life coaches, a training institute, a private form or a large corporation.

If you are choosing to pursue a career as a corporate life coach or as part of a larger practice, certification or accreditation could be a requirement.  In the end, the main job description is the willingness to help people maintain their lives, and have success in motivating them to do so.  Certification and business models are simply add nuances and credibility to the job description of a life coach.