As a life coach, you will help clients discover their strengths and areas for development. You’ll build continuing, confidential, one-on-one connections with clients similar to therapy, but unlike therapy, your focus will be on aiding clients in creating excellent goals.
You will not only interact with clients one-on-one but also teach personal development classes to small and large groups. As a life coach, you must recognise when a client needs further assistance.
Clients want you to be recognised by a professional association to represent your training, and ethical working practises, even if life coaching is not a regulated company.
Responsibilities
Throughout your apprenticeship, you may help:
- work with people face to face, online or on the telephone
- use questioning techniques and listening skills to help people identify areas for development
- discuss with clients their situation, values, attitudes and beliefs
- encourage people to find their own solutions
- help them to set and achieve suitable goals for change
- look at ways of overcoming barriers and setbacks
- help them stay motivated and committed
- maintain records of your coaching practice
- if you are self-employed, promote your work and do business admin tasks.
Salary
Salaries vary depending on which type of coaching you practice.
- It’s likely you’ll be self-employed, and as a private practitioner, you could charge in the region of £40 to £60 per hour.
- Experienced coaches charge up to £100 per session
- Coaches with extensive experience (ten years+), especially those specialising in executive coaching, charge higher rates. This could be in the region of £200 per 90-minute session.
Working hours
You’ll be self-employed, allowing you to choose your hours. Because many clients prefer to meet in the evenings or on weekends, evening and weekend appointments are likely.
It is important to acknowledge that working with clients may be emotionally draining. Therefore, your professional body may prescribe a maximum number of hours of client engagement per week.
Many coaches work part-time to augment other occupations, such as counselling or career counselling. Make time in your working week to cultivate your reputation and network with agencies, corporations, and new clients. Make time for professional development and supervision as well.
Working environment
You could work from home or at a client’s business.
Your working environment may be emotionally demanding and you may spend nights away from home.
Qualifications
Qualifications you can achieve as an apprentice life coach include:
- Level 5 Coaching Professional – Entry requirements for this level include 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship.
This typically takes 14 months to complete as a mix of learning in the workplace and off-the-job study.
Skills
On a life coach apprenticeship, you’ll learn:
- counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
- knowledge of psychology
- customer service skills
- the ability to understand people’s reactions
- sensitivity and understanding
- excellent verbal communication skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- to enjoy working with other people
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently.
Employers
Although many people use life coaching skills in their current jobs, most life coaches are self-employed.
You can start your own life coaching business after obtaining expertise. If you do this, you will need your own website and will need to sell your services via several channels, including social media.
If you join a recognised coaching organisation, you can advertise with online directories such as Life Coach Directory and Life Coach Near Me. This is a great way to sell your work and establish a customer. In addition, it broadens your possibilities since you may work locally and abroad through video conferencing or phone.
It is possible to get work in the NHS or Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), where workers receive coaching. However, you’ll need a lot of expertise and an appropriate certified coaching qualification to get a job like this.
Opportunities for life coaches to participate in community activities, including prisons, are developing via organisations such as Coaching Inside and Out (CIAO), schools, the philanthropic sector, health and wellness, and professional support services. Life coaches are also utilised in higher education to assist students in navigating their academic experience and planning their future jobs.
Because these occupations are seldom advertised openly, you must be proactive and conduct research. Look into community project funding and contact organisations interested in expanding their work into life coaching.
Professional development
development is primarily self-directed.
To be recognised by a professional coaching organisation, you must meet CPD requirements. AC, for example, demands 30 to 42 hours of CPD, depending on the level of employment. In addition, you may further your professional development by taking additional courses and working your way up to Master Coach with the AC.
You must perform a certain number of hours of supervision each year. The actual amount depends on your professional body; for example, BACP requires 1.5 hours of supervision each month, whereas AC requires one hour of monitoring for every 15 hours of coaching.
If you are a member of a professional organisation, you will get regular information on seminars and master classes relevant to your CPD. Professional organisations also organise relevant conferences, allowing you to stay current on business developments and networking opportunities.
Career prospects
You can find work inside numerous organisations that specialise in these fields and advance to management roles.
With more experience, you can organise workshops and assume greater responsibility by overseeing other coaches.
As your reputation with private clients grows, you can widen and reinforce your brand by posting vlogs, writing blogs, books, journals, or newspaper articles, or participating in radio and television shows. This allows you to expand your consumer base and demand higher pricing.