Is Life Coaching The Career For You?

Life coaching is a great career choice for those who want to help others to change their life for the better. Life coaches help people to make informed decisions about all areas of life, including their personal goals, career aims, and general wellbeing. 

If you are an empathetic person who wants a career helping others, then life coaching could be the perfect new career for you.

Life coaches help improve the quality of their clients’ lives in a variety of ways. They support clients by helping them identify their career aims and personal goals, make a plan of action to achieve these set goals, and utilise resources in order to grow and develop in the way they want to.

Most life coaches work independently, either full-time or part-time, building a client base over time and meeting with clients during booked one-to-one coaching sessions. The day-to-day duties of a life coach include: 

A career as a life coach would be ideal for those who want to help others, have empathy for the struggles that people go through, and are natural problem-solvers. Life coaches have the ability to make an incredible impact on the lives of others, helping them to realise their goals and giving them the empowerment to achieve professional and personal development. So, if you want to help people achieve their dreams, then this could be your dream career.

The primary principle of life coaching is that a life coach needs to be able to actively listen to clients without judgement and guide them in making important life decisions that benefit them. The key to life coaching is to be able to help clients to realise what they want out of life rather than directing them or trying to solve problems for them, which is why active listening and support are key components of this career.

If you have a background in psychology or mental health, life coaching could be a good career option that will allow you to utilise your existing skills and knowledge. Having excellent communication skills and compassion is a must, and many people enter into this career path after helping friends and family in their personal lives to solve problems and achieve what they want to, and they then realise that they want to help others in a similar way.

The key skills required for a career as a professional coach are:

To become a successful life coach, a bachelor’s degree, A Levels, or experience in psychology, sociology, or mental health would be very beneficial. If you do not have any previous experience or knowledge in these areas, then online courses in Psychology, Counselling, or Mental Health can give you the fundamental knowledge and help you develop the skill set you need to succeed as a life coach.

Having a qualification in life coaching not only helps you gain the skills and knowledge needed in this career but can also help establish you as a professional life coach and encourage potential clients. You can also study dedicated Life Coaching courses in Ireland that include all of the training you need to become a certified life coach. Certifications like the Life Coaching Pathway and Certificate in Life Coaching can be completed in as little as six months and can allow you to take the first step towards establishing a career as a life coach. 

Through these courses, you can kick-start your career and develop key skills such as active listening, communication, and problem-solving.

Life coaches often work independently rather than as part of an organisation, and therefore establishing your own life coaching business is a popular choice for life coaches. Many life coaches also specialise in one of the particular types of life coaching, such as wellbeing, career coaching, or executive coaching, which further helps them to stand out in the coaching industry. 

Starting a life coaching business in Ireland can be challenging, particularly if you do not have a background in business. However, through online business courses, you can learn how to start your own coaching practice, become self-employed and develop key skills needed in business. Skills such as financial management, marketing, IT, and time management will be crucial to running a successful life coaching business, and combined with the knowledge gained during life coaching courses, you will be on track to run your own life coaching business. 

Bookkeeping, Business, Business Management courses are also recommended for anyone thinking of starting their own business in any sector. Business ownership comes with the need to keep your accounts safe, secure, and up to date, and through online bookkeeping courses, you can be confident in running that side of your business.