Life coach
Life coaches support and encourage people to help them make informed decisions in their working and personal lives.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
You could work on a one to one basis or with groups. You could:
- 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
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.
Career path and progression
You could specialise in a particular type of life coaching like business executive, spiritual or health and wellbeing coaching.
Many life coaches begin work part-time, sometimes alongside another job, building their hours as they grow their caseload of clients.
You could set up your own business and employ other coaches.
You could use your skills and experience to train or supervise people new to coaching.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- 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
Restrictions and Requirements
You'll need to:
How to become
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- a college course
- applying directly
- specialist courses offered by a professional body
If you already have a degree, you could study for a postgraduate award in coaching.
Courses at this level tend to focus on sport, performance management within organisations, coaching and mentoring in education or coaching psychology.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study
More Information
You'll have an advantage if you've got qualifications and membership of a professional organisation. A good starting point would be to choose a course that is approved by an independent coaching body.
It's important that you gather as much information as possible before choosing a course, as costs vary widely. Courses are available through online and face-to-face learning, so you can choose the one that suits you best. Apart from your studies you would need to make time for practical coaching sessions and preparation activities.
Check that a course offers:
- contacts with coaching and mentoring bodies
- testimonials from coaches who have attended the course
- good resources for developing skills
- practical training, like workshops and seminars
- some supervised work with a practising life coach or assessor
- advice on setting up a business
- opportunities for continuing professional development
Entry requirements
There are no set entry requirements for this route.
More Information
If you want to work within organisations coaching individuals and teams to improve their work performance, you could do a coaching professional higher apprenticeship.
This typically takes 14 months to complete as a mix of learning in the workplace and off-the-job study.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship
More Information
Life coaching is not regulated in the UK, so anyone can work as a life coach if they feel they have the necessary skills and qualities.
You may be able to work towards accreditation from a coaching professional body to improve your job prospects.
You could take training through the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), which offers a range of courses in coaching methods.
Career tips
You may find it useful if you have experience in psychology, management, counselling or teaching.
Further information
You can get more advice on coaching and mentoring from the:
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