So you want to become a coach
Your friends appreciate your advice and tell you you should become a coach as a profession. You are flattered and tempted because you really love telling people what to do.
Just as mothers encourage their children to aspire to their dreams, so do friends we coach encourage us. They are seldom the best barometer of our talents. For myself, I have degrees in Psychology, Counseling and a 25 year history in management, recruiting and coaching: All of which lend serious credibility to my coaching advice. Other than a lot of job searches, what credentials do you bring to the party? Are they substantive? Do they instill confidence?
Ignore your friends’ advice. Instead, find three very different strangers in your geographic area who are in job search mode. Offer to coach them for free. You can ask for a testimonial later which is extremely valuable. Work all three at once to gauge your energy and tolerance.
Try your techniques, your communications style and advice to address their needs. Periodically ask, what can I do to be more successful coaching you? If all your new clients get results within three months or shorter, consider coaching. If not, find another business. Ask them for feedback and listen without being defensive. They are telling you how they see you which is how others will see you. No amount of explaining on your part changes that.
Coaching is very difficult and requires adapting to a lot of very stressed out people. Coaching requires excellent listening skills and the ability to leave yourself out of the equation. The employment support world is a crowded space and finding new clients is time consuming and difficult. It is a business, not a charity, but most people close to you will expect you to help for free. If people are not willing to pay for your services, it is not a business no matter how flattering their interest is.
And last, but certainly not least, be mindful of your writing skills. You will write long emails and help clients with their messaging. If you are not an excellent writer, you hurt rather than support their efforts.
Coaching is primarily an after-hours job. Most people focus on their job search at odd ours. Their coach must do the same. Ask yourself, why would anyone want to work that hard?
Themocracy