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Career / Executive Coaching Certification

Sherise113·Nov 15, 2021

Posted in:Coaches Advice

Is certification required for career coaching or executive coaching? What certification programs are recommended?

rebeccabeck·Nov 16, 2021

Hi Sherise, the answer probably lies in what you want to do, and where you want to go with your coaching.I'm not entirely sure when you talk about certification if you mean a training certification, or certification (or credential) with one of the industry bodies? There are many coaches in this space who operate without one or both but its back to the question of what you want and where you want to go. I'm an advocate of both and I share my thoughts below in case helpful. Once again though, it is not intended to denigrate anyone that chooses otherwise.Firstly, a training certification or qualification. If it's the former, coached throughout my HR career. When I decided to specialise in exec coaching I decided to take a postgrad course - and learned all the things I didn't know I didnt know!! I researched which course would give me what I wanted and therefore received the training (and ongoing networks) that made me feel fully equipped in this space whilst sharpening my appetite for continued learning and professional development.If its the latter, a certification or credential with one of the recognised coaching bodies is important if you want to work with certain corporates who will require this as a reflection of your level of training and experience. If you are wanting to work as an associate coach, many again will require recognised credentialing. If however you intend to build a client base with personal clients very few will require a credential and more likely (hopefully!) Find you through recommendation.That's just a brief overview. If you want to chat more by all means let me know

michellekyu·Nov 16, 2021

Hi there, I'm a career and leadership coach! The coaching industry is a bit like the wild west at the moment since it's still quite new and you don't need certifications to become a coach or to make money. However, if you want to work with corporations, some of them will look for ICF certifications or getting trained through an accredited program. But that's to say, it's not at needed and depends on what you're looking for. I find that those who are certified are able to understand the lingo amongst themselves and builds up a certain relatability. Personally I am an ICF certified coach and trained through iPEC. I found the training program to be helpful in being able to gain new tools and skills, so for me it was totally worth it. None of my clients really care though haha.Happy to chat more if you have further questions!