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Career Coach or other- How to become certified
Since the pandemic, we are seeing more ads or solicitations for Coaching careers, on a variety of topics. I’ve been interested however it is difficult to discern how to become certified in a discipline that is not regulated( or was not). Is ICF the best place to start for obtaining credentials. It’s an expensive endeavor but I’d like to hear from anyone who has started or are currently in this space. Do you have advice on value , credentials, long term viability as a profession ?
Lucy SamuelsCommunication Coach | Résumé Writer
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10/22/20 at 1:09AM UTC
Hi, April. I agree with everyone here who pointed out that coaching isn't a regulated field. ICF is known as the gold standard when it comes to coaching. I can vouch for iPEC, though I didn't do that program. And NCDA is also a reputable organization. As Suzanne mentioned, you will want to think about your goals. I ended up doing Career Coach certification through Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches (PARW/CC) since I already had my resume certification through the organization. It is not an ICF credential but I did an ICF-accredited program in language coaching. Since I already had a solid coaching foundation, I was able to recognize that my career coaching credential was also a solid program. And it worked well for my goals - getting a job at a college or bootcamp.
Do you feel comfortable sharing your goals? It could help us help you. Many good programs that are specific to career coaching aren't ICF-accredited. And many reputable ICF-accredited programs may not have the focus that you're going for.
Suzanne TaylorJob Search Coach / Resume Writer / Tech Industry
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10/20/20 at 8:43PM UTC
ICF is the most reputable coaching accreditation body, and I would not invest in a program that isn't ICF-approved.
As a career coach, I completed my Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF) training while working for a university. Honestly, it gives me some cred but nothing beats experience. The National Career Development Association (NCDA) is an awesome organization, and they have some worthwhile credentials as well: https://ncda.org/aws/NCDA/pt/sp/credentialing
Ultimately, you'll need to decide for yourself which coaching path you want to pursue. If you have any questions about career coaching specifically, I'm happy to help!
Jen SlagleCareer + Leadership Coach
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10/19/20 at 1:25AM UTC
Hi April! Yes ICF is the governing body for coaching. I received my CPC (Certified Professional Coach) certification from iPEC. You are correct however that it is not a regulated field. I encourage everyone to do their background checks if they feel desired. I am happy to chat with you if you want to know more about my coaching program.
April
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10/20/20 at 11:10PM UTC
Thank you. At least in this forum I am getting a consistent response. I appreciate this.
