Have you always been the ‘go-to person’ when your friends are looking for guidance? If your family seeks your advice and actually uses it, you might have it in you to become a life coach!
But, who is a life coach and what does he/she do?
To put it simply, a life coach is a professional whose job is to help you accomplish your goals and become successful. They help you convert your dream into a long-term plan. They do this by breaking your vision into goals so you can work towards achieving them. A good life coach understands your potential, your limits and knows how to work with them. Some of the most prominent figures in business and entrepreneurship make use of life coaches to help them make fruitful and successful life choices. In India, today more than ever, people are turning to life coaches for guidance on how to live the best life they can.
According to Mr. Milind Jhadav, a certified life coach, “Life Coaches are people who help others deal with their challenges more powerfully and help them reach their goals faster and in a more enjoyable way. Life coaching is essentially a series of conversations which help people see their problems and obstacles in a whole new perspective – a perspective that is empowering and one that acts as a catalyst to take action.”
How to become a life coach?
If you want to become a life coach, you first need to choose a niche. Some of the possible areas of specialisation include career transition and job search, academic issues, and work-life balance. After you’ve chosen a niche, you need to complete a training programme. Mr. Jadhav continues, “There are schools which train you on how to coach. You need to do a Life Coaching Certification course from one of these schools and get certified as a coach to successfully practice in this profession.” You can apply here to become a certified life coach.
Once you’ve got your certification, you need to get the word out and let people know about the services you offer. You can place ads in targeted publications to boost your business. Another way to attract customers is to take advantage of opportunities to connect with them. Attend networking events to meet the kinds of clients you want to work with. Websites, blogs, and social media pages can act as the online face of your business. These can be affordable alternatives if you don’t want to invest money in advertising.
Does life coaching, as a career, have scope in India?
More and more people in our country are seeking guidance while making major decisions of their life. Unfortunately, most people in India are still unaware of what a life coach is or what they do. Therefore, building a career as a life coach will be a gradual process. Your popularity and demand will depend directly on your reputation and the number of clients you have helped and the number of years you have been in the profession. Getting started will require patience and commitment. You will need to hunt down prospective clients and make your services known. Giving talks and imparting advice at conferences and seminars can help spread awareness about your work.
Can you make a living as a life coach?
The salary of a life coach will depend largely on the kind of training you possess and the kind of reputation you have managed to build. A certified and relatively well-known coach can expect to make around 25 lacs per annum. If you have a great reputation, you’ll attract a high-profile clientele. Top coaches usually have clients that are business CEOs and millionaires. According to Mr. Jhadav, “How much you make in this field depends on the clientele you serve and how good you are in your work – how impactful you are and what kind of results you can help your clients produce. The fee can vary anywhere between Rs 500 to Rs 50000 per session.”
Life coaching can be an extremely lucrative and rewarding profession. With enough reputation, you can build an empire by selling books, giving talks, hosting conferences and seminars, and providing one-on-one sessions. However, getting there, especially in India, will require patience and determination. Not too many people are aware of life coaching as a profession so your first step needs to be to create awareness about this profession.
Found this article interesting? Click here to read how you can make a career as a voice over artist!
