Well, if you are an aspiring coach, you have probably checked around to see what the ICF is or what the EMCC is (especially if you are located in Europe), but the coaching niches are, how long it will take you to complete your course and become a coach, how easy or difficult it is to set up your business - and, why do so many people call themselves a coach?
To put it simply, the industry made a huge mistake and used an already established word that describes an already established profession, which already pertains to a specific field. So, things went downhill from the start when it came to the “marketing” of the coaching profession. The word coach could not be contained in a legal way to prevent anyone from becoming a coach. The word can and, forever, will be used freely and without a legal or even conditional framework to protect those who study /something/ (let’s not define that something here) and those who do not put in the time or effort to learn what actual coaching is and how it should be carried out to yield results.
Coach it is then. I embraced this vague term only because I had to. But, the rest of the business would be different from the usual coach training. At the Academy, I decided to ensure that all my coach training courses have a minimum entry requirement and a rigorous assessment process. I want the Academy to be a stand-alone educational institution. With that in mind, if someone comes to us and says: “I want to be a coach”, the answer is: “Do you have what it takes to become one?”
This question has multiple answers and we expect to get a yes for all its nuances before we sign anyone up.
I will take the last point because this is what I wish to clarify in this article. Consider the university studies you have completed or if not, from your world knowledge, know what is the case. After high school, you go to college or university. No college or academic programme at that level just past high school lasts only a year, and we are not talking photography or apprenticeship. The coaching industry has broken down this university-style timeline and offers you the opportunity to, say, attend the “coaching uni” by the year.
Year 1 is the junior level. You learn the basics and go out to practise while being supervised and assessed.
Year 2 you move on to the next level, to additional subjects and classes you need to take after Year 1. Again, you go out and practise while being supervised and assessed.
Year 3 is harder than the other two. You have done the prep work and now it is time to do your research and start writing your thesis while developing your own coaching style.
Is there a Year Four? There may or there may not be. It depends how difficult Year Three was. From Year Four onwards (not that you should not be doing that during the previous years) you should definitely attend a number of small courses that help you develop specific skills you need to hone or you learn new methods, new tools and techniques or, you, yourself may do research and present your findings to peers.
To sum things up, this is how you become a coach at the Academy: you attend the core training (there are different levels, of course, per year), you practise in class and out of class, you are supervised and assessed, and you get your completion certificate. Then, you may apply to any official coaching body to add their own credential to your wall of certificates. This is not a joke. Many companies now have stipulated that you cannot coach their people unless you have an official credential.
What does that mean for our Academy? It means that we have ensured that all our teaching material is directed towards coaching excellence first and foremost, and so, by default, it helps you succeed in your application to the coaching bodies to get your official credential. As simple as that.
So, all you need to do is
I would like to invite you into our world. Not because we promise it will be easier but because it will be more organised and effective. Granted, we are not the easiest Academy to complete, but we are certainly one of the best in the world.