If you're a life coach, do you think the sector is totally oversaturated? Thinking of career change...

[Bollyhood]

Exactly that. Thinking of life coach as a different route workwise. Yet to refine my area of interest, but have a few ideas. I'm doing a lot of research but I'd love to hear people's thoughts who are currently working in that space.

And your counselling skills course you will take.. I wouldnt go to a random newly qualified counsellor.

Well, it's an acceptable reason to do whatever you want, obviously. YOLO etc. But it wouldn't induce me to part with any money, which is presumably what you're hoping for.

It's a very saturated sector. And you're going to have to factor in people thinking if you/the sector you're trying to coach people in is that great, why have you left.

There are accreditation bodies who are voluntary regulatory organisations (coaching is not legally regulated like doctors are for example), that have codes of conduct, ensure you are insured and that you have done an accredited course. The ICF (International Coaching Federation) is the one I'm with. It's the gold standard of coaching and recognised globally. Anything more you'd like?

@CautiousLurker I actually KNOW someone who paid Rich Litvin £100k to work with him for a year a couple of years ago!! I have no idea how she is doing now. Her website doesn't seem like her career has progressed proportionally though.

Have you seen Peep Show, op?

I have a friend who does coaching (careers- focused rather than life). She has a 20 year career in the sector she targets plus a masters in psychology. I really think this is the sort of level of experience and qualification you need to stand out from the charlatans.

He did well out of it though! 🤣

I've noticed a massive increase of "life coaches" after Covid. Sure some of the are properly trained - but I think the market is a bit saturated with them.

I totally agree. Unfortunately, those of us in that space (extensive experience, other qualifications etc ) get put in the category of Jeremy from Peep Show who did a one week course. My coaching course took months plus exams, then my 60 hours of clients work, plus a rigorous face to face assessment for my accreditation.

Thats heartbreaking actually and although this thread has given me a chuckle this morning, this is the reason its such a hateful swizz, for the 'coach' and for clients aplenty

Same with all these scams actually

I was scrolling on Tiktok the other day and noticed how many middle aged female life coaches there are on there. (Tiktok must think I'm in need of some coaching). None of them getting many views or interactions. Definitely seems to be a crowded market.

I’m ICF registered and have a postgraduate qualification from a Russel Group University in Executive Coaching. As pp have mentioned Life Coaching is a dodgy profession/ ponzi scheme. I use my skills at work- training and HR for a small charity but I wouldn’t want to be a full time coach- too much hustling.

Who is actually hiring life coaches??

BTW, I am a qualified psychologist who has done some executive coaching and know many successful exec coaches, and I wouldn't touch a "life coach" with a bargepole.

It's your prerogative not to be specific OP, but if you aren't specific you can only be given generic advice. In general, coaching success is going to depend on 1) the coach having some genuinely strong and impressive work experience in their specific niche, and 2) the target market having significant disposable income in order to pay for coaching.

I think you are very, very aggressive. I don't think being a life coach is for you.

@Bollyhood The coaching part is easy if you have the right kind of character.

Building up the business side of it is as difficult as building up a business selling electrical components, or house insurance or, I don't know, pens or something. If you don't think you could do that, you can't start a business as a life coach.

It's easy to say "I just need 8 clients paying me £90 a week and I'll be flying!" but getting a pipeline of of sales every single month (because some clients will stay with you for a year, others will drop out after 2 sessions) is very very difficult and you absolutely need to have a very specific marketing mindset to achieve it. Which is when you get sucked into the whole pyramid machine, because my goodness there are plenty of people out there just dying to get you to hand over anything from $797 to $9997 (these are not random numbers) so that they can show you their rinse-and-repeat formula for getting new clients.

I could give a Ted Talk about this.

People in this thread are being highly weird. I don’t know why

OP to support many others with the same point, in my field (senior health) coaches with sector experience are useful and highly valued, and I know a few people who used them and really rated it. my friend does it in another sector but after retiring (and she was the boss)

@AllHisCaterpillarFriends

I agree with you. There are one or two (highly highly expensive) that were super-successful (so have a basis to claim to be able to coach) and chucked it all in as they were fed up and wanted a change.

Like Megan Hellerer who coached Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to become a Congresswoman. She went to Stanford University ( a prestigious US university) and ended up with a six-figure job at Google in Silicon Valley.

https://www.thecut.com/2019/10/megan-hellerer-career-life-coach.html

Most people who are life coaches have had no real success in life at all and it's a bit of a charlatan job. Look at it this way, would you have tennis coaching from someone who had never really played tennis. Of course coaching is a different skill from playing and you don't need to have won Wimbledon to be a good tennis coach - but you do need to be able to play tennis and to have done it to a high standard.

So many "life coaches" are people who've failed in life, achieved nothing and landed on this as an unskilled way to get money out of other people who are needy and failing too.

I just think of this now: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65175712

Very MLM/scammy.

I mentioned above that professional coaches in medicine etc. are highly credible, and can have good careers. A woman I met recently works specifically with hospital doctors at a particular point in their careers. It's very specific, and she earns about £65k, which is a decent salary (in my eyes, anyway!).

The OP asked specifically about life coaching, which is the wild west by comparison.

I used to be a corporate/ business coach. I earned decent money and I made a difference. I know lots of people who do this and who make a living. I was employed by large companies, eg banks and then via their HR department I was assigned to individual clients.

I actually never took a qualification, I learned on the job. I specialised in conflict resolution and I also trained people to mediate. There are lots of accredited coaching courses which friends have done and I think this is now essential when you are starting out.

I think the business/ executive coaching model is more lucrative. It's still people at the end of the day and people have archetypal issues in their careers. You don't have to understand their business sector, you just have to understand people.

I've met a number of 'life coaches' through a charity thing I do. The majority are women who dropped out of work to raise small children and now can't or don't want to get back into their former careers. They've done questionable courses or 'qualifications' and usually dabble trying to write children's books too or similar. Husband who earns enough money for them to dick about with what is essentially their hobby.

I don't know anyone who has ever paid for life coaching - why would you when there are so many great people happy to mentor for free.

Anyway, I have been defensive and I apologise.

Perhaps you need a "Life Coach".

Probably desperately unhappy people who want a change. It seems like preying on the vulnerable to me.

Two of my friends trained to be life coaches. Both lovely. Both went through horrific divorces having had very unhappy marriages. I can see that might mean they have rebuilt themselves but honestly, the only reason they are both now happy and settled is because they each found a wonderful partner who brought financial security to the relationship. Basically, marry well and life will improve. I’m not convinced that’s due to life coaching though.

Workplace mentors and career coaches with the appropriate expertise are quite different. Dh does that in addition to his senior role and gets paid well for it.