22 year old business/mindset coach - AIBU

[2021namechanges]

Have been looking around for a business coach recently. In my investigations I’ve come across some guy who is 22 years old - and from what I can tell - the only business he’s ever “built is the fucking coaching business he’s trying to flog.

Now I may be getting old (am 38) but Aibu to say that quite frankly this is fucking ridiculous. Along the way I’ve found coaches that have also set up and when I take a look at their LinkedIn profiles - in the nicest way - their jobs before will be along the lines of “recruitment agent”, or “PA” - again nowt wrong with this - but being a business advisor - sorry no

I do get that you can retrain but Aibu to say this is absolute nonsense

@SchrodingersImmigrant I think the FY2 are about that age! Makes me feel ancient

@SchrodingersImmigrant

Sorry, but I've just realised. i didn't know you can be a doctor by 23😱 I thought it takes like 4 or 5 years at uni and then some years training and then you become a doctor. I am just curious. Honestly thought it's really long route

If you're young for your year you could graduate (five year course) aged 22 then start your F1 year aged just 23!

Ah! Thanks! I thought the yraining counts as an education so not a doctor yet🙈
Thank you!

At 22, with no experience there can't be much backup to actually coach anything.
The only coaches I've ever met who were actually good and worth the time and money are from one company, all 40+ and most ex-military. Just amazing lives they've led and truly inspiring people but able to hold the attention of a room with no effort.

On the flip side... one 'coach'/mindset/motivational whatever I had to sit through was a 50-something man who stood for an hour and said 'you're all mood hoovers, everyone is shit and you'll never be a deserving 2%-er' (2%-er being part of his theory only 2% of people are actually happy and so worthy of life). He's written a book... I imagine some of these set starting people are reading shit like that and spouting it.

[quote imalmostthere]@2021namechanges
I see your point, but as far as a young surgeon goes, the doctor who very literally saved my child's life when she was born, was 23. I owe her everything. I think it very much depends on the individual. I also think berating someone trying to make a living in this climate, solely based on age, is harsh. I hope he proves everyone wrong 😊[/quote]
But that involves an extensive education and top marks in A levels plus relevant work experience to get onto the course in the first place.

I also don't see how anyone could be a surgeon at 23 unless a child at university. Surely doctors, including would-be surgeons, have to complete foundation years 1 and 2 before they specialise? And then pass further exams? So perhaps this was an F1 doctor working in surgery backed up by a team, but not a qualified surgeon?

Britain's youngest qualified doctor was 21 so I think someone must be slightly confused in a stressful situation.

In my experience, life coaches are people who weren't good at their jobs. I do ad hoc mentoring and coaching but that isn't my job, it's just something I do on the side to support younger colleagues

The whole life coaching thing is another story really- and yes they are popping up everywhere.

I had a Career coaching session last week with aa professional (experienced and qualified) coach.

She has decades of work experience jot including her executive coaching experience so was able to probe for and understand key reasons for my session, what i wanted out of it and my current situation to give me a worthwhile experience.

Would i listen to a 22 year old? Nope...

Do they have the relevant life experience? Also nope

Honestly? A properly trained coach doesn't need direct experience of the thing you're going to them for coaching about - that's mentoring. With coaching, the coach should have no agenda, offer no advice, and act as an impartial facilitator to your thinking process to help you find the right way to get to where you need to go.

If you're looking for the benefit of someone's experience, advice on how to do what they've done, a networking 'leg-up' or a sympathetic ear to bend about how hard your sector is to succeed in, that's mentoring.

They get conflated a lot, so its not surprising to see when it happens, but bear in mind many coaches will have gone to the effort to qualify (which for most of us involves hours and hours of unpaid work), keep up their CPD, seek out regular supervision alongside whatever job they actually get paid for, and work on improving in line with feedback from every client. Look for coaches with accredited training, ask what their contracting process is (should involve a careful explanation of what coaching is and be clear that its a partnership of equals, not them coming to your rescue) and ask about how often they access supervision. If they're legit, it won't bother them.

Look for coaches with accredited training

Accredited by who? Is it a formally regulated industry?

@Gliblet no - I’m talking about a business coach. So someone with experience (not by any means in my sector) who understands defining business process, goals but has actually done it themselves.

I should say - I’ve had the type of coaching you refer to gliblet and it was helpful in other ways, but this isn’t what I need now.

I don't have my own business, but were I to do so, and require a business coach, then I'd be looking for someone who had a considerable track record in successfully running businesses of their own.

I wouldn't want a 22 year old. No.

Similarly with a life coach - you need some experience of life!

The coaching thing is driving me crazy of late. Constantly over my news feeds are these coaches who are “ transformational” published with ... , 10,000,000 a year income . Only looking to work with “serious” clients who are ready to earn 10,00 a month ...

It’s a human pyramid scheme ... they never seem to have any clients who aren’t coaches themselves .. all spurious testimonials that I think they paid for on fiverr... and don’t get me started on their ‘podcasts’ .. + the interviews with their own ‘ celeb coaches ‘ where they have clearly ripped off a 2 second clip of them asking a question in a webinar to make it look like they are in an intimate interview ....

Oh and also - if you are serious you will “invest” 29,999 in their coaching ... ( I got quoted an amount like this once to be coached )

God- I’m aware that I sound incredibly bitter ... I think I have been holding this rant in...

It’s just yucky

Oh and their qualifications are. 20 quid NLP/ cBT course from future learn or similar bullshit ...

Sorry but just

@askmeagainin5

I think this about lots of consultant type jobs. I had to grit my teeth when we were given a talk by an educational consultant who had never taught or worked with young people.

OMG yes! Or similarly, I know of at least two men who were TERRIBLE headmasters of independent schools and are now working as consultants for the sector as well as school inspectors. If they turned up to consult I would have to walk out.

Hi @2021namechanges aside from the AIBU I can recommend searching for outplacement coaches as they will probably meet your expectations more closely! They provide support when people are at career crossroads or facing redundancy etc. Usually they have significant business experience and if you go to a bigger consultancy they have specialists in e.g. business start ups or retraining.

@Clymene
Britain's youngest qualified doctor was 21 so I think someone must be slightly confused in a stressful situation
They may have qualified as a doctor but I'm sure they won't have qualified as a surgeon.

One possibility is looking at the staff in the business school at your local university. Many of them will be dyed in the wool traditional academics but lots of them, particularly in post 1992 institutions, have walked the walk as well as talked the talk. My business school is stuffed full of former and semi retired accountants, company directors (including from blue chip companies), consultants, property developers, heads of HR, etc. You might find someone who can help there.

@Rainbowshine thanks - they look a bit more like they offer career coaching though no?
Am stumped at what else to look up - maybe business consultants are more like it (but then there actually tends to be an overlap with what I actually do).

The way coaches talk has all the elements of a great sketch show. Would love to see it made into a satirical to show.

[quote NancyPickford]**@Clymene
Britain's youngest qualified doctor was 21 so I think someone must be slightly confused in a stressful situation
They may have qualified as a doctor but I'm sure they won't have qualified as a surgeon.[/quote]
Yep, that was my point. No surgeon is going to be qualified by 23. I was trying to be kind

Have a look at seasonsincolour on Instagram. She is a financial crime investigator currently outing a lot of these online coaches for this exact thing - no qualifications or experience of their own but charging people.

@sst1234 or a brilliant satire - along the lines of a 2012 or W1A

YANBU at all.

I have a youngish family member who is a creative business coach (ie. for creative businesses), and it is painful to be in the same room because everything in life is sweetness and light.

I should have anticipated their future career when they were in their late teens because, after opening up about my horrendous post-natal depression and suicidal thoughts (many years beforehand), this aspiring life coach took it upon themselves to explain to me that all I needed to have done was to think positively. No shit Sherlock, is that all?