Certification and Credentials

What are the next steps to your coaching practice?

If you are reading this, it means you have started asking yourself an important question: How do I become a certified coach?

One of the most common questions we receive is about certification and with hundreds of training programs to choose from, it is important to know which one is right for you.

Meet Michelle Akin, MCC- Senior Leader at Accomplishment Coaching and expert on coach credentialing and certification.

Let’s start with the question that is on everyone’s mind:

Q: What does it take to become successful?

A: Practice. A lot of practice. There needs to be way more focus on developing your coaching skills than your marketing. Many new coaches get wrapped up in getting a logo and a website too soon. Before you go trying to attract random people from the internet into your practice, focus on people you know and who they know.

It’s also helpful to start asking to be paid for coaching before you feel “ready” because it puts something at risk (both for you and for the client) and requires that you truly show to the sessions. Pro-bono work is great, and I always suggest that people get paid something even when just starting out, so that they can practice while having something at risk.

Getting paying clients was something that I noticed sped up my growth. I had all of my focus on how to create that through existing relationships, rather than how best to brand myself. I’m certainly not saying that coaches shouldn’t think about niche and marketing, but I think it tends to be over emphasized, when heightening skill level and getting paid coaching hours under your belt are really going to be the foundation of your business.

My advice if you want to become successful is to join an accredited training program so that you can receive training around your coaching. Ours may be the one, maybe not, but I think it’s important to ensure that there is a focus on honing your skill and creating clients right away.

How much are you going to invest in you and your growth?

The thing that truly catalyzes other people is that you are doing your own personal work. Even if your clients’ don’t see it, they will feel it in your coaching.

Credentials are well known in the corporate world, and beginning to be more and more well known in the world at large. To be a coach in the corporate arena, it is common that a PCC Credential or above is required.

Here’s the bigger thing to consider: the process of getting a credential is one of personal growth.

In my experience, a lot of people seem to relate to it as a process to checking off boxes rather than one that would create a fundamental shift in their life. I recommend getting a credential not because of the title, but because of how you will grow in the process.

For those who are seeking the fastest track possible to a credential, I’ll say this: consider that rushing is exactly what will have the process take longer. Slow and steady, but with focused intention, wins the race in this case. I invite you to move with purpose and settle in for the journey.

1. By providing more than the required number of coach training hours for any credential.
2. By providing mentor coaching hours (as well as the opportunity to have 1:1 feedback from PCCs or MCCs in your program, if you are committed to certification and willing to create that with your Program Coach and Leaders).
3. By encouraging and supporting you to go and find paying clients right out of the gate. Credentialing requires that you attain a certain number of contracted clients and paid hours PRIOR to applying, and many new coaches want to wait until they feel comfortable to begin paid coaching. Our program challenges you to start before you feel ready, and provides a variety of support structures to create that.
4. By providing a minimum of four individual coaching call reviews, as well as countless other opportunities throughout the program year to receive feedback on your coaching, so that you are able to coach at the level required to receive a credential.

It is important to note that we do NOT guarantee certification in our program. It requires work above and beyond the program’s graduation requirements, and for some folks, seems too rigorous for their first year and/or they are not interested in becoming certified or credentialed.

Others, who are hungry for it, may achieve that goal, but it will necessitate their active participation and partnership with their Program Coach and Program Leaders.

Much like a PhD is not handed to a student, certification and credentialing are not a given without your focused intention and action.

We as a leader body are always willing to support participants who are intent on their goal and willing to put in the work.