Clients come to coaches for help addressing challenging situations, defining their goals and setting up a plan to achieve them. Many times, coaches help their clients see possibilities they didn't know existed and tap into potential they didn't know they had.  

What Coaching Professionals Do

Coaching has evolved from a rapidly growing field into a well-established profession that continues to expand globally, with increasing integration into organizational strategy, leadership development and employee well-being initiatives. It has become not only a prevalent aspect of personal growth, but also an effective leadership style for promoting professional development. As an approach to management, coaching is now being used extensively within organizations with great success.

Coaching works because it's a personal, intensive process that helps clients identify and develop their own existing strengths and talents. Coaching is distinct from therapy, consulting and mentoring in that it is a forward-thinking profession that focuses on providing a framework for self-discovery based on the client's personal and professional knowledge. Rather than offering advice or psychological counseling, coaches engage with clients by asking thought-provoking questions that invite them to think more deeply and consider alternate options.  

Core Skills for Today’s Coaching Professionals

In recent years, digital platforms and AI tools have started to change what coaching looks like in practice. It’s becoming more ongoing and integrated into everyday life, rather than taking place only during scheduled sessions. AI technology has the capacity to help clients keep track of their routines, goals and habits, and offers prompts or questions that encourage deeper thinking in the moment. 

But the implementation of AI tools does not replace the emotional role of a human coach. Interpersonal communication, empathy, change management, influencing skills and relationship building are mainstays of the coaching profession—and best provided by human beings who can effectively wield these skills.  The hybrid model of coaching blends these traditional coaching techniques with the application of AI technology. Digital tools allow clients to stay connected between sessions, handling things like reminders, structure and reflection, which frees up space for deeper conversation when coach and client meet.

The human side of coaching is just as crucial as before, as the adoption of AI simply renders coaching more accessible and present in everyday life. Human coaches who possess trust, empathy and the ability to listen and respond to nuance are still at the core the professional coaching industry. 

Where Coaches Work

Internal coaches, or those who work at a public or private organization coaching employees, are finding a greater use of coaching as an employee-development and leadership tool. Even those who aren’t full-time coaches within an organization can benefit from training. Leaders can use coaching as a motivational tool. In a management context, coaching often means taking a collaborative approach, rather than simply delegating tasks and evaluating an employee’s progress. It also means providing constructive feedback and taking an active role in an employee’s professional development.
Fully 90% of Fortune 100 companies now employ internal coaches, and many other private- and public-sector organizations are recognizing the benefits of internal coaching to improve business outcomes, management effectiveness and employee engagement. 

By contrast, self-employed coaches make up 79% of the market according to the International Coaching Foundation (ICF). While recognizing the trade-offs of running a business versus working as an employee, many self-employed coaches cite the ability to set their own schedule as a key motivator. Self-employed coaches also have the freedom to specialize in a particular niche, such as wellness, personal growth or career coaching, which can also be a key motivator for owning an independent coaching business.   

Certifications That Can Boost Your Coaching Career 

Coaches find that career development opportunities are available through continuing coach education in specialized areas, such as Team Coaching, and through communities of coaching professionals who support one another.

Certification is also important, as it signifies to clients that a coach has taken the important step of attending a quality training program and attaining a minimum level of experience. It indicates a commitment to excellence.

The most-widely recognized certification organization for coaches is the International Coaching Federation (ICF), which certifies coaching professionals according to established standards of training and experience at three levels:

• ACC (Associate Certified Coach) designation requires 60+ hours of coaching training and 100+ hours of coaching experience
• PCC (Professional Certified Coach) designation requires 125+ hours of coaching training and 500+ hours of coaching experience
• MCC (Master Certified Coach) designation requires 200+ hours of coaching training and 2500+ hours of coaching experience

For more information, read the full certification requirements on the ICF website. 

Preparing for Coaching Roles Through Continuing and Professional Education

At UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education, experienced instructors and mentors are proud to provide highly interactive learning experiences through the Professional Coaching for Life and Work Certificate Program.

The program is an ICF Accredited Coach Training Program (ACTP), which means that graduates engage in the coach-specific training and mentor hours needed to apply for certification once they secure the required coaching experience.

The Professional Coaching for Life and Work Certificate Program provides a clear and easy pathway for graduates to become ACC-certified coaches, and later PCC-certified coaches, as they demonstrate proficiency with coaching competencies and gain more coaching experience.

• 15-unit course, complete in 5 months
• Completely online
• $9,500 (payment plan available)
• Taught by MCC- and PCC-credentialed professional coaches
• Program features include 150 academic credit hours of coach specific training and mentor coaches who provide feedback on your coaching skill development to support you through your educational journey

For those who already have experience in facilitation, coaching and developing teams or who have worked in organizational development, the Team Coaching for Organizational Excellence Program is designed to provide business insight, tools and practice to support team success as an internal or external team coach. The program includes 60+ hours of team coaching education designed to prepare you for the ICF Team Coaching Certification Exam. You’ll also earn a digital badge that demonstrates your advanced understanding of team coaching skills, which can be displayed on your LinkedIn profile and resume.

• Online
• Complete in 10 weeks 
• $5,500 (payment plan available)