How To Become an ICF Certified Coach?
Coaching was initially a highly unregulated profession until ICF, or the International Coaching Federation was formed. Following its inception, acquiring an ICF accreditation is considered the highest point of recognition that you can get in the field of coaching.
This goes to show that surviving and flourishing as a coach in this cutthroat and competitive market requires you to have an ICF certification. But how do you go about the process?
This article will walk you through the 5 fundamental steps you need to keep in mind when trying to become an ICF-certified coach.
5 Steps to Become an ICF-Certified Coach
The ICF credentialing process isn’t as complicated as you think. As an MCC from ICF, I have worked through this process multiple times myself and have helped 200+ coaches acquire their certifications via our training programs at Matrrix.
From this experience, I have broken down the process into 5 actionable steps. So, let’s understand them one by one.
1. Look for Coach Training Programs
Becoming an ICF coach isn’t a direct process. You can’t apply to ICF directly to become a coach. You need to meet a few eligibility criteria and meet the prerequisites for you to be able to qualify for an ICF credential.
For this, the first step is to look for comprehensive coach training programs from reputed online or offline coach training schools.
At Matrrix, our certification programs are designed and curated as per ICF standards to help our learners qualify and apply for further ICF credentialing per their interests.
2. Acquire 60+ hours of Accredited Coach Training
Once you finalize and settle on a particular coach training program, your primary objective is to look for the ones that offer 60+ hours of accredited coaching training. This is mandatory if you want to further your ICF accreditation in the future.
This is the minimum training hours you need to apply for the ACC credential. Also, when it comes to the 60+ hours of training, ensure that it's accredited ICF coach training. This is quintessential for you to proceed with the next steps in the process.
3. Complete 10 hours of Mentoring
The next step in the process is the acquire and successfully complete 10 hours of mentoring. This is a factor we prioritize at Matrrix because all our coach training certifications are integrated with 10 hours of mentoring to help our learners proceed with the next steps in the credentialing process.
Your work is to identify mentors who can identify your skills and support you in establishing yourself as a well-equipped coach.
When choosing your training program, I would personally recommend asking your training school or the program directors about the mentoring hours. Having a clear understanding of this will allow you to choose a more comprehensive training program and an all-in-one training, so you don’t have to look around in multiple outlets for fulfilling different aspects of your training.
4. Acquire 100 hours of Coaching Practice (Minimum)
Applying for ICF’s ACC program requires a lot of seasoning after your initial coach training certification. If you thought that completing your coach training was enough and you could then proceed to apply to ICF, you were mistaken.
ICF is a regulating body in the field of coaching, which means that they prioritize quality over quantity when it comes to the coaches that acquire their credentials.
Hence, to be able to apply for an ICF credential after your initial coach training, you need to start working with clients to acquire a minimum of 100 hours of coaching practice. This is mandatory if you want to apply to the ACC program under ICF.
In most cases, the training school you are acquiring the initial coach training from should be able to help you navigate through this particular requirement. If you are doing it independently, my recommendation would be to focus on personal branding.
Network with the right people, go online and market your services to your target audience and be consistent. It will be challenging in the beginning, but you should start seeing results soon and end up acquiring a good amount of clients for your practice.
5. Apply with ICF
Once you have met all the above-mentioned prerequisites, you are all set to apply with ICF. The tier starts with ACC or PCC, and then MCC. Once you apply for the initial ACC program and enroll with ICF, the first step is to answer a “multiple-choice competency-based exam.”
Don’t be afraid because the coach training school you graduated from should teach you about the same. At Matrrix, we focus on equipping our learners with all the tools and knowledge they’d need to complete these competitive tests.
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Conclusion
And that’s all. That’s the 5-step plan to cracking your ICF credentialing process. It is, by no means, a simple or quick process. You have to be diligent, willing, and focused on learning the foundation of coaching right from the get-go. However, if you were completely clueless about how to become an ICF-certified coach, I hope this article gives you a complete rundown of the steps involved.
What are you waiting for? Tap into this lucrative industry and kickstart your coaching journey.
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1 年Very relevant and appropriate Dr. Paras Daithankar, it will guide to many who are interested and wish to be certified coach/ trainer.
Manager - Corporate Relations (Middle-East Africa)
1 年Tapas Ranjan Pati GCDF?
Vedic Astrologer | Life & Relationship Coach | Multidisplinarian Consultant | Founder – Ekohumm | Director - Dr. Paras Wellness | Co-Founder - Tava-Mitram
1 年Thanks for sharing Dr Paras ???? This blog is one of my favs!
I help people/organizations turn obstacles into opportunities. ICF Mentor Coach, Life & Executive Coach - MCC (ICF), Business Coach, Strategy Mentor, Motivational Speaker
1 年Good one Dr. Paras, quite relevant and explained in a simple way ????