The coaching industry has been growing rapidly in the last few years and is expected to continue growing in the near future, especially when it comes to highly credited programs like ICF coaching, which is the current gold standard for coaching. But who is ICF coaching certification for?
In today’s guide, we’ll answer some of the most frequently asked questions regarding ICF coaching as well as the benefits of an ICF certification for professional development.
What Is The International Coaching Federation?
The International Coaching Federation is a leading global organization of professional coaches. The organization was founded back in 1995 by Thomas J. Leonard.
The ICF has been growing steadily over the years, and as of January 2022, the company has more than 50 thousand members from 150+ countries and territories all over the world, jumping from 33 thousand in 2021.
The non-profit organization itself doesn’t provide coaching or training, but it provides independent certification and credibility to its members by overseeing and setting the standards of the training programs.
The organization offers three different types of credentials, which are:
- Associate Certified Coach (ACC)
- Professional Certified Coach (PCC)
- Master Certified Coach (MCC)
Who Is ICF Coaching Certification For?
Being an ICF-certified coach is an excellent choice for anyone who has a zest for life and wants to become the catalyst of success for everyone around him or her.
However, there are some individuals who might benefit from being an ICF-certified coach more than others. Let’s have a quick look at those who would make the most out of ICF credentials:
Business Owners, Executives, and Managers
If you’re a business owner, you’ll quickly realize that growing a business isn’t only about offering a good product or service at a good price. In fact, for your business to make true and stable growth, you need to develop a full vision with clear goals that you need to achieve over time.
Not only that, but you also want to make sure that you bring the maximum potential out of your employees, all the while helping your clients and patrons to stay committed to your business.
This also goes for anyone in a managerial position, from small managers all the way to executives.
Instead of reaching out to a certified coach that may or may not understand the inner workings of your business, you can become your own ICF-certified coach!
Individuals Interested In Personal Development
Whether you want to improve your quality of life, reach your full potential, or make your aspirations in life come true, you’ll need a set of personal skills that will help you thrive and improve in just about any scenario in life.
One of the most effective skills is to motivate yourself to develop and become your best version every day.
While this can be easier said than done, ICF coaching can provide you with all the necessary knowledge and soft skills to make your path towards personal development a whole lot easier!
People Who Want To Become Coaches
Being a coach is a highly fulfilling career path. In addition to being quite a profitable and highly demanded profession nowadays, you’ll also engage and contribute to changing people’s lives for the better by acquiring new skills.
If you’re serious about developing and expanding your coaching business, becoming an ICF-certified coach is a surefire way to get more business coming your way.
Since the international Coaching Certification sets high professional and ethical standards when it comes to its credentials, you’ll rise above the competition and set yourself apart by being certified!
Can People With No Coaching Experience Be Certified?
To become International Coaching Federation certified and apply for the ACC certificate (the lowest credential), you’ll first need to do the following coaching experience hours:
- Complete 60 credit hours of coach training
- Log at least 100 more hours of coaching practice
- Complete the mentoring program, which is additional 10 hours with an ICF mentor/coach
However, if you have no prior experience in coaching but you want to get one, you can take your first step with an ICF certification course!
What Are The Benefits Of ICF Certification?
ICF certification comes with a lot of benefits and perks. In the following section, we’ll walk you through some of the greatest advantages that you can enjoy with an ICF certification.
Ensure Core Competencies, Best Practices, and Ethical Standards
Since there are no official or governmental bodies that regulate coaching or set its standards in any country, there has been a lack of credential reassurance and accountability when it comes to coaching or mentoring on any level.
However, one of the main contributions of the ICF to coaching is that it established a professional code of standards and ethics that ensure core competencies and guarantee best practices by a certified coach.
As a result, today, the ICF became the international gold standard when it comes to being a top-tier coach, and holding an ICF credential ensures that a coach will conduct all their practices under that code.
Increase Your Pay
Those who are interested in a coaching career should always consider becoming ICF-certified because it can help them expand and grow their business.
Whether you’re interested in a coaching career or you’re already a coach looking to improve their pay, being an ICF member will guarantee the ability to set a new price for your services!
Similarly, being a manager who holds internationally renowned coaching credentials and skills will help you rise up the ranks a lot quicker, and, therefore, increase your pay!
Gain International Recognition
As previously mentioned, the ICF is a global organization that has over 50 thousand members worldwide and has achieved international recognition by coaches and businesses all over the world.
When it comes to ICF credentials, it doesn’t really matter where you are from, as the standards of ICF are constant abroad.
In other words, your ICF certification will be recognized almost anywhere in the world where the ICF operates, and the organization’s network is only getting bigger and bigger every year!
Learn Powerful Coaching Techniques
Even if you’re a pretty experienced coach, you’ll learn a wide variety of coaching techniques on your journey to becoming an ICF-certified coach.
ICF training includes a rigorous review process and various mentoring sessions by elite coaches that are committed to high standards of coaching.
In other words, by applying for ICF certification, you’ll get to share experiences and learn from some of the best in the field!
Unleash Your Full Potential To Help Clients
ICF certification training will not only show you new methods to approach your clients and help them in their path towards self-development, but it’ll also help you create a much stronger relationship with your clients that is built on honesty, trust, and genuine conversation.
As a result, you’ll be able to try new techniques and methods to reach your clients, unleashing your full potential to help them improve!
Should You Get ICF Certified?
Based on all the information above, it is safe to say that being certified by the ICF is absolutely worth it. With the ICF credential, you’ll be able to tap into new markets, unlock new potentials, and gain global credibility that would take a lot of time and effort to achieve on your own!
