“Finding the right coaching course can be challenging, and at times a bit overwhelming” – we hear this oh so often and we totally get it.  There are dozens of courses and colleges popping up, offering you the world from “become a coach for next to nothing” through to “become a coach in a few weeks”. 
Beyond the gorgeous images and amazing offers it’s so hard to know what you will actually learn, how you will learn it, whether your qualification will be credible, and if so whether you will know how to coach with confidence in real-life. In short, which course will ensure you can be a coach who will change lives? 

​We have over 20,000 students from around the globe, and they’ve all been in your position. We’ve loved coaching them towards the decision that is best for them, so, we thought we’d create a checklist with the questions they have said were most helpful in making their choice.  

The most asked question is essentially around stress. It goes something like this:

• “I work fulltime, am I going to be able to fit this [study] into my life? What is the time commitment?”
• “I have a family with small children. I want to study but I am not sure I can fit it in. Will I have time to study?”

Here are a few questions you might ask a college to ensure your study experience fits into your life rather than becomes an unnecessary stressor:

• Flexibility – is the course flexible?
  • Do I have to finish the course within a certain timeframe?
  • How many hours of study a week do you recommend to complete the course?
  • Can I study in my own time at my own pace?
  • Can I take as long as I need?
  • Do my subjects expire?

Hours do matter!! It’s important that the college’s approach to study commitments and learning meets your lifestyle, but also that the course fulfills industry standards and expectations. For example, IICT (Australia and NZ) require at least 150 hours of total training which must include supervised and unsupervised coach training to gain insurance.
Assessments can also be a source of stress for many. Hence our second most asked question!

So many of us have had ‘not so great’ experiences with exams and assessments in the past. Due dates, lengthy essays, unnecessarily detailed reports or submissions, stressful exams… argh. You spend more time preparing for the assessment than you do preparing to actually work with clients. A well-qualified coach does not need to have sat exams that assessed them on specific topics at a specific time. A skilful coach will have been able to apply their knowledge and build their competence during their training. This does not need to (and we believe should not) be stressful. 
So, here’s a few questions you might want to ask:

• What are the assessments like? 
  • Essays? Multi-choice? Tests? Interviews? Coaching? Attendance?
• Are the assessments open book?
• Are the assessments timed?
• Do assessments have due dates?
• If I don’t pass the first time, what happens? Can I take the test again and if so how many times can I resit? Is there a fee?

Really this should be a given, let’s face it, the old days of sitting a 3-hour exam should be gone by now. Modern learning is no longer about ‘examining’ and ‘testing’ student memory retention. Modern learning empowers learners to assimilate knowledge and translate it into actionable outcomes, well that’s our view anyway. 

“When I finish the course will I have a qualification that’s recognised by a peak industry body?”
 
We love it when we get asked this question, it’s a vitally important one to ask. Weekly, we have graduates from other programs come to us because their training didn’t teach them how to actually coach (beyond theory), and/or they aren’t eligible to join an industry body and gain insurance. 
Reputable college’s will state their approvals, accreditation bodies, and recognised authorities with pride. They should be a shining example of not just your learning but of the opportunities available to you once you graduate.  
For example:

• The International Coaching Federation (ICF) is the gold standard in coaching and requires colleges to have met specific standards and requirements. The Associate Certified Coach (ACC) level requires 60 hours of coach specific education and 100 hours of client coaching experience. 

Ask your college:

• “How many hours of coaching experience do I get?
• “Can I gain some of my required client coaching hours while undertaking the course?”
• “Does the college help me find clients to practice coaching with?”
•  “What can I do with the qualification? Will I be able to get a job?”

If you opt for a college that has no recognition (of them as a provider or of their programs) you essentially have no way of telling what standard the content is, nor the qualifications of the academic staff, the long-term security of the college and your qualification, or if you will be able to gain insurance to cover you to practice as a coach. 
A great college, will include requirements for pro-bono hours and sessions. You might start with friends, family and other students and you may end up with paying clients in this process.
Any college who rattles off the latest stats on the growth of the health coaching market to impress you and give you the impression you’ll make lots of money instantly is likely to be in the ‘if it’s too good to be true it usually is’ basket. 

“What ongoing support do you provide me once I graduate?” 

• Questions to ask around support 
  • Do I get to meet other students?
  • Can I talk directly to a staff member?
  • What does student support look like? 
  • Are there student groups or drop ins in my time zone?

There are a wealth of ways a college can provide ongoing support, for example, by providing graduation packs, support on setting up your business, sharing your social media posts, free ongoing live class access, opportunities to be involved with the college as a graduate, specialised webinars and so much more. Your college should offer you the option to be an active part of the college community. At Well College Global we offer small private live classes that rotate monthly, where our student coaches get to connect, coach one another, and even collaborate.  That’s just one example of how we make learning engaging and supportive. 

​While there are many considerations, these are the most important questions we get asked. In your journey to select the right course consider questions that will delve behind the veneer of a website or prospectus to ensure you’re making the best choice and informed decision for you.  A good…. no, a great college ensures:

With the Nutrition, Health & Wellness Coach Certification accredited by industry leader Health Coaches Australia and New Zealand Association (HCANZA), we thought we would share with you why joining a ​dedicated industry organisation is in all our best interests.

Five simple steps to help you get your short list of colleges.

Graduate and fabulously fabulous, Ally McDonald-Bull tells us what led her on the wellness coaching journey.