Cathy Liska 
After arriving at the conclusion that coach training is a smart move – whether because an employer or potential employer wants It, because of personal research, because colleagues and friends recommend it, or because you want the skills – the next step is figuring out where to get coach training. A simple search online turns up hundreds and hundreds of options – how do you sift through them all?
- Reflect on your motivation for coaching certification and on how it will benefit you so that you know what you want from a program.
- Be clear on your ‘must haves’
- Program approval from the International Coaching Federation or other significant organization
- Price that fits within the budget
- Location that works
- Quality content and delivery methodologies as evidenced by recommendations and / or training organization credentials
- Follow-up resources and support
- Create a short list of three to ten options.
- Review the websites, testimonials, program overview, pricing, and schedule options.
- Choose your top two and call and talk to people at the coach training organization.
Now that you have worked through these steps, check with your gut instincts – what are they telling you?
The good news is that there are hundreds of organizations that are approved by the International Coaching Federation. At the same time, in some ways there are too many choices. Ultimately, having a conversation with the training organization to get your questions answered and to give you a sense of how they operate is a smart idea too.
