Cathy Liska By Diana Fritts 
Obtaining a certification is valuable in any profession, and coaching is no different. In such a rapidly growing industry, showing your commitment to your career through further training and certification is crucial to remain competitive. For example, consider Maryville University’s report that there is a growing demand for training specialists who can help bring about organizational change, whether it’s for personal development or technological innovation. Whichever profession you choose, training makes sense.
There are plenty of benefits that a coaching certification can bring and understanding the impact of getting a coaching certification will help one determine whether to get one or not. Read on to discover why getting a certification is important.
It’s a stamp of excellence and self-accomplishment
A study from researchers at Umeå University note that certification makes one feel and look good. In other words, certification provides a way to challenge one’s capabilities, provide self-actualization, and a sense of worth as it signals the competence of the owner. Whether you get an Associate Certified Coach (ACC), Professional Certified Coach (PCC), or Master Certified Coach (MCC) all will signify that you’ve gone through a specific number of hours of coach-specific training from an International Coaching Federation-accredited program.
It can keep you ahead of the game
The best thing about getting a coaching certification is that it keeps you ahead of competitors. Compared to other coaches without certification, you will look more credible to a client. Not to mention, writers from HuffPost note that holding an industry-recognized certification, such as an ICF Certification, can help you grow your skills, knowledge, and proficiency — even if you’ve been in the industry for years.
Corporations and clients prefer it
Certifications don’t just help a coach, they help a company too. Aside from helping the coach advance within a company, it can also help employers evaluate potential new hires and employees, analyze job performance, and even motivate employees to enhance their skills and knowledge. Not to mention, companies may trust an individual more if they have submitted to a combination of accredited training, coaching hours, and assessment and compliance for standards of practice.
It demonstrates a level of commitment to clients
Within coaching certification training, one will go through all kinds of courses and learn new things — one of which is coaching competencies. Cathy Liska notes that learning these competencies, aside from the myriad of other things you will learn, will demonstrate both self-respect and respect for your clients. This is because you will respect yourself by giving yourself opportunities to learn new things, and respect to your clients by demonstrating that you want to give them a higher quality of service.
At the end of the day, whether you get an AAC, PCC, MCC, or no credentials at all, it’s all up to you. While holding an ICF credential does not reflect all the skills you may have, it does reflect a tangible level of commitment that will help demonstrate how you can provide the best quality of professional care for your clients.
