Most coach training programs offer their graduates "certificates" -- proof that you fulfilled the program's learning requirements, passed exams, had certain coaching experiences.
Coach Training Institute has its Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC). Coach U mixes up a pretty hearty coaching certificate alphabet soup: CECG (Core Essentials Certified Graduate), CUCG (Coach U Certified Graduate). You can even be a Certified Coachville Coach. And there are countless other programs, each with its own certificate.
But the designations that every professional coach should set their sights on are the credentials from the International Coach Federation: ACC, PCC, MCC. Other professions have used an independent credentialing process to make it easy for consumers to benchmark proficiency -- think of the accounting profession's CPA or financial planning's CFP. As the ICF works to increase the visibility and awareness of coaching, the value of ICF credentials in the marketplace will also increase.
Check out the ICF credentialing requirements. Key points are:
- number of training hours (60 for ACC; 125 for PCC)
- coaching experience (8 clients and 100 hours for ACC; 25 clients and 750 hours for PCC)
Next, decide if you'll do the "portfolio" approach or the ACTP approach -- essentially, completing an oral exam through the ICF or as part of your coaching school's certificate program. Coach U students: since the current requirements for CUCG requires 20 clients and 500 hours, don't wait -- as soon as you have 100 hours, use the portfolio route to apply for your ACC.
