Coach in the Spotlight - Dominika Miernik

What brought you to coaching?

My adventure started in March 2012 I was looking for a new direction in my career and an email about the 2 day free coaching programme landed in my inbox so I decided to sign up. I heard about coaching before, I was using it in my job but I never thought about becoming a Certified Coach. On the other hand I had always been interested in personal and professional development so I attended the 2 day event with a willingness to learn.

What were your original thoughts when applying for the diploma?

After the 2 day programme I took some time to reflect. The company I worked for was sold to a large corporation and I knew it was a time for me to resign and look for new opportunities. I wanted to find a way to combine my personal experience as an expat and my background in recruitment, psychology and career counselling, coaching was a perfect solution. I signed up for the Life Coaching Diploma Diploma and haven’t once regretted my decision, my personal and professional life has changed completely since finishing my qualification.

What was your profession before becoming a coach?

Before becoming a Coach I covered various positions related to recruitment, counselling, and customer service. My educational and professional background was very international. I studied and worked in Poland, Italy and the UK and I have always enjoyed working with different cultures and using my languages skills. I always felt drawn to helping people in career transition. So whilst in the UK I also worked as a career counsellor and mentor for the long-term unemployed.

What did you find most interesting to learn?

All the materials, accelerators days and practise coaching sessions were priceless. I was amazed by limiting beliefs, how to overcome them and the impact of this transformation on people's lives. With my clients I use a lot of exercises related to values evaluation, which helps them to choose a career direction in alignment with their personal and professional values.

What was the most rewarding part of the training/journey?

All the steps have been very rewarding, getting certified as a Personal Performance Coach, CPD Coach, DISC practitioner and being awarded International Coach of the year 2015. I have learned a lot and I am truly satisfied with my journey so far.

Which bits did you enjoy the most?

I really enjoyed the Accelerator Days, meeting with fellow coaches, exchanging ideas and plans for the future. It was so inspiring and enriching. Also discovering how TCA trainers developed their careers and coaching businesses through the years was very motivating for me.

How did the qualification slot in with your life?

At the beginning I was still a full time employee, so I mainly studied through the weekends and I dedicated some evenings to practice coaching sessions. However after I resigned from my full-time job and I took some part-time and temporary assignments I had more time to focus on my qualifications. At that time I also decided to attend some business development courses and start my own coaching practice. It was a challenge but I was so committed and enthusiastic about the whole process that I enjoyed every part of it. It took me about 8 months to finish the Diploma and start my business.

What is your coaching niche and why did you choose it?

My niche is expat and career coaching. I help clients seeking to make an international career change to navigate the challenges and opportunities associated with discovering their dream career and then adapting to a new country. I also work with self-employment-minded clients (expat-preneurs), and I guide them to connect the dots between what they love to do and how they can design a business that matches their desired lifestyle. I chose my niche because of my personal and professional experience as an expat and as I mentioned before I've always enjoyed working with the international community.

What do you enjoy most about being a coach?

I appreciate the flexibility which I have as a full-time coach, the possibility to work and meet wonderful people from all over the world and the opportunity to take my business with me wherever I want to go or live.

What are your top tips for those interested in coaching?

I would advise anyone who is currently in training or thinking about starting a coaching practice to find yourself a mentor, someone who is one step ahead of you and can give you direction and support. During my journey I've always had a coach (a fellow student) or a mentor who guided me through the steps.