A career pivot into leadership coaching success

What has led you to coaching?

 “Wouldn’t that be a great job” was something I often thought in relation to coaching over the years. It’s taken me 20 years to take the leap and I’ve no regrets other than I wish I’d found a way to do it sooner.

Having qualified in HR Management, I then spent many years working in senior talent acquisition roles within professional services organisations in the UK and Australia. I enjoyed the financial incentives and industry diversity which this career offered me. However, by the time I’d reached my 40’s I’d climbed as far as I wanted to go with recruiting, and I was keen to explore other avenues. I went to see a Careers Counsellor in Sydney and after exploring what I really needed from a career and what would suit my experience and personality, she suggested coaching.

On relocating back to the UK after a decade in Australia, I chose to rely on my previous experience to secure ongoing work while I settled into a new city. It was while I was working in a leadership recruitment role with a Bristol law firm that I realised the most enjoyable part of my role was the insightful discussions I was having with potential employees about their goals and life and career choices.

I decided that it was the right time to ‘career pivot’ into coaching and I enrolled to study with The Coaching Academy. I qualified on their Personal Performance Coaching Diploma and their NLP Practitioner Programme in November 2023.

How has coaching benefited your own life? 

Coaching has given me clarity as to what’s important in life and career for now and the future. It’s shown me the importance of understanding my own and others’ communication styles, and how to adapt for better relations. It’s also raised my awareness of my strengths and blind spots so I can focus energy in the right places in order to achieve my own definition of success. It’s an ongoing process!

How did you discover The Coaching Academy?

Having researched several providers online, I chose The Coaching Academy for its long-standing industry expertise and accreditations. I wanted a course which would be internationally recognisable by both employer and individual clients. I was impressed by the guidance given The Coaching Academy on which courses would suit my personal objectives of becoming a coach and I was attracted to the flexibility offered as to when and how to qualify.  The modules were well structured throughout the year and the requirement to work in groups with fellow students and to coach each other kept me motivated and on track for my own qualification deadline.

What was the most rewarding part of your Coaching journey? 

The ability to establish myself as a coach, attract a business partnership and achieve positive client feedback more than validates my decision to move away from my previous career. Working to achieve my own objectives rather than someone else’s and in a way which stretches my personal/professional development continues to be very rewarding.

What are the best Coaching Academy resources that have helped you along your coach training journey? 

The module workbooks provide a good blend of theory, practice and group interaction which keeps someone like me who needs variety and a ‘fun’ element to learning focussed. Some of the best learning resources are those which have remained accessible and relevant following my qualification; the online learning platform is a good source of tips and tools for setting up a coaching practice and the knowledge sharing between the course graduates and our mutual encouragement is ongoing and valuable to us all.

How are you using your coaching skills? 

Towards the end of my coaching studies, I met and formed a business partnership with the founder of Pinpointing Potential. Once I had established a new coaching offering for the business, I was able to almost immediately put my new coaching skills into practice providing leadership development coaching to corporate clients referred to me from our leadership courses.

While I continue with this leadership coaching collaboration, I’m also able to bring my recruiting experience to provide career coaching and support to mid-senior professionals who want to develop in their current career/role or to make changes for a more fulfilling worklife.

Can you share a coaching tool or coaching question that you find particularly effective in facilitating self-discovery for clients?

I find Stephen Covey's ‘Circles of Control’ a particularly useful tool when I’m helping a client gain perspective and focus. It helps to identify where their energy can be better spent, rather than trying to change what may not be within their control or sphere of influence, as regards their goal or challenge. 

What types of feedback have you received from clients regarding the impact of your coaching on their personal or professional lives?

So far, clients have been kind enough to provide feedback to me verbally, by email or in an anonymous questionnaire which I designed for sending to leadership clients. Some feedback from the delivered coaching includes:-

• “The coaching sessions have really helped me to identify that work/career is an area that needs the most focus at the moment. It’s been really helpful to learn about different ways to approach concerns and dissect them into more manageable tasks, while keeping in mind the end goals.” 
• “I now have a good awareness of my own and others’ communication styles, concerns and motivations – it has significantly improved my interactions and how I feed back with my team”; 
• “This coaching has been pivotal to my yearly mission of facing my fears, gaining some balance and looking after myself. Our sessions have also really opened my eyes to where I have been holding myself back, or not bringing my ‘best self”.

What’s the biggest area in coaching you are curious about and why?

Career coaching – both career development and career change for clients.  Being involved in the career direction and development of others is an area with which I’m very familiar from my previous recruiting career. I’m now interested in continuing to explore how coaching (with some mentoring where appropriate) can support the career goals and desires of the individual as ‘client’ rather than ‘candidate’ – something which I find extremely rewarding.

What advice would you give someone wanting to pursue a coaching career?

You’re most likely already doing some self-reflection if you’re considering a move into coaching. However, I’ve realised how important it is to understand what you want and to identify your values as well as what brings you joy and calm, before coaching others. The Coaching Academy training events and coaching courses support this self-discovery and of course you could also engage your own coach for support!

Thank you Julie for sharing your inspirational journey with us!

If you are interested in training to become a Life Coach, Executive Coach or Leadership Coach, please join us on our free Introduction to Life Coaching webinar, along with our Insight into Corporate and Executive Coaching webinar - please see our coaching training calendar to book your place!