The luckiest people in the world know immediately what they want out of life. They have got their paths all planned out from the moment they leave school to the day they begin their career. And then there are those who have yet to figure out their life’s calling, seemingly stuck in a job and a life that seem headed for nowhere. How can you help such individuals through life coaching?

A coach essentially helps people reach their goals through self-empowerment, inspiration, and reflection. Each technique allows a person to institute changes that will result in resolving difficulties or accomplishing success. Whether that means shifting careers or finding another way to manage stress, the whole idea is to point the people to an ideal path that will allow them to overcome the hurdles of life. If you believe that it is your destiny to achieve this for other people, you’ll need to get a life coach certification.

Over the years, coaching has exploded into a lucrative industry creating an exciting new career choice for a lot of people. It is not just the down and out that are in need of coaching. Even successful people, particularly those in the entertainment industry, need a little bit of inspiration and self-empowerment. This has led to the popularity of the profession and the introduction of people like Deepak Chopra, a spiritual coach, and Tony Robbins, a peak performance coach, to the mainstream media. A certification is the industry’s way of regulating the profession to ensure excellence and promote further advancement of skills.

Getting certification provides you with the ideal credentials. Provided, of course, that you acquire the right credentials from the proper coaching institute. Ideally, you’ll want to get life coach training and certification from an accredited institution that implements the ICF curriculum, as you’re sure to get the highest level of training. This could also mean the probability of getting clients from all over the world.

Aside from acquiring the necessary credentials, getting certified as a highly trained coach enables you to practice in different areas like business coaching, career coaching, health and wellness coaching, spiritual coaching, or transformational leadership coaching. Each specialization helps you broaden your skills and expand your client list.

Certification also has the potential to increase your professional rate. A New York Times report once ran an article on life coaches, which estimated session rates at $100 an hour. In the entertainment industry, a life coach could command $40,000 a month, which is what psychotherapist and life coach Phil Towl charged the band Metallica for resolving conflicts.

It is no small task to act as someone else’s compass in life. Whether your aim is to encourage dissatisfied people determine their new goals in life or help anxious celebrities manage the instability and unpredictability of show business, training through an International Coach Federation (ICF) curriculum and certification will empower you to successfully achieve your clients’ goals.