ICF Accreditation: The 30-hour CCMC program is accredited by the International Coach Federation (ICF) as an Approved Coach-Specific Training Hours (ACSTH) program!
Cluster Or Individual Training
Career Coach Academy offers an innovative learning model that provides you with a unique opportunity to receive semi-individualized coaching and training tailored to your particular needs and interests.
Choose between 1) individual training or 2) a small cluster of up to 10 peer students led by Susan Whitcomb, Nancy Branton, or Christine Edick (cluster format also requires 5 hours of individual mentor coaching). Either way, we can GUARANTEE that if you do the work you will come away with the know-how to qualify for the certification of Certified Career Management Coach and be able to use…
- powerful coaching techniques to jumpstart and motivate clients,
- insider secrets for career management in this changing economy, and
- for entrepreneurs, proven practice-building strategies to attract your “choice” client … for career center professionals, techniques to help your clients understand the value of the services you offer so that they will “buy-in” with greater commitment and involvement.
Why The Academy?
Foundational to becoming a good coach is the ability to master a unique communication style. To become a good coach you must practice with people-asking killer questions, listening at multiple levels, offering timely insight, guiding the conversation without pushing your agenda or letting the client get sidetracked or derailed.
These skills cannot be mastered in a weekend format (have you ever come back to your office after being at a great conference, only to forget half of what you’ve learned or be too busy to implement the other half?) Nor can coaching be mastered entirely by embarking on self-directed study or reading books (much the same as taking a course on music appreciation does not equip you to play Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata). Career Coach Academy ‘s 15-week format allows you to turn coaching theory into reality as you “practice coach” in a safe, small-group format and integrate it into your practice over a period of time.
Time
We “meet” from the comfort of home/office via telephone bridge line for 15 weeks, for just under 2 hours each time (we take a quick “stretch” break in the middle of each session). Total class hours are 30. The beauty of the 15-week program allows you the time and framework to assimilate, practice and execute the new systems, strategies, and communication styles learned.
Individual 1-on-1 training will be scheduled at a mutually convenient time and can be compressed into a slightly shorter time frame or stretched to a slightly longer time frame-whatever will work best for your schedule.
Clusters are scheduled to meet once each week for 15 consecutive weeks via a telephone bridge line that connects you with your instructor and your cluster-mates. See our calendar or email Lyndsey at Lyndsey@CareerCoachAcademy.com for upcoming dates and times.
Technology
No special computer technology is required for the coaching clusters, although it is highly recommended that you have a computer for obtaining email and sharing files. Also, if you don’t already have one, purchase a good quality telephone headset and use a telephone that is not dependent on a battery charge.
Content
The Career Coach program is packed with rich content, providing coaching and career management principles, tools, forms, and strategies that you’ll need to serve clients. For instance, program sessions include these topics:
- Career Coaching-What It Is: the pairing of two disciplines-professional coaching and career management, International Coach Federation (ICF) and other definitions of coaching, ICF’s 11 core competencies, the Career Coach Academy definition of career coaching, types of career coaching clients you’ll encounter and strategies to serve them, secrets to effective listening, the “goal-gap-get there” model, and more. Essentials of coaching are presented in a memorable “5 C’s” model, which incorporates emotional intelligence, useful frameworks, strategies, and practical actions.
- Career Coaching-What It Is NOT: directly consulting/advising clients, reading the “crystal ball” about a client’s future; counseling or psychotherapy; plus red flags to watch for that may indicate a need for referral to a counselor.
- Career Reconnaissance: clarifying the Master F.I.T.-tm (Function, Industry, Things that matter to the client); the significance of strengths; using the Career Management Wheel and other informal assessments to identify values and goals. Popular career development theories are overviewed, including structural and life-span development theories.
- Career Assessments: overview of career assessment instruments, including career attitudes and concerns, personality, interests and skills, and values.
- Career Exploration & Decision-Making: Learn how to expand your clients’ options and thinking through creative exercises. Understand the importance for the client of coming to a commitment and how to ensure that commitment is solid.
- Supporting Change: Strategies include self-care, the keys to being “toleration-free,” future focus, structure, and people power-assembling a support team.
- Research: library research, Internet research (general and niche career sites, free and fee-based online research resources, SIC/NAICS code division structure and resources), and people research.
- Networking: informational interviewing (before, during, after), developmental and strategic networking; the covert job-search letter; scripts to open doors for networking; people and places to jump start networking.
- Career Branding: 3-point marketing message, the 30-second sound bite and 2-minute elevator speech; your “ROI” strengths.
- Resumes: options and strategies for outsourcing, coaching, or writing the resume; a 7-point primer on resume writing strategy; templates and example resumes for your use.
- Interviewing: how candidates are judged, the four interviewer styles, candidates’ traits of success, uncovering the real job, developing “ROI” responses and the universal answer, salary negotiation essentials, the proactive close, turning the interview from an interrogation into a collaboration.
- Internet Job Search: insider secrets for uncovering openings, posting resumes, delivering “glitch-free” resumes, and having employers contact you.
- Job-Launch and Job Jump-Start: success strategies for starting a new position; a 5-point plan for transforming a bad job situation into a manageable situation.
- Career Management: Top 10 keys for successful 21 st century career management, 5-10 year master-planning, the importance of “response-ability,” proactivity, networking, brand management, communications, your ROI value.
- Business Building & Practice Management: lead generation-keeping the funnel flowing, who are your clients and where do they congregate, converting leads to clients-asking for the money without choking, brand management, niching, solution marketing, product management (what will you offer), income formulas and options, systems management as your safety net, the time management triad.
- Forms, Forms, Forms!: You’ll receive in this program a valuable toolkit of coaching forms, including coaching agreements, client program proposals, informal assessment tools, intake forms, and more.
- Career Coach Manual: The Academy provides you with a 400+ page manual written by Susan Britton Whitcomb, author of eResumes (McGraw Hill) and the popular “Magic” series published by JIST Works, including Resume Magic, Interview Magic, and Job Search Magic. The Academy’s manual is packed with valuable information that covers the career continuum, including tools and strategies for assessment, exploration, decision-making, transition, skill development, personal branding, marketing, networking, job search, resume writing, interviewing, advancement, and career management
Time Commitment
How much time will you spend in addition to class-time hours? Past participants indicate spending between one to two hours each week for reading preclass material. Others report spending additional time implementing new coaching and marketing concepts learned in class (e.g., revising their web site to include coaching services; writing value statements to articulate the return-on-investment that coaching clients receive; setting aside “think” time to envision the direction they’d like to take their business, etc.).
Accreditation
Career Coach Academy has been approved by the International Coach Federation as an Approved Coach Specific Training Hours Program (ACSTH) for 30 hours of training.
CEUs
Thirty CEUs are granted from The Career Management Alliance (formerly Career Masters Institute).
CCMC Evaluation
At the conclusion of the program, participants who have missed no more than 3 classes may sit for the CCMC exam, which involves a short multiple-choice exam and a live 45-minute coaching evaluation with an ICF Master Certified Coach playing the part of a career client. Training is structured in such a way that you have ample opportunity to learn and apply the skills and information necessary to pass the oral exam. Nearly all (97%) who have opted to sit for the credential have passed on the first time.
There is no additional fee for the exam. Those passing will receive a listing on the Career Coach Academy web site to promote your credentials as a Certified Career Management Coach, rights to use the CCMC logo (see below), and a display certificate suitable for framing. In addition, the credential also makes you eligible for other opportunities that Career Coach Academy pursues on behalf of CCMC practitioners. To maintain the CCMC credential, 10 CEUs of coach-specific training are required every two years.
Investment
Cluster format (up to 10 classmates): Early-Bird Discount: Investment is $2,595 with payment at least three weeks in advance plus mentor coaching. To take advantage of the early-bird discount, email lyndsey@careercoachacademy.com for an early-bird coupon code to save $300. If registering less than three weeks in advance, investment is $2,895. Register here.
Alternate monthly installment options include 4 monthly payments of $750 (first installment due at least three weeks in advance of course start date) – email lyndsey@careercoachacademy.com for an early-bird coupon code to save $300 off your first payment. For monthly installments when registering less than three weeks in advance of start date, call for details. Register here.
Individual format (one-on-one): Investment is $4,595 with payment three weeks in advance. Alternate monthly installment options include 4 monthly payments of $1174. Register here.
Numerous coaches reported that they paid for the program before it was over because of their ability to market and offer valuable career coaching services.
Materials fee: Also required for the course is the text: “Co-Active Coaching” ($39.95) available through amazon.com and retail booksellers.
Note: Cluster format requires a minimum enrollment of 4 students, maximum of 10 students.
Should you need to withdraw, the following options are available:
- Option 1: Retake the course, with a starting date within 12 months of the original starting date (subject to space availability) – a $150 administrative fee applies and an additional charge if the CCMC program has increased in investment.
- Or, Option 2: Receive a refund equal to 80% of tuition (if withdrawing before class 3 – note that upon notifying us of withdrawal, we ask you to delete the CCMC binder website page and any files you have downloaded); no refund available after class 3.
Individual Mentor Coaching Requirement
For those participating in the Cluster format who wish to take the certification exam, there is also a requirement of 5 mentor coaching calls (approximately 1-hour each) to focus on developing career coaching competencies to prepare you for the oral evaluation.
Mentor coaching is not required for individuals who hold the ICF credential (ACC, PCC or MCC) and have at least 50 hours of experience coaching (not counseling or consulting) individuals on career matters. For those who are already working with an ICF-credentialed PCC or MCC coach on the area of career coaching competencies, your time here may apply IF you have role played the part of coach on topics such as visioning the ideal career, exploring career options, identifying and leveraging strengths and Master F.I.T. elements, emphasizing the “what’s in it for them” value mantra, and incorporating current job-search or job-promotion strategies. If this is the case, documentation will be required of how career coaching competencies were developed during mentor coaching.
If you are not already working with a coach, Susan Whitcomb, PCC (when available), Nancy Branton, PCC, and Christine Edick provide individual mentor coaching at discounted rates. The mentor coaching fee is paid directly to the mentor coach at the time you begin your mentor coaching and fees are between $100-200 per session, depending on which coach you work with. (Note: If you are working toward the ICF credential of Associate Certified Coach [ACC], you will need 10 hours of mentor coaching from a coach who holds a PCC or MCC credential. Both Susan Whitcomb and Nancy Branton hold the PCC credential so your time with either of them would count toward the ICF mentor coaching requirement.)
The individual mentor coaching must be completed within 8 weeks after completion of the 15-week CCMC program in order to take the oral exam and qualify for your credential. Missed sessions, without 24 hours prior notice, are billed.
Five mentor coaching sessions are required. In some instances, additional sessions will be necessary. Your mentor coach will keep you apprised of your progress and readiness to pass the oral evaluation at the fifth session. You have the option at that time to decide whether to continue with additional mentor coaching sessions or not. The majority of coaching students are ready to sit for their oral evaluation after five mentor coaching sessions.
NOTE: This requirement does not apply to individuals who already hold the CCMC designation and are taking the Refresh & Recharge program.
Return-On-Investment (ROI)
Your Return-on-Investment is three-fold:
Foundational coaching competencies that will enable you to motivate yourself, your clients, and everyone around you.
Savvy career management strategies that have helped thousands move forward faster in their careers.
Proven business management and marketing systems to structure your services, attract new clients, and develop a reputation as a performance-based provider of career management services.
We hope this information is helpful and, of course, we encourage you to participate in training that will increase your knowledge of career coaching, boost your confidence in marketing and providing these services, and be of value to the clients you serve. We’d love to have you join us in the next program!
For more information, contact Lyndsey Lehman- Lyndsey@CareerCoachAcademy.com
“You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.” — Woodrow Wilson
Clusters typically begin in January, April/May, September, and November (call for details)
