- What should your coaching resume include?
- How can you create a professional summary?
- How should you describe your work experience as a coach?
- Include a fitting coaching resume education and certifications section
- Which key skills are relevant for a coaching resume?
- How to select the most impactful coaching resume template
- Copyable coaching resume example
- Key takeaways for writing a coaching resume
As a $2.85 billion global business, coaching is a growing industry that has emerged in the corporate world in recent years. If you enjoy supporting individuals through their challenges, guiding them to reach their goals, or inspiring positive change, a career as a coach may be a fulfilling path for you. To land a role as a coach, you’re going to need to be able to communicate your coaching skills and experience in your resume.
Follow this coaching resume guide as we discuss:
What should a coaching resume include
Advice on each section of your resume (summary, work history, education)
Adding relevant key skills to your resume
Choosing the right resume template for a coach
What should your coaching resume include?
Your resume should emphasize your skills in helping others overcome challenges, shift perspectives, and ultimately reach their goals. With the rise of coaching in the corporate arena, companies are hiring with hopes of positively impacting the organizations’ growth, collaboration, and retention. That said, it’s imperative to incorporate relevant instances of your ability to instruct people and make a positive impact.
Your coaching resume should be broken down into the following categories:
The resume header with your contact information
The resume summary
The employment history section
The resume skills section
The education section
How can you create a professional summary?
Your professional summary functions as an introduction, establishing your identity and shaping the tone of the resume. As the first key section, it is crucial that your summary distinctively positions you as the most suitable candidate for the role. To strengthen your candidacy and create a personalized touch, add a one- or two-line subheading before the summary, providing a value proposition or brand statement to help you differentiate yourself from other coaches.
Start the summary by calling out your credentials and qualifications and how they contribute to the organization. In our example, Peter has a strong opening. We led with his coaching certification, the specific demographic he coaches (C-level management teams), and the outcome of his coaching (synergizing leadership).
The summary then refers to this candidate’s coaching skills while quantifying the number of leaders he has coached. It concludes with his soft skills, which are vital for a coach to possess.Immediately following your summary, a good practice is to add a list of key skills, areas of expertise, or core competencies that are most relevant to the coaching role.
See our adaptable coaching resume summary below.
ICF-certified coach with proven success guiding enterprise-wide C-level management teams in strategies for synergizing leadership on an organizational scale. Skilled in managing major coaching projects with up to 300 leadership participants. Talent for integrating seamlessly and cultivating relationships with diverse multicultural business audiences; broad-based background navigating different business cultures and international business relations.
How should you describe your work experience as a coach?
The work experience section is the most important portion of your coaching resume. This is where you would outline the past positions you’ve held along with dates, location, and company names. List them in reverse chronological order since recruiters are most interested in what you’ve done most recently.
Use three-to-five-lines to provide details about your daily duties in a paragraph. Separate your accomplishments in a bulleted list to draw the reader into the impact you’ve made in your past roles. Add numbers and metrics to add validity to your claims and strengthen your bullets. To emphasize specific aspects of each accomplishment, a good practice is to bold the portion of the bullet that demonstrates how you made a direct impact.
For example:
Achieved 30% increase in goal achievement through the implementation of targeted coaching methodologies, resulting in positive feedback and referrals.
Take a look at the adaptable coaching resume employment history section below.
INTERCULTURAL CONSULTANT / LEADERSHIP COACH & TRAINER at Branding Consultant, New York, NY 2021 - Present
Serve as mediator and liaison between US and Japanese business entities for marketing and licensing projects.
Coordinate contract negotiations, marketing communications, and sales for apparel, trading, and media companies.
Perform assessments of organizational culture, identify training needs of prospective clients, and champion client future-state organizational design and talent management strategies. Compile and update US client database.
Supported Japanese trading company in negotiations for acquisition of a licensed US men’s apparel brand.
Contributor to collaborative launch of a major Japanese media company’s radio broadcast on NYC fashion and trends; initiated relationships / contacts and engaged with prospective corporate partners.
Orchestrate planning and coordination of special events and projects for growing consumer business of a luxury Italian menswear distributor.
Established partnership with leading Japanese HR recruiting company with multiple US offices, resulting in expansion of the US client base.
EXECUTIVE COACH & SALES LEAD at Coach A Inc., New York, NY 2018 - 2021
Facilitated sales of high-level coaching services to major organizations, including $50K+ executive coaching packages to boost influence and presence of C-suite leaders, and $20K+ middle management coaching and organizational development packages.
Partnered with North America CEO to influence C-level decision makers on Coach A's systemic coaching concept via consultative sales; upon closing, liaised with client to identify key strategic leaders and customize coaching project to co-create recommended organizational changes.
Acted as ambassador reinforcing brand recognition and positioning firm as a trusted name in the executive coaching industry.
Contributed to initiatives entailing coaching of 100-300 senior leaders simultaneously.
Promoted to Sales Lead within a year due to capacity for negotiating and selling high-ticket packages to C-level decision makers of major enterprises.
Instrumental in achieving annual sales target of $1M-1.5M by identifying client needs and actively pursuing opportunities for new business through project management and business development efforts.
Consistently produced leads with 130 global firms from the ground up that peers were unable to generate despite HQ referrals; leads continued to remain active in pipeline and became assets for Coach A's HQ despite pandemic-driven closure of NYC office.
SENIOR BRAND MANAGER at The Donna Karan Company, LLC., New York, NY 2008 - 2016
Spearheaded market-tailored branding initiatives in collaboration with the Vice President to identify and direct appropriate business strategies and interface with key partners/regional retailers to elevate brand recognition and market share throughout Japan.
Aligned merchandising, advertising, and retail development with established brand standards.
Analyzed branding data and sales metrics; initiated and oversaw brand integrity programs across multiple product categories.
Liaised daily with Design, Marketing, and other internal departments. Managed licensing processes and contract compliance to meet objectives in seasonal production of on-brand and commercial goods.
Played vital role in bolstering revenue across multiple lines, increasing belt sales by 21%, men’s gloves by 7%, and SLGs by 6%; retained flat sales rates in categories with previous track record of declines.
Assisted in negotiating contract extensions for seven sublicensee categories with projected $10M in 2015 net sales; maintained continuous, profitable operations in absence of parent company/master licensee.
Core influencer in motivating eight licensee teams to synergistically achieve increased sales across 15 product categories.
Recognized by senior manager for unparalleled business expertise and communication which were necessary in developing collaborative agreements with Japanese partners.
Include a fitting coaching resume education and certifications section
If you’re serious about pursuing a new coaching role, you may have earned some credentials to build your knowledge and expertise. To differentiate yourself from other candidates and add credibility to your application, use this section to showcase any formal education, certifications, or industry training. List the name of the degree, course, certification, or training along with dates of completion.
Bachelor of Arts, Economics at Boston University, Boston, MA
Which key skills are relevant for a coaching resume?
Coaching is a broad field with several specialty areas. Depending on your targeted focus, tailor your resume to emphasize specific skills based on the coaching niche, whether it's life coaching, career coaching, or executive coaching. If you’re not sure which skills are most relevant, review job descriptions and integrate recurring phrases found in the job postings into your resume.
Don’t just reserve skills for the skills section. It’s important to incorporate key skills throughout your past roles to reassure the hiring manager that you have practical, real world coaching experience. Also, since an ATS system will likely scan your resume, it’s beneficial to use relevant keywords found in the job description. (To learn more about overcoming the ATS, see our article on Resume ATS optimization.)
Key skills relevant to a coaching role may include:
Coaching
Mentoring
Leadership
Goal setting
Problem-solving
Performance improvement
Accountability
How to select the most impactful coaching resume template
As a professional coach looking for a role at a company, your resume needs to be well organized, professional, and polished. Not only does this approach make it easier for recruiters to read your resume, but it also serves as a compelling representation of your professional identity, leaving a lasting and positive impression.
Pick a template with a clean layout and plenty of white space. Two pages may be necessary to highlight the skills and experiences to the hiring team, so don’t try to force it to fit on one page.
The resume templates in our resume builder feature several options to best fit your unique situation. Find inspiration with our 100+ resume examples.
Copyable coaching resume example
Summary example
ICF-certified coach with proven success guiding enterprise-wide C-level management teams in strategies for synergizing leadership on an organizational scale. Skilled in managing major coaching projects with up to 300 leadership participants. Talent for integrating seamlessly and cultivating relationships with diverse multicultural business audiences; broad-based background navigating different business cultures and international business relations.
Employment history example
INTERCULTURAL CONSULTANT / LEADERSHIP COACH & TRAINER at Branding Consultant, New York, NY 2021 - Present
Serve as mediator and liaison between US and Japanese business entities for marketing and licensing projects.
Coordinate contract negotiations, marketing communications, and sales for apparel, trading, and media companies.
Perform assessments of organizational culture, identify training needs of prospective clients, and champion client future-state organizational design and talent management strategies. Compile and update US client database.
Supported Japanese trading company in negotiations for acquisition of a licensed US men’s apparel brand.
Contributor to collaborative launch of a major Japanese media company’s radio broadcast on NYC fashion and trends; initiated relationships / contacts and engaged with prospective corporate partners.
Orchestrate planning and coordination of special events and projects for growing consumer business of a luxury Italian menswear distributor.
Established partnership with leading Japanese HR recruiting company with multiple US offices, resulting in expansion of the US client base.
EXECUTIVE COACH & SALES LEAD at Coach A Inc., New York, NY 2018 - 2021
Facilitated sales of high-level coaching services to major organizations, including $50K+ executive coaching packages to boost influence and presence of C-suite leaders, and $20K+ middle management coaching and organizational development packages.
Partnered with North America CEO to influence C-level decision makers on Coach A's systemic coaching concept via consultative sales; upon closing, liaised with client to identify key strategic leaders and customize coaching project to co-create recommended organizational changes.
Acted as ambassador reinforcing brand recognition and positioning firm as a trusted name in the executive coaching industry.
Contributed to initiatives entailing coaching of 100-300 senior leaders simultaneously.
Promoted to Sales Lead within a year due to capacity for negotiating and selling high-ticket packages to C-level decision makers of major enterprises.
Instrumental in achieving annual sales target of $1M-1.5M by identifying client needs and actively pursuing opportunities for new business through project management and business development efforts.
Consistently produced leads with 130 global firms from the ground up that peers were unable to generate despite HQ referrals; leads continued to remain active in pipeline and became assets for Coach A's HQ despite pandemic-driven closure of NYC office.
SENIOR BRAND MANAGER at The Donna Karan Company, LLC., New York, NY 2008 - 2016
Spearheaded market-tailored branding initiatives in collaboration with the Vice President to identify and direct appropriate business strategies and interface with key partners/regional retailers to elevate brand recognition and market share throughout Japan.
Aligned merchandising, advertising, and retail development with established brand standards.
Analyzed branding data and sales metrics; initiated and oversaw brand integrity programs across multiple product categories.
Liaised daily with Design, Marketing, and other internal departments. Managed licensing processes and contract compliance to meet objectives in seasonal production of on-brand and commercial goods.
Played vital role in bolstering revenue across multiple lines, increasing belt sales by 21%, men’s gloves by 7%, and SLGs by 6%; retained flat sales rates in categories with previous track record of declines.
Assisted in negotiating contract extensions for seven sublicensee categories with projected $10M in 2015 net sales; maintained continuous, profitable operations in absence of parent company/master licensee.
Core influencer in motivating eight licensee teams to synergistically achieve increased sales across 15 product categories.
Recognized by senior manager for unparalleled business expertise and communication which were necessary in developing collaborative agreements with Japanese partners.
Education example
Bachelor of Arts, Economics at Boston University, Boston, MA
Skills example
Executive Talent Management
Cross-cultural Relations
Global Strategic Partnerships
Executive Leadership Development
Organizational Training
C-level / C-suite Relationship Management
Systemic Coaching
Key takeaways for writing a coaching resume
Structure your coaching resume with specialized sections such as a header, professional summary, coaching experience, skills, and relevant education.
Create an impactful professional summary that highlights your unique coaching strengths and expertise in the industry.
Present your coaching roles in reverse chronological order, offering concise descriptions of your positions along with notable achievements backed by quantifiable metrics.
Customize your skill set to align with the specific coaching niche you are targeting, incorporating key phrases from job descriptions throughout your resume.
