You know how to inspire and motivate clients to achieve their goals. But how do you write a resume that gets a hiring manager excited about your skills and experience? With this life coach resume template and writing guide, you can show off your coaching qualifications. Use this example to prepare a resume that will impress potential employers and clients.
When applying for jobs as a life coach, you need to present your qualifications confidently to build trust with potential employers. Highlight the type of coaching services you provide, such as professional development or personal finance, and the clients you’ve worked with in the past. Emphasize additional credentials you have, such as licenses or certifications, to show your expertise as a life coach.
This resume template divides your competencies, experience, and credentials into clearly defined sections. Using this format allows a client or employer to review your qualifications easily and determine whether you’re the right life coach for them. Start with a brief summary describing your experience and accomplishments as a life coach. Think of the summary as a sales pitch you might make to a potential client. Include your areas of coaching expertise and a few of your top skills relevant to the position. If you have an advanced degree or a certification, mention it in your summary. Below the summary, create a bulleted list of your core competencies or skills as a life coach. The example shows you some hard skills you might mention for a business consulting position, such as succession planning and change management.
Like the example, your experience section should be the central focus of your resume. As a life coach, you probably work with many clients at one time. Rather than listing your experience in a traditional chronological format, create one entry for all your coaching positions. Write a detailed paragraph explaining your professional experience, using strong verbs to convey your impact as a coach. Below this paragraph, use bullet points to list each of your positions or clients separately. Include the years you’ve worked in each role and provide one to two sentences describing your specific experience.
Finally, end your resume with a section about your education and additional credentials, such as certifications. If you hold multiple degrees, list them in reverse-chronological order, similar to your work experience. Provide the full names of all coaching certifications or licenses you hold. If you belong to professional coaching organizations, list those memberships below your other credentials.
The key skills you list on your resume will depend on the type of coaching you provide and the job you’re applying for. Review the job description closely to make sure you’re including relevant skills. In general, some core competencies for a life coach include:
Psychology
Goal planning and assessment
Individual or group coaching
Performance improvement
Training or workshop design
Conflict resolution
Leadership
Summary example
Ambitious, driven, and multi-faceted professional with extensive experience identifying company needs and requirements, developing team / performance improvement strategies, and implementing solutions and procedures to propel business success. Demonstrated capacity to create, develop, and implement highly effective and targeted coaching programs. Exceptional communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills. Doctorate degree in clinical psychology; certified professional coach credential.
Employment history example
Executive Life Coach / Consultant at Multiple Companies / Organizations, Various Locations 2012 - Present
Deliver consultancy services to C-level executives, entrepreneurs, business owners, and managers for a broad range of global businesses and organizations in industries including health care, food service, and consumer products. Serve as key consultant through numerous business transitions and challenges; analyze and implement strategic business plans and develop new leadership and mid-level teams in alignment with corporate objectives. Generate assessments and feedback, working with high potentials to boost success and advancement; meet with teams to address conflict and elevate performances.
Specific Organizations / Engagements:
Top Potential Coaching & Consulting (2017 to Present): Offer coaching, consultation, workshops, and trainings for large organizations and special interest groups.
Mountainview Health (2016 to Present): Provide integral support as an Executive Coach, Assimilation Coach, and Independent Consultant. Communicate with C-suite to guide hiring of new executives and building of dynamic upper-management teams.
Hughes Consulting (2017 to Present): Work with large and small-cap organizations, specializing in Lominger 360 Feedback and development planning for high potentials to enhance business acumen, strategic planning and operating skills, organizational positioning, and interpersonal functioning.
The Hanson Group (2013 to 2014): Served small and mid-level companies in executive coaching and consultancy functions while helping The Hanson Group to expand into larger organizations. Facilitated business growth, employee retention and engagement, customer service, and team building.
Sandra Handler Coaching and Consulting (2015 to 2018): Contracted as an Executive Coach in small-cap organizations.
Education example
PhD in Clinical Psychology at Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID
Master of Clinical Social Work at Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID
Bachelor of Social Work at Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID
Associate of Social Sciences at North Idaho College
Skills example
Organizational Psychology
Start-up & Established Organizations
Diverse Industry Experience
Individual / Group / Executive Coaching
Change Management
Assessment / Performance Improvement
Workshop / Training Design
Conflict Resolution