Coaching as a career amidst pandemic

‘Pandemic’ is a word that combines the Greek words ‘pan’ meaning all and ‘demos’ meaning people. The focus of the word is on the fact that an event or situation is universal, and that no one is left untouched.

In the past 16 months, COVID-19 has impacted us all and upended our lives. The threat of illness and the loss of loved ones has engendered an atmosphere of reflection. The isolation and inertia of lockdowns has given us the space to consider the way we live our lives and whether we would like to bring about change.

We shouldn’t be surprised, therefore, that the number of people exploring a new career as a professional coach has boomed during this period, either by choice or necessity.

In order to understand what’s driving this move towards a career as a coach and how new entrants are breaking into the profession in these exceptional circumstances, I spoke to Virginia, who is just embarking on her journey towards becoming an ICF credentialed coach.