Susan Samakow: Hello! My name is Susan Samakow. I've worked as a professional coach for seven years and I am a proud member of the International Coach Federation.

I am going to explain the benefit and importance of experiencing professional coaching through the sample coaching session before deciding if professional coaching is a good career for you. Experiencing coaching firsthand is different than just reading or hearing about it. By taking part in an actual coaching session as a client, you will be able to better determine whether the role of professional coach is a good career fit for you. Coaches meet with their clients mainly face-to-face or over the phone. You might want to experience a coaching session in using both formats to see which you prefer offering to clients. It might be both. Experiencing a professional coaching session will also give you a good idea of how you will interact with your own clients. During your coaching session, your coach will make you feel at ease and in control. The coaching client is the one driving a coaching partnership not the other way around. Following your session, think about if you'll be better able to interact with clients in this manner. You may want to create a list of the ways that your coach created a positive experience for you during this session and consider if these points match the reasons you think you want to be a professional coach.

Lastly, notice if you enjoy the experience, especially if you were thinking about making a career out of professional coaching. Ask yourself, will I enjoy interacting with clients day-after-day in such a manner? After experiencing a professional coaching session, you will feel better prepared to make the decision whether or not to pursue professional coaching as a career.