17. in the search of purpose...

Category: Career and Purpose

​17. 

What is coaching, actually?
And is mentoring the same thing?

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There are a lot of coaches nowadays. Many people have adopted the word to showcase their work in some field - from fitness to marketing to lifestyle. And to add to the confusion, coaching and mentoring are often used interchangeably.

Sharing personal experience, however, is different from being a certified or educated coach. To become certified (by certain organisations f.ex. International Coaching Federation) most coaches go through months of studies, hours of supervision and usually pass an exam.

Choosing a coach should be a personal decision but in simple words, here is how coaching works and what you can expect from a good coach:

• Coaching is a structured, goal-oriented process focused on helping you get from where you are to where you want to be.
  
  A good coach asks powerful questions, guides reflection, and creates accountability to help you achieve specific objectives, often in a short time frame. A good coach may use different techniques, methods, tools, etc.

• Mentoring is more relationship-based and typically long-term. Mentors offer guidance based on their own experience. Mentoring is often less structured, with a focus on sharing that person’s learnings and experience.
  
  ​A good mentor may use their network to connect you with opportunities, or share their exact steps to get where they got to be.

While both can be part of a session - a coach may use mentoring when needed and a mentor may use coaching techniques, understanding the difference helps us choose the support we need depending on our goals.


I see. Ok, what is career coaching then?
    People have different goals but these are the most…