Life Coach Resume Examples and Guide

Oh, oh. Trigger alert!

Coaching isn’t a real profession—how many times have you heard those words?

Chances are the recruiter thinks the same. And the truth is, helping people attain greater fulfillment is hard to describe on a life coach resume. 

But it doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

If affirmations to attract financial abundance to your life haven’t yet helped, you’re in the right place.

This guide will show you: 

• A life coach resume sample better than 90% of all others. 
• How to create a resume for a life coach that gets the most interviews.
• Tips and tricks of how to list skills and achievements on a life coach resume.
• How to describe your experience on a life coach resume to land any job you want.

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Sample resume made with our builder—See more templates and create your resume here.

Looking for different examples? Please check our dedicated guides for:

• Coaching Resume
• Consulting Resume
• Basketball Coach Resume
• Case Manager Resume
• Psychology Resume
• Social Work Resume 
• Academic Advisor Resume
• Paraprofessional Resume
• Personal Trainer Resume
• Child Care Resume
• Tutor Resume
• School Counselor Resume
• Camp Counselor Resume
• Occupational Therapy Resume
• More Sample Resumes for 500+ Jobs

Sample Life Coach Resume

Read on for a step-by-step guide on how to create a resume for a life coach.

1. Choose the Most Appropriate Format for a Life Coach Resume

As a life coach, you assist your clients to develop greater goals by making constant progress in their life. Time to assist yourself. What job opportunities are you missing without a professional resume? Who do you need to become to land them? If your life depended on it, how would you make a resume?

Let’s start with the basics: what should a resume look like?

Follow these rules when creating your resume:

• If you have a lot of relevant experience, go for the reverse-chronological format. 
• Otherwise, use a skill-based resume template or a combination resume format to put your core competencies in the right place.
• Choose an appropriate resume font. 
• Don’t forget about the font-size: 11-12 points are easy to read. Just as 13-14 point headings are.
• Make sure that resume layout is neat: keep margins set to 1 inch and line spacing at 1-1.15 points.

Structure the document using these resume parts:

• Header with contact information
• Summary statement/ career objective
• Work experience
• Relevant education
• Professional skills
• Additional sections

Pro Tip: PDF resume format is recommended unless the ad on a job board states otherwise. PDF document is easily scannable and therefore Applicant Tracking Systems friendly.

2. Add Experience to Your Life Coach Resume

You’re best at helping people to define their goals, right? Let’s think about your goal—getting the desired job. How can you accomplish this goal? The obvious answer is: by nailing the experience section of your life coach resume.

Follow this strategy to give the recruiter an “Aha” moment:

• Put your newest job title first.
• In each entry write the company’s name and start and finish dates.
• Add a short job description.
  • Focus on your achievements rather than responsibilities and duties.
  • List them in 5-6 bullet points.
  • Tailor them to match the job requirements.
  • Use action words to describe them.

See these life coach resume samples:

Life Coach Job Description for a Resume

Ouch!

The second example? Pavlov’s dogs could list more accomplishments. The first one, on the other hand, looks like results of a quantitative study. In order to attract the hiring manager, show what you actually did, not what the scope of your work was.

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.

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When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.

3. Make Your Education Section Count

You don’t have to be as educated as Brene Brown to become a life coach. Still, it doesn’t mean you should omit the education section whatsoever.

So, how to list a degree on your resume? Make sure to include:

• Degree type (major and minors, if you hold them)
• University or college name and location
• Graduation date

See this Life Coach resume example:

Life Coach Resume Example [Education]

Keep it simple. If you are writing an entry-level resume for a life coach, add a couple of bullet points to interest a reader and show off your transferable skills. 

Entry Level Life Coach Resume Example [Education]

Read more: How to List Education on a Resume

4. Put the Right Skills in Life Coach Resume

We all need awareness skills, says Deepak Chopra. Should you list them on a life coach resume? Only if they’re mentioned in the job ad. Below you will find a list of soft skills and hard skills you can add to your resume 

Life Coach Resume Skills

• Quenza
• GROW Coaching Model
• EQ-i 2 Assessment
• MBTI Assessment
• DISC Assessment
• Goal Setting
• Strategy Building
• Interpersonal Skills
• Effective Questioning
• Leadership Skills
• Motivational Techniques
• Crisis Intervention
• Administrative Skills
• Teamwork
• Relationship Management
• Decision Making Skills
• Process Improvement
• Case Management
• Written and Verbal Communication
• Active Listening
• Analytical Skills
• Organizational Skills
• Problem Solving
• Conflict Resolution
• Time Management
• Critical Thinking
• Microsoft Office Skills

But —

Do not copy the whole skill list. Read the job ad once again and check what is required from the future employee. Compare it to the above list, and use only those skills that you can prove with your experience.

Life Coach Resume Examples [Skills]

Read more: What Skills to Put on a Resume

5. Add Other Sections to Life Coach Resume

Ok, now you have finished your perfect life coach resume. But, have you? What else can you do to achieve your goal? Use our tips and tricks on other sections to beat the HR system.

Choose from:

1. Licenses & Certifications

A life coach should be committed to continuous development, and certifications are the right way to do it. The ones approved by International Coaching Federation’s (ICF) are most valuable on the market. How to list certifications on a resume? Check this list of popular certifications that will help you leave your competitors behind.

• Coaching Certification Program, Coach Training Alliance (CTA)
• CPC,Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) 
• CEP, CoachU

2. Resume Volunteer Work

Pro bono coaching work would be an icing on your life coach resume cake, especially when you are an entry-level coach. But don’t worry if you don't have such experience - even being a reading buddy at the local school shows you are devoted to your mission.

3. Languages on a Resume

Do you think that coaching in another language will create more obstacles than opportunities? Katerina Kanelidou from the Team Coaching Global Alliance proves otherwise. Improve your cultural competency by learning Spanish, Chinese or other locally important languages.

4. Conferences

Did you attend the Global Mentoring, Coaching & Supervision Conference last year? That demonstrates that you are a rising star who is serious about your work.

See these resume samples:

Life Coach Resume Examples [Other Sections]

If you would like to put hobbies on your life coach resume, see our guide: List of Hobbies & Interests for a Resume or CV

6. Write a Life Coach Resume Objective or Resume Summary

Do you know that you have only 8 seconds to capture a reader’s attention? Yes, you’ve seen it right—8 seconds! The recruiter doesn’t have the attention span of Eckhart Tolle. So use them wisely by creating an effective resume summary or resume objective. Locate them at the top of the document, as this is where the hiring manager will start reading your life coach resume. 

Here’s how to write a career summary:

1. Start with an adjective like devoted or disciplined.
2. Add your title (Life Coach).
3. List years of experience (1, 3+, 5+).
4. Share your company-helping goal (support personal goals of the employees).
5. Include your best achievements.

These two resume summary examples show the plan:

Life Coach Resume Summary Example [Resume Summary]

Avoid generic descriptions used in the second example. Hiring team saw tons of them already and you want to stand out from the crowd. Make this section a short life coach commercial and put most relevant information there.

If you are an entry-level coach, write a resume objective instead of a resume summary, following the same rules as mentioned before.

Learn more about this section: Resume Introduction Examples and Tips

7. Write a Life Coach Cover Letter

Do resumes need cover letters? According to our HR statistics study, approximately 5 out of 10 recruiting teams disregard resumes that do not include a cover letter.

To write an effective life coach support cover letter:

1. Get your cover letter formatting right.
2. Start your letter with the manager’s name.
3. Write an opening sentence for your cover letter to keep your reader engaged.
4. Use the second paragraph to prove you meet the ad's most critical requirements.
5. End your cover letter offering the hiring team what they are looking for.

More tips: What Does a Cover Letter Look Like?

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Key Takeaway

Here’s a recap of how to write a life coach resume:

• Use a reverse-chronological format in your life coach resume.
• Start from the job description section.
• Fill it with achievements.
• Look for the key life coach skills in the job ad and use them in your resume.
• Include extra resume sections to show your certifications and other skills.
• Make a cover letter a final touch of your application.

That’s it! Is there a pressing question for us to answer? Or maybe you need further help on one of the resume sections? We’d love to hear from you in the comments section.

Thanks for reading!