"But," you may be thinking, "this whole 'coaching' thing sounds flaky. I've heard of career counseling, but what is career coaching? Lots of people out there are calling themselves a 'coach.'   What is 'coaching' anyway?"

These are important questions. 

Here's some information about coaching:

- "Coaching" is a new career field so if you're just hearing about it you're in good company.

- Most people think of fitness or athletics when they hear the word coaching.

- Coaching as a separate professon was named by Thomas Leonard, a financial planner who began coaching his clients in the late 1980's and early 1990's.

- In 1992 he founded the first coaching training program, Coach University.

- Now there are many coaching training programs all over the world.

- "Coaching" as a broad term is about helping people identify and reach their goals. Coaches usually specialize in one or more specific business or personal areas. Career coaching is one example of an area of coaching specialization.