It All Started With a Thought
I was a 23-year young man, looking to do something big in life without really knowing where to start.
I find it strange that we have to choose our career path at such a young age, knowing that decision has a direct impact on our career opportunities. I am happy for those who chose the ‘right’ career path for themselves, but it is completely normal if you realize that you do not resonate with the work you’re doing.
I belong to the second category, and all I can say is things may seem like they are falling apart, but soon you will realize they are simply falling back in place.
To share a bit about myself, my name is Tushaar Chaudhary and I have done my Bachelor’s in Business Management from the University of Surrey, where I had the opportunity to study different modules like; Business Psychology, Consumer Behaviour, and Organizational Behaviour.
I had never heard about these subjects at school, where my prime focus was to get good grades in business and economics. I aspired to make a lot of money like my father, a successful businessman.
After completing my studies, I realized my keen interest in helping people. Psychology-related modules intrigued me the most. I was looking to pursue a Master’s in Business Psychology from a reputed institute in the UK. I had a tangible plan that decided the next 10 years of my life.
Little did I know that it was all going to change in just the span of one month, thanks to COVID-19.
What’s next? I mused.
Accidents? Coincidence? Or Blessings?
My family business back in India had shut down temporarily due to the lockdown, and I became the biggest cost to the family at that moment. It would have been very heavy on my family’s pocket to bear the cost of me staying in the UK, especially when the business costs transcended their profits, and the Indian rupee continued to weaken against the British pound.
‘Come back home’ my brother suggested, as he explained to me the financial situation at home. I deferred my offer to next year and worried about what my next steps should be.
So I did what I guess most people do when their 10-year plan seems to be falling apart, I scrolled through social media in the search of answers to questions I didn’t even know. As I procrastinated, I saw a post from IPEC – Institute of Professional Excellence in Coaching.
I remember my initial response to life coaching; ‘why will I pay anyone else to tell me how to live my life’. Something about that situation made me learn more about life coaching. Thank God I did, because, at that moment, I had an epiphany; ‘this is so me’. It resonated with me more than Business Psychology at half the price, who’d say no to that deal? So without further ado, I enrolled myself in their latest program that was available virtually.
The coaching program was eye-opening, it allowed me to experience so many different levels of energy, overcome many of my challenges, look at things from a different lens, and support me in realizing the truth; who I really am. I had never felt so aligned with my values before and I decided to pursue this as my profession. It is true, you don’t do coaching, you become a coach.
However, the inner voice within me still created some self-doubt and prompted endless limiting thoughts like; you aren’t ready, the society won’t value your credibility, you are inexperienced. These thoughts held me back despite having experienced over 350 hours of coaching that included coaching clients from 5 different countries, seeing endless breakthroughs, and continuously getting praised for the way I was able to support my clients, all in just 10 months.
Despite all my accomplishments, I bought into the self-doubt and limiting thoughts. I got a job as a junior trainer at a start-up, to get some experience because I thought that’s what I should do.
The Turning Point
Preoccupied with what I thought I should do, I disregarded what I wanted to do. My job no longer served the purpose of joining it. It had become a lousy monotonous routine with minimal motivation to work.
I thought to myself – if such a large chunk of your day will be spent on working, might as well do it in something that resonates with you. It took me just four months to write an email with the subject, ‘Tushaar_Chaudhary_Resignation’. I sent that email over a month ago and I am serving my notice period.
What’s next? I don’t know, but I know that’s okay. What will I do next? How will I do it? When will I do it? And all the what-if questions still tease me from time to time, but I am not worried. I am trusting my journey as I know neither dwelling in the past nor worrying about the future will support me in becoming who I want to be today. Thus, my focus remains on who I am, with the trust that it will unravel what will happen next and how.
Become a Virtual Career Coach
To become a coach, you need to get the proper education and it would be ideal if you could get a certificate. There are a host of platforms on the Internet that offer life coaching certifications, including Udemy, Coursera, Alison, Udacity, and Khan Academy. Some of these courses and certifications are actually free, so…what are you waiting for?
The tech industry is leading the remote working trend, so you’ll probably find job positions as a virtual career coach. Some people get anxiety from having to do physical meetings, so they prefer to do it virtually.
If you’re going to work in the tech industry, you don’t have to be a Software Engineer, but you surely need to understand the nature of technology. Try to study the current tech trends as much as you can to be able to stay ahead and provide valuable mentoring to the company where you’ll work. A great way to do this is by signing up for one of the many coding boot camps available online. Coding boot camps are an efficient and relatively cheap way to learn tech skills; anything from web design to cybersecurity. If you are looking for more info on boot camps, check this article by Career Karma.
Conclusion
The tech industry can undoubtedly benefit from coaching and mentoring. As long as you make an effort towards understanding basic tech fundamentals, you can succeed in the tech industry as a coach.
Tushaar Chaudhary
I am a well-being and productivity coach with a vision to make the world more content, one person at a time. I consider myself to be in the miracle business as I witness my clients find their ‘AHA!’ moments, and create the magic they need to progress towards their personal and professional goals.
Tushaar Chaudhary
Tushaar is an ICF Accredited Life Coach specializing in well-being and productivity with the mission to make the world more content, one step at a time.
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