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Susannah Chambers, who currently works as an Agile Coach Lead at a major international fintech organisation, has progressed through her career by building on the foundations laid by studying two NCFE qualifications in coaching. 

We caught up with her to learn about the ways in which these qualifications have helped to shape her career, as well as her lifelong learning journey. 

What NCFE qualifications did you complete? 

“I completed a Diploma in Performance Coaching in February 2002 and a Certificate in Life Coaching in January 2006. Both of these were awarded by NCFE and I studied via distance learning, which was a lot more unusual at that time compared to nowadays!” 

Why did you choose to study these qualifications? 

“My main motivation to complete both qualifications was to have fun in my free time (I didn’t have my three children at that point!) and invest in sustaining my lifelong learning journey.

"By the time I embarked on the diploma course with NCFE, I’d already completed my 1st Class Honours degree in Communications and Management at the University of Lincoln (a university that I helped as a teenager to fundraise to build in the 1990s) and had embarked on my working career. However, I didn’t feel at that time that I’d found my purpose in my career. All I knew was that I had a clear core value and life mission which was to bring joy to others! 

“Coaching as a subject enticed me for that reason. I didn’t really understand at that stage what coaching was, other than what I heard about it in a sporting context. However, as I understood it coaching was about helping others become the best they can be in life, and this resonated with my mission to bring joy.” 

What skills and knowledge did you gain? 

“Through learning about a variety of coaching techniques, I was able to gain lots of useful people skills, including the ability to quickly build rapport with others, and how to identify what they want to achieve to feel fulfilled. I still use a lot of the coaching techniques I learnt throughout the courses in my day-to-day coaching and life in general to this day! 

“I also developed my critical thinking skills and the skill of being curious. Learning how to combine coaching frameworks with a curiosity to learn and help somebody improve their situation – from a point of kindness and critical friend inquiry – has helped me throughout my career and has become a core part of the authentic personal branding I am known for.” 

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