In our modern age of completely random jobs and services, I've stumbled upon quite a few that have made me chuckle to learn about. Take, for example, dating coaches. A Dating Coach is defined as thus: A dating coach is one who helps clients improve their success in dating and relationships. Now I'm no expert in date coaching, but I have played the role of Wingman a fair share of times. The definition of a wingman is thus: A wingman is a role that a person may take when a friend needs support with approaching the opposite sex. A wingman is someone that is one the "inside" and is used to help someone with relationships.
All kidding aside, I think that dating coaches in our modern day and age fulfill an exciting new role never presesnt before. In the old days (and I'm talking a few hundred years ago) persons generally lived in small towns and married others who lived in their same small town. There wasn't this idea of dating, only courtship. For better or worse, things have definitely changed. The dating world is a living breathing thing – changing and evolving its own set of rules.
When I first heard that there were actual, real life dating coaches, it kind of made me chuckle. Whenever I had asked anyone for their advice on what I should do and how I should act on a date, their response was usually just “be yourself.” So why, I wondered, would I then feel the need to hire someone to teach me how to be myself? But then I started thinking about it more. In today's world, we have interview coaches, resume coaches, life coaches, etc... Why not dating coaches? If it's important enough to hire someone to teach you how to put your best foot forward for an interview at a job, how much more important to learn how to put your best foot forward when meeting someone who you might conceivably spend the rest of your life with?
Not only that, but dating coaches often have certain specialties to help in varying circumstances. Dating when you're 25 and just starting your career is a vastly different circumstance than dating when your 40 with two kids after just going through a difficult divorce. Those most often searching for dating coaches generally have circumstances beyond the average and need someone who understands the pitfalls of dating in those same situations. Every person is unique, and come with a unique set of circumstances. When looking for a dating coach, it's important to find someone who understands those circumstances and has worked with people in your same situation before. Don't settle for something less.