By Koh Young-aah

Many, regardless of age, have felt lost or had trouble finding vision in their lives. From teenagers who agonize over their college majors to workers who are deciding on their career path, people often feel the need of a coach who can guide them.

Coaching, though still quite unfamiliar to most Koreans, has recently emerged as a rising trend in the world. It refers to an activity of a coach in developing the ability of his/her clients to focus on a goal or a specific skill.

John (Hyung-seok) Yoon, 39, is a lawyer admitted in the State of New York currently practicing in Tokyo, and also a human development expert who has published a self-improvement book titled "The Magic of Lucky 8."

Yoon's own experience of having undergone a tough vision-seeking process has probably made him a capable coach whom clients can relate to.

In fact, from a jobless college graduate to a U.S. lawyer, then to a human development expert, Yoon, just like many others, has constantly been striving to find his own vision until now.

The first challenge for the Seoul National University business administration major came when he failed to get his dream job as a TV news reporter before graduation. He spent a lot of time drinking to the point where he got facial paralysis one day.

The symptom, which was a fatal blow for a broadcasting career, lasted longer than expected. Yoon had to wait two to three more years until he could freely make facial expressions again. So, Yoon landed a job at Samsung C&T Corporation instead.

Yoon, however, said he was not very satisfied with his job, which was focused on administrative work. That's when he decided to shift his career to law.

"One of my friends one day suggested that I become a lawyer, saying that I'm smart and that I like to question things logically - so I thought 'why not?'" he said.