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How to Get a Job as a Fitness Trainer

Personal training is a satisfying and lucrative career. According to IBISWorld, the fitness industry in 2021 was worth $10 billion, and it is constantly growing. If you are thinking of taking this career path, this post is for you. Follow these six tips to held you get a job as a fitness trainer.

personal trainer at work

1. Master the skills

Some soft skills are necessary for this profession. As a personal trainer, you must be patient, motivating, analytical, and good at listening. To stay in the game, you have to keep your clients happy by establishing an emotional connection with them. It may help to study sports psychology on your own or as a part of your course.

The best personal trainers have a good understanding of human anatomy. If you know how bodies work, you will be able to help your clients achieve fitness goals while preventing serious injuries. Eat healthily and stay in shape. In this industry, physical appearance is a business card.

2. Get certified

Gyms and fitness centers usually appoint certified trainers. Fitness training certificates in the USA are issued by NCCA accredited programs such as ACE and NASM.

To obtain a certificate, you will have to enroll in a course, study well, and pass their assessments.

A certificate is often a requirement for getting a job in a commercial gym. You will get priority if you have a kinesiology degree.

There are some state schools that offer certificates and degrees on personal training. You may have to spend up to $1500 to enroll in a certificate program and be at least 18 years old.

See more about accreditation in the sport sciences.

3. Stay up-to-date

Never stop learning. As a fitness trainer, you have to keep up with trends that are going on in the industry. Join workshops and seminars from time to time. You will learn a lot, but that is not the only advantage.

You will have opportunities to establish connections with other professionals in the industry. Some certifications require ongoing education. They are basically licenses that have to be renewed every couple of years.

Knowing the basic fitness principles is not enough for a fitness trainer. You should always be willing to learn new things. And if you manage to keep up with trends, you will always be relevant to the fitness community.

4. Find your niche

In the fitness industry, specialists have a lot of advantages over generalists. If you want to stand out from the crowd, you have to find your niche. Figure out what you actually want to achieve, and do what it takes to achieve it.

Make sure you have a clientele target. Determine whether you are going to teach senior citizens, overweight men, or people in the financial industry. If you hire a resume writer, he or she will first ask you about your specialty in the industry. The best resume writing services regularly use this strategy.

Do your research to understand the needs of the specific group. Your existing clients can give you referrals and help you grow your business.

5. Write a comprehensive resume

In today's job market, you need a comprehensive resume to get any job. Before you face an interview, your employer will review your resume. A well-written resume can significantly increase your chances of landing a job.

With that said, your resume reflects who you are. Without developing skills, you will go nowhere. Yes, you should read the best resume writing services reviews and hire a qualified resume writer. But your main focus should be on skill development.

6. Start applying

When you think you are ready, start applying to studios and gyms. You can just go and ask them about open positions. This is perfectly okay. And if it does not work, get in touch with the people who work as personal trainers.

You have already done your research about the best resume writing services review and got your resume written. So, now you can show or send your resume to potential employers.

Fitness Facebook groups and forums can give you insights. Spend some time online looking for employment opportunities.

Most professionals in this industry are friendly, so you can start conversations easily. This is a very effective way to find a job as a fitness trainer. If they know that you are passionate about the career, they will probably get in touch with you when they need to add a trainer.

Final thoughts

If you are passionate about working as a fitness trainer, you will eventually find a job. To some extent, your success in this industry depends on how many connections you have. It is about not only what you know but also who you know. Launching a career in the fitness industry is a lot easier if you are willing to keep learning and maintain relationships with trainers and clients.