Career Personal Training: Are You An Employee Or A Business? Question 4 of 15 What are the right Certification and Stages To Get You To Where You Want To Be....If you sign for our e-zine we will send you updates about our "Career Personal Training Checklist" as we write them.- this is step 4 of 15 where you figure out the right certifications and stages you need to suceedCAREER PERSONAL TRAINING CHECKLIST STEP 4 OF 15 I hope you did not skip the first few steps! You need to know what you want before you begin your journey into the Fitness and Personal Training Industry. If you did skip the other steps of the "Career Personal Training Checklist" then links to them are at the bottom of this page. If you decided that you simple want to work for a large fitness franchise- your journey is almost over. You simply have to take the courses and certifications the company requires and get hired. Remember- the company you choose should allow you to work with the client base you want and offer you the financial security you need. This is why I had you analyze the facilities that cater to your "niche" market. Getting hired- could be a little difficult if you have no experience- but you can create your own experience and referrals. Many large companies want experienced and well established fitness professionals- that they will not have to babysit. So- How do you get hired if you have the certifications they want- but not the experience... By placing yourself as a self-made specialist in your field. It is about marketing, experience, presentation and proof!
QUESTION OR STEP 4 OF THE "CAREER PERSONAL TRAINING CHECKLIST" What are the certifications and the experience I need to work with my target market? Whether you become a fitness business or an employee you need to have some basic things up and ready- before you start looking for the paying job.
So- how did I go from a Gym Trainer that simply shows people Pre-made Programs and how to work the cardio machine to a Trainer of Trainers? Who has his own studio, internet business and helps coach others.... I DID MY HOMEWORK... Luckily I had my wife already in the Group Fitness Industry and Corporate Wellness Industry.. so here I did have some help. I sat done with Christina (my wife) and looked at what exactly I had to offer.. I had a strong base in boxing, weight training and animation, so we decided that I didn't need to get my Aerobics Certification (Thank God! I can not do a Grapevine to save my life!) But I would need my Kick boxing and Fitness Certification to be taken seriously by the corporate market and gyms. I also needed those certifications in order to get the right type of liability insurance.
PART A OF STEP 4 FROM THE "CAREER PERSONAL TRAINING CHECKLIST"
RESEARCH THE CERTIFICATIONS OUT THERE THAT ARE RECOGNIZED AND ACCREDITED- TO WORK WITH YOUR TARGET CLIENT BASE. MAKE A LIST OF THEM- THEIR COST- AND THEIR BENEFITS AND LOOK AT NON-TRADITIONAL EDUCATION AS WELL- LIKE SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS So I researched the certifications out there. I can tell you that I decided to go with CAN-FIT-PRO (Canadian Fitness Professionals) and the Y.M.C.A because they are the most recognized and respected in Canada. They also offered a great opportunity to get inexpensive liability insurance. (I did not have liability insurance before- because I was covered as a Gym Trainer- before). The easy part about becoming a contractual worker was taking and passing the certifications- the hard part was being taken seriously with no experience- in essence; finding work. It is true- that you must figure out what type of clients you want to work with and get the necessary training to work with them. I will use my wife as an example: She wanted to teach a Fusion of Yoga and Pilates in a corporate setting. She researched the many Yoga Certifications out there and also the Pilates Mat work Certifications. 7 years ago- there were not as many as there are today. She found out that the courses each cost about 4 000$ each. She was about to take both, after college- when a gym asked her to teach at their facility. All she had to do was go to a Yoga for Fitness Workshop offered by the Local Y.M.C.A. She was already an aerobics instructor part-time so she had all the group training and C.P.R classes she needed. So she took the week-end long seminar- which cost 375$ and gave her continuing education credits to maintain her CAN-FIT-PRO certification. She passed the exam and had her attestation in one week-end. She got into the field of teaching Fitness Yoga a lot sooner and with a lot less cost then she originally thought it would take! She did not begin teaching in the corporate market as quickly- she was actually still in college at the time. But- she was getting paid extra at all the gyms that she taught at part-time because she was a more versatile instructor. She liked her work-shop experience, decided to take more Fitness Personal Training Certifications and build her credentials. She now has over 20 workshops and 11 different certifications and 8 years of teaching experience. She was also strategic in how she got and built her corporate and private contracts.
PART B OF STEP 4 FROM THE "CAREER PERSONAL TRAINING CHECKLIST"GET SOME ACTUAL PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE TEACHING SOMEONE FITNESS. My wife lucked out- she was actually paid for her Yoga, Pilates and Weightlifting clients from the start- and that is because it was an extension of what she was already doing. Many people trying to break into the field have no idea what it is about... So you have to practice- practice- practice.... While you are doing your certification you should be practicing your future craft on your friends and family. Allow them to be honest with you so you figure out your strengths and weaknesses. Offer your services free at a recreation center, in exchange for being able to film yourself and your clients. PART C OF STEP 4 FROM THE "CAREER PERSONAL TRAINING CHECKLIST"FILM YOURSELF- MY WIFE DID IT OFTEN Start feeling comfortable in front of people as well as in front of the camera. You will also be able to see you weakness and fix them. You will also need to start practicing being filmed for the next couple of steps.... MARKETING AND SELLING YOURSELF HERE ARE A FEW ON EXAMPLE OF HER FIRST CLASSES (SORRY IT IS IN FRENCH. SHE WILL BE DOING SOME MORE IN ENGLISH...) This is just to give you an idea
CAREER PERSONAL TRAINING CHECKLIST- STEPS BELOWCAREER PERSONAL TRAINING - STEP 1 CAREER PERSONAL TRAINING - QUESTION 2 PERSONAL TRAINING AS A CAREER - QUESTION 3 PERSONAL TRAINING AS A CAREER- STEP 5- MARKETING PART ONE PERSONAL TRAINER CHECKLIST - MARKETING STEP 6 OF 15 PERSONAL TRAINER RESOURCES - GETTING CREDIBILITY AND PUBLICITY WITH YOU TUBE AND FACEBOOK PERSONAL TRAINER MARKETING - SECTION 8- USING ADSENSE AND BLOGGER TO CREATE PASSIVE INCOME |
