3 Things You’ll Need to Be a Successful Fitness Professional Regardless of Your Qualifications
Whether you’re new to
the fitness industry or you’ve been working in it for a while you know
you won’t get far without some form of education. It’s either the
certification, college certificate, course work, or a full on degree.
You need something and rightfully so, after all you need to know what
you’re doing. You need to understand the body and how everything works
in order to be the best professional you could be.
So, let’s say you
have it all. You’ve paid for, what some will say, the overpriced courses
and certifications, you’ve gotten the best certification on the market,
you graduated with your bachelors and masters, and maybe you’re looking
for a Ph.D. in a related field. You’re doing it; you’re going the
distance and you’ve traversed so much so far that you know no one can
deny your prowess. You’ve done almost everything that’s required of you
to become the most qualified professional. This has to be it, right?
What’s next? What
else must you conquer in your journey toward greatness? What else is
required here if you want to work in this field and be successful? The
answers aren’t found in degrees or courses, it boils down to who you
are, who you know, and who knows you. Your ability to market your unique
craft and your personal qualities beyond your credentials are what can
make or break a professional.
To break it down further, here are 3 points you need to consider if you want to be a successful fitness professional:
1. You need experience
Of course you need
experience if you want to go far in this industry; you can’t hide behind
books all day and study your life away. This is a people driven
industry. Even if you’re teaching in a class or working behind a desk at
times you’re bound to have to work with someone at some point and if
you’ve never done this you’re far less likely to have a job. Some say
it’s difficult; you need to have a job to work with people, but if you
don’t work with people you won’t have a job. That statement is true, but
there are tons of ways to gain experience. You may have to do some
charity work and volunteer your time, but it’s better than sitting at
home waiting for someone to email you about your application. Get out
there and do some real work with some real people.
2. You need to market yourself
You can’t grow and
become all you need to be by being shy all the time. You have to get out
there and show people who you are and what you offer. You may be the
most qualified professional in the world, but no one will know or care
unless they know you. Look for opportunities to work with others, do
business cards, websites, blogs, podcasts, and interviews regarding your
area. Don’t wait for a paycheck to start moving, start when you’re
young, whether young in years or young in career, and move forward.
Offer to host a class or start your own small company, but whatever you
do people have to know you and they need to understand what you, the fit
pro, can uniquely offer them.
3. Learn the art of communicating with others
This may seem like
the oddest point on the list, but it’s the most important. Too many
people fresh out of college aren’t learning how to communicate
effectively with others. Sure, we can discuss how the professional needs
to know how to get someone their results, but what about communicating
with that person? How do you deal with someone who has been obese all
their life and is now worried sick about their health? You must learn
the art of speaking to people and communicating your knowledge in such a
way that it makes sense. You’ll gain this through exposure and
experience, yes the first two points, but you can also practice in your
everyday conversations. While I mentioned speaking, I also mean
listening. It’s a two way street and traffic doesn’t flow one way. Be
able to listen as well as address the issues in a compassionate and
caring manner and people will flock to you.
The best of the best
know what I’m saying; if you want to be successful in this industry you
have to be a people person who has the ability to communicate. No one
wants to work with someone who is shy all the time or rude, they also
don’t want someone who can ramble off facts and data, but can’t present
it in a way that’s digestible to their audience. Learn the art of
communicating, market yourself, and gain experience.
While I focused on
the other aspects of the fitness pro I want to take time to mention what
we offer in terms of education. We’re all about changing the world one
spine at a time and we love offering educational opportunities to help
do so. Consider this one of those opportunities and check out our Free
E-book the "Beginner's Guide to Posture Analysis and Correction".
Check out the E-book here >> |