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 >>