How to Get a Job At Your Dream Gym – Personal Trainers

You’re a certified personal trainer.  You’ve done your research on the best gym that will help you grow your business fast… now you need to know how to get a job as a personal trainer at your ideal gym.

You have one shot to get the job…

The art of interviewing doesn’t need to be difficult.  But you do need to be prepared because you only get one chance to make your impression. You only get one chance to prove yourself.

But let’s back up a little…

Before you even call the gym of your dreams, you need to do a few “dry run” interviews at other gyms so you know what to expect.

Make a List

First, make a list of your top 5-7 gyms.  These are the gyms you think would be great for building your business.

If you need to review the last article about choosing the right type of gyms…. do that now.

You’ll probably have two gyms that are low on your list.  Those are the gyms you want to practice your interviews with to get the bugs out of your system.

 

Call The Gyms

Put in a call to your practice gyms and set up an interview.

The conversation will go something like this:

You: “Hi, this is _____________.  I’m a personal trainer, and I’d like to interview with you.  Who can I talk to to set that up?”

GYM: “Ok, our manager ___________ handles that.  Would you like to leave a message?”

You: “Yes.”

You: (Message) “Hi ____________.  This is ______________.  I’m a personal trainer and I would really like to interview at your gym.  Give me a call so we can set up a time to meet.  My number is ________.  Thanks.”

 

The Art of Being Persistent

While we’re on the topic of calling (maybe even dropping off a resume), we need to discuss persistence.

I’ve been the head of the training department at numerous gyms over the years.  A lot of personal trainers want to interview or drop off a resume.

I rarely call them back.

I want to see if they’ll take the initiative and follow up with me.  To date, no one has.  So I don’t hire them.

Why?

Simple… when you’re following up with prospective clients, they rarely call you back.  You might need to call them several times.  If a trainer won’t even follow up with me once for their job, they aren’t going to follow up with clients.

You need to be persistent.  You need to show the gyms you will follow up and take the initiative.

That doesn’t mean calling every day… maybe you call once a week.  Be very friendly and simply inquire about setting up an interview.

If the gym says they aren’t hiring, tell them you’d just like to interview anyway in case something opens up.

 

The Interview

I have interviewed dozens of trainers and they’re almost all alike.  They think they’ll simply get clients just by being a trainer.  It doesn’t work that way.  And I don’t hire them.

Think about the gym’s perspective.  Gyms get dozens of trainers looking for a job.

They gym needs to make money.  They need a trainer who will make them money and perform like a rock-star.  You need to show them (not just tell them) that you will be successful and make them money.

Here are the things I look for when I interview a trainer:

1. An outgoing personality
2. Confidence
3. A self-starter & goal oriented
4. Determination
5. Sales and marketing knowledge/ability
6. Organization
7. Loyalty
8. Consistency

Many trainers don’t want to put in the hours up front.  I understand.  There is a time when you show up and don’t get paid.  But that’s part of building a business.

I ask trainers how they expect to get new clients.  What their financial goals are.  How they plan their day.  What their biggest fear is…

Rarely do I ask them about training or physiology.

I can teach a trainer to be a better trainer, but I can’t teach them to be a go-getter or self-started.  I can’t teach them to be outgoing and to connect with people (maybe I could, but I don’t want to take that much time… and neither do gyms).

 

The Perfect Interview

Now imagine this…

You sit down for your interview and they gym manager asks you about training.  You shift the conversation into talking about your plans for marketing yourself.  Building your clientele in 3 months.  How seriously you take being professional.  That you would love to make this gym your base.  And that you’ve studied marketing and sales.

You start asking they manager what THEY do to get new members.  If they have any in-house promotions for training.  If they’re willing to let you co-market with them as long as you pay for your ads…

I’d hire you on the spot!

 

In my course, I work with trainers to make sure you are ready to build a business.  The toughest part is leaving a paying job to start your own business, but when you have all the tools you have peace of mind.  You know that you can build your income in just 3-6 months and stop the 9-5 grind at a job you don’t enjoy.

But, you’ve got to have the tools so you have a definite step-by-step plan.