Even in a field as small and niche as personal training, job seekers can struggle to differentiate themselves from the competition when it comes time to apply for new opportunities. Even if you’ve had a successful tenure at your current position, the pressure to stand out remains high and is particularly challenging if you are targeting highly competitive jobs. Therefore, suppose you’re an aspiring personal trainer who wants to secure your first professional role or pivot into this field from another industry. In that case, a well-written resume is one of the essential tools in your kit. A personal trainer resume should be able to showcase all of your best attributes, emphasize why you’re the perfect candidate for whichever roles you’re applying for, and sell your potential future employer on hiring you over someone else.
Personal Trainer Resume Example
Download This Personal Trainer Resume as PDF
Fitness Instructor Resume Example
Download This Fitness Instructor Resume as PDF
Occupational Therapist Resume Example
Download This Occupational Therapist Resume as PDF
Exercise Physiologist Resume Example
Download This Exercise Physiologist Resume as PDF
Recreational Therapist Resume Example
Download This Recreational Therapist Resume as PDF
Athletic Trainer Resume Example
Download This Athletic Trainer Resume as PDF
Strength and Conditioning Specialist Resume Example
Download This Strength and Conditioning Specialist Resume as PDF
Jumping Into the World of Personal Training
Before you even think about writing your resume, it’s essential to understand what personal training and the industry are like. In most cases, a personal trainer is someone who helps clients achieve their health and fitness goals. Whether you work with individuals or groups, you will design personalized programs for your clients based on their specific needs, goals, and fitness/health backgrounds. You’ll then guide them through every step of the workout process, from start to finish. Personal trainers usually work in high-end fitness studios, gyms, sports clubs, or even at home, but some may also choose to freelance or find work online. The health and fitness industry is booming, and the demand for personal trainers is steadily increasing. If you enjoy this line of work, it’s an industry that allows you to use your creativity and passion to help people achieve their goals, network with others in the field, and make good money. With that said, you’ll likely encounter fierce competition when applying for jobs, so you’ll need to put your best foot forward on your resume.
Nail Your Audience
As with any other job seeker, you should know who your resume is directed toward if you want a successful career in personal training. Whether you’re targeting specific companies or looking to apply for a job online, you’ll want to clearly show your reader why you are the best candidate for the job. To do this, you’ll first want to identify your hiring manager and understand their specific needs, goals, and concerns regarding hiring for your position. In many cases, you’ll be applying to general career sites or company career pages, so you’ll want to ensure you’re targeting your resume toward the person reading it.
Define Your Skillset
One of the best ways to showcase your skillset and let potential employers know you’re the right person for the job is to list your relevant skills and qualifications on your resume. When it comes to personal training, there are several skills you should include, including but not limited to Fitness instruction: You can demonstrate your fitness instruction skills by including the types of classes you’ve taught, the skill level of your students, and how long you’ve been teaching. Specialty equipment training: If you’ve been certified to teach people how to use specific fitness machines, you should include this on your resume. Nutrition/health coaching: If you’ve helped clients improve their nutrition and health habits, you can showcase this by highlighting the types of diets and plans you’ve created for people, the results they’ve seen, and the amount of time you’ve spent doing this.
Showcase Your Accomplishments
Another great way to show off your skillset and accomplishments is to create a “skills” or “accomplishments” section on your resume. Here, you can list all of your best attributes related to the job you’re applying for, including any certifications or specialties you have, the types of clients you’ve worked with in the past, and any other skills you think are essential. While you should tailor your resume to each specific job, you should always have your education at a minimum. This allows hiring managers to see that you are qualified for the job and provides them with an easy way to gauge how long you’ve been in the industry.
Resume Tips for Trainers
Keep in mind that your resume will be read and reviewed by potential employers, as well as potential clients. So, first and foremost, you want to ensure your resume is tailored to the industry and highlights all of your best attributes. Next, it’s essential to make your resume both legible and readable. While hiring managers might like big words, you don’t want your resume to be unreadable. You should also make sure your resume is formatted appropriately. The layout and format of your resume should be consistent with every other resume you’ve written. If you have a resume template you like, by all means, use it again. Just make sure it’s up to date and tailored to the industry.
Conclusion
As with every other industry, the health and fitness sector is constantly evolving. New trends, technologies, and training methods come and go, meaning job seekers in this field must stay up-to-date on new developments and trends to stay competitive. Writing a personal trainer resume that showcases all of your best skills, abilities, and qualities will help you stand out from the pack and get hired for your first job as a personal trainer or help you pivot into this industry from another area of expertise.