Personal Training Job Interview - A How To Guide

If you're thinking about becoming a personal trainer, one of the first steps is to get a job as a personal trainer for experience. While the role of personal trainer might not be too daunting, the personal trainer job interview can be.

In this guide, we'll show you some of the best approaches to ensure that you get that personal trainer job you want.

How to Find the Right Employer

Fitness studios and mainstream gyms often cater to a different variety of clients. Not every gym specializes in intense workouts. They may have a specific clientele, such as people over the age of 40, demanding less rigorous methods and a holistic approach to health.

The gym you choose work for should specialise in whatever it is that you're personally interested in. If you don't know yet, a job at a commercial gym where you can get the experience to find out would be perfect.

If you apply for a personal trainer job at a gym where they train specific clients, you should have some handle on training those kinds of clients unless the job specifies otherwise.

Training in a commercial gym will likely only require that you're a qualified personal trainer and the attributes they look for will be more specific to your personality and how the think you will work within the current team there.

How to Prepare for the Job Interview Ahead of the Date

A personal trainer job interview could take the form of a typical interview, or it may be a hybrid approach where you coach a client through a session.

One of the best things you can do is contact the fitness center to confirm the interview and even ask for a tour of the building. This could be a great way to meet the team ahead of time and make a good impression.

Just make sure to be honest about your intentions so the person showing you around doesn't think they're trying to sell you a gym membership.

Additionally, check what dress code they expect. You may not need to wear a suit and tie. You may not be expected to turn up in workout clothes either. You need to strike the right balance between casual and professional.

How to Prepare Yourself on the Day

The interview itself is understandably nerve-racking because you want the job, but this means you've got to make it easy on yourself. Hence, as a priority, make sure you get there in plenty of time. 

You might not want to turn up so early that you are just hanging around, but it's essential to allow more time so you won't be late and get flustered. As a rule of thumb, you need to schedule 150% of your travel time to guarantee you are not running late. And if you do turn up early, it's best to hang back and grab a coffee or tea somewhere near the gym.

When you walk in through the front door, it's important to remember you need to look the part. This doesn't just mean wearing the right attire. Still, you are interviewing for the role of a personal trainer, so it might be essential to make sure that you look like you hit the gym regularly.

If you're not sure if you'll need to show off your skills on the gym floor, dress for an interview, and have your training gear on you as well. Remember that you need to exude professionalism; this means the little things, such as ensuring you've showered beforehand and ironed your clothes.

The Interview

When you introduce yourself, be sure to be formal, friendly, and relaxed. Taking the time to greet everybody with manners is essential, and if time allows, you can always make some small talk. Remember, the person greeting you or even interviewing you might not be the one who is making hiring decisions.

It's always important to remember that you will naturally give off a particular impression as soon as you enter the building. So focus on your posture, body language, and talking with confidence. But, above all else, always be yourself.

We have to remember that every job interview is different. As a personal trainer, your interpersonal skills will be crucial, so ensure that they shine through during the conversation. The gym management will draw conclusions about your attitude towards your clients from how they find you during the interview.

So, when greeted by the interviewer (or interviewers), always be courteous and greet everyone with a firm handshake, but make sure you don't squeeze too hard. You might think that a strong handshake gives off the impression you are a strong taskmaster in the gym. Still, an interview is a very formal setting, so you've got to get the balance right between showing your strengths and your professionalism.

Throughout the interview, you might be asked to give examples of exercise plans you've put together for clients, along with the results. It's a good idea to have a portfolio of clients you have trained and, in some cases, maybe even before and after pictures. As long as your client gave you permission to do so, that's okay to bring up.

The interviewer may also test your ability to think on the spot by asking you how you would create a program from scratch. To prepare for this, think about the different types of clients you've worked with, their individual needs, and use the client that closely matches the question.

For example, you might get asked to draft a workout plan for a weight loss goal for a woman in her 20s or a plan to improve overall strength for a 50+ person. As long as you can bring up some principles and a framework, you'll be good.

Additionally, it would help if you took all of the relevant certificates and qualifications along. If you hold certifications from any of the accredited organizations like the American Council on Exercise (ACE), the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), or the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), make sure they know about them. If you're in the UK, you might want to show them which awarding body gave you your certificates. 

Don't forget about any CPDs or certificates in fields that can become important, like first aid, nutrition coaching, or behavior change.

You might also need to explain why your certifications qualify you to perform the job. Articulating your experience concerning the business needs is crucial. This is why you need to be ready to sell the strong points of the certificate and the issuing authority alongside it.

How to Prepare for Common Interview Questions

Another thing you can do to prepare yourself for a personal trainer job interview is to look for some of the most commonly asked questions in an interview. But when it comes to a personal trainer job, the questions may cover several areas. 

There will be some common sense ones such as "why did you decide to become a personal trainer?" or "how have you addressed client queries about supplements?" but there may also be more wellbeing related questions, such as "how can you cope with the demands of the role?" 

You can prepare by going through mock interviews and delivering solid answers to the questions. Practice will make perfect. You can even ask a friend or a family member to help you by pretending to be the interviewer. 

Additionally, making sure that you are inquisitive and courteous is crucial. If you don't know the answer to a question, it's much better to be honest rather than trying to talk yourself out of a problem. 

At the very end, if you have any questions, make sure you ask them, as an inquisitive nature always shows you are engaged. Finally, make sure you thank everyone for their time and show professionalism until you are well clear of the building!

How to Follow-Up

This is one of the more agonizing parts because it can be tempting to message them as soon as possible if you want the job. If they have told you they will get back within 3 to 5 working days, rather than messaging them on day 5, a good rule of thumb is to allow a couple of extra days on top.

When you've been called up for an interview, they will likely give you a telephone call as a matter of courtesy. However, you should keep an eye on your emails as well. If the outcome is what you want, you can get in contact and arrange the next steps.

However, if you didn't get the role, it's essential not to be downhearted. If you got an email that you didn't get the job, be courteous and reply, thanking them for the opportunity. It also doesn't hurt to ask for feedback. This way, you can fix any potential issues in the future when you apply for similar roles.

If you didn't get the job, you should consider this a worthwhile learning experience, as frustrating as it can be. Because you may have the skills to do the job, it could very well be the fact that someone was a better fit within the business. It is not just about the skills but the fact that you need to align with a fitness center's values.

Conclusion

A job interview is a nerve-wracking time for many people. Still, as long as you remain professional, courteous, and prepared, you have done everything you can.