Characteristics of a Personal Trainer
While anyone can be a personal trainer, it helps if you have some of the following characteristics:
- Outgoing personality
- Endless enthusiasm
- Patience
- Charisma
- Knowledge
- Teaching and listening skills
It also helps if you're flexible, like being around different types of people and are willing to work hard to market yourself.
Getting Certified
Before you start torturing people with dumbbells, you'll need to get certified through a professional organization. This certification identifies you as a legitimate trainer and indicates you've been through some type of workshop, seminar or home study course. There are many organizations that certify personal trainers, so choosing one can be difficult. Which one is best for you? Before you decide, do some research. You'll need to find out the following:
- Is it a national/international certification? Is it universally recognized?
- What are the pre-requisites for the exam? For example, the American College of Sports Medicine certification requires that you have a 2-year, 4-year or master's degree or 900 hours of related experience. Others only require a CPR certification.
- Does the exam require attendance at a workshop or seminar? Is it offered in your city or nearby? If seminars aren't an option for you, do they offer a home study program?
- How much does it cost?
- What are the continuing education requirements to renew the certificate? Completing a certain number of continuing education hours is a requirement of most certifications and will be an extra expense to consider.
- Is there a specific club you want to work for? If so, find out what certifications they require or recognize before taking the test.
How do you find this information? Most organizations have websites that detail the different certifications they offer, along with exam locations and dates, prices, home study options and other crucial information. The next page lists some of the most prominent organizations and the job options available for personal trainers.
Next page Organizations and Job Options Page 1, 2, 3
