Participating in sports brings a variety of benefits, such as developing teamwork skills and maintaining your health. However, the best part is that the excitement of playing sports doesn’t have to be only recreational. As the sports industry continues to evolve and new opportunities come up, you can turn your love for sports into a successful fitness career. With enough dedication and hard work, you can make it happen as long as you don’t give up and have enough belief in yourself.
Luckily, there are plenty of career options to explore, from teaching physical education to working as a sports journalist. Here we will share how to get a job in the UK fitness industry.
Consider What You Like About Sport
The first essential step before jumping into a new career path is to think about what you like about sports. The sporting world is huge, so it’s worth considering where your interests can take you. There might be an aspect of the sport that piques your curiosity more than others or some events that you like to attend more frequently. Once you have an idea of what interests you, you can determine what sports jobs might work for you.
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For example, would you want a career as a fitness instructor, or personal trainer? Or perhaps you have dreams of becoming a gym owner yourself.
On the other hand, perhaps you’d rather have a more office-based role in health and fitness – as a part-time fitness professional in a private fitness club, for example. Wanting to have a career in the fitness industry doesn’t mean you have to land a job training clients of your own or being physically active all of the time. There are many more desk-based roles to consider as well. It just depends on what you enjoy about health and fitness.
Pursue A Sports Degree
You can increase your knowledge by looking for specialised courses and engaging in training tailored to your interests. For instance, sports psychology courses can help you learn more about how psychology affects athletic performance. At The University of Stirling, you can complete a bachelor’s degree in sports psychology, allowing you to develop an in-depth understanding of psychological issues across a range of sports and exercise settings.
Studying the psychology behind sport will enable you to optimise athletic performance and wellbeing. This is a fascinating and exciting field, which can provide you with the opportunity to work with a variety of people.
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How To Get A Job In A Gym
However, if your plan is to become a personal trainer, you don’t need a degree. You simply need to complete your Level 2 & 3 personal training course. Don’t waste money on a degree if your industry doesn’t require it.
To get a job in a gym, you need experience using a gym and seeing how it works.
- Go as often as you can and just start using the equipment
- Ask the personal trainers there lots of questions
- Get to know the management at the gym
- Let them know you’re interested in becoming a gym instructor
- Ask if they have any junior roles available
- Show enthusiasm
- At least level 2 fitness instructor qualified
- Practise training your friends to get experience
From personal experience, this is how I tell people to get a job in a gym – and it’s exactly what I did. 5 years later I now have my own successful online training business that all started from be-friending the gym staff!
Types Of Jobs In Sport
- Personal Trainer
- Fitness Instructor
- P.E Teacher
- Nutritionist or Dietitian
- Sports Massage Therapist
- Physiotherapist
- Gym Manager
- Leisure Centre Assistant
- Sports Scientist
- Yoga or Pilates Instructor
- Swimming Coach
Build Your Network
As you move along your professional journey, it’s crucial to build your network and reach out to people in the industry. This can be a great way to get an idea of what areas you may want to get involved in. Moreover, it can lead to open doors further down the line, that will help you progress with your career goals.
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For best results, it’s best to connect with individuals, who are currently employed at organisations that you would like to work for and speak with them about their experience.
Gain Experience
If you want to build a successful career in sports, gaining relevant experience is key. Although finding experience can be difficult, there are a few ways that can help you get started. For example, internships can give you valuable insight into the role that you want.
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There are sports organisations, that offer internships, lasting between a few weeks and a year. In some cases, you may want to complete an internship over the summer or you may decide to take a gap year. Alternatively, volunteering is a popular and easy way to gain experience, as there are plenty of positions available throughout the year.
Keep Up With Sports News
Keeping up with what is going on in the industry will help you demonstrate your passion and dedication. There are many ways to stay updated, such as reading news every day, signing up for sports newsletters, and following social media accounts.
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Also, you may want to set up breaking news alerts on your phone, so that you receive a notification every time something major happens. Be sure to have dedicated time to catch up with the news to ensure consistency.
Hopefully, this article has given you some tips on how to get a job in the fitness industry – no matter the area you’re interested in. How would you tell someone to get a job in a gym – what advice would you offer them?
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This is a really great post and very informative. One thing I love to do is workout. You feel so good afterwards and your body and health get the benefit from it.
Oh yes same here! A quick workout can lift the worst of moods. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this article.