Learning how to find a personal trainer job can be tricky, regardless of whether you’re a seasoned veteran or have just earned your qualification.
Throughout this article we’re going to make the process of finding employment as stress-free as possible, with direct links to career pages, fitness job boards, and recruitment agencies.
Content:
- Initial Qualifications Needed to Become a Personal Trainer
- Personal Trainer CV and Cover Letter Development
- How to Find a Personal Trainer Job Through Your Training Provider
- Finding a Personal Trainer Job on Leisure Specific Sites
- How to Use Management Companies to Find Personal Training Jobs
- Using Recruitment Agencies to Find Personal Trainer Jobs
- How to Find a Personal Trainer Job Directly at a Commercial Gym
- Finding Personal Trainer Jobs on General Job Boards
- Using Social Media to Find Personal Trainer Jobs
- How to Find Personal Trainer Jobs in Private Studios With Google
Aside from your Level 3 Personal Training qualification, a specialist Nutrition qualification can help your CV stand out from the crowd and help secure your dream job. Find out more by enquiring today or download our course prospectus here!
Initial Qualifications Needed to Become a Personal Trainer
Before thinking about how to make money as a personal trainer, you must first understand how to become officially qualified.
As an aspiring personal trainer, you should want the best qualification possible in order to set yourself up for a well-established career.
At OriGym, our Personal Training Diploma is an industry-leading certification that has been regulated by Ofqual and endorsed by CIMSPA. This diploma provides you with BOTH:
When choosing your PT Diploma, you should also consider how you want to study. This will allow you to fit your education around your existing schedule and responsibilities,
We’ve used our own diploma study options here, which include:
Full-Time: This takes an average of 4 weeks to complete and will be conducted from one of OriGym’s training centres. Once enrolled on this course you will attend training Monday – Friday in both theoretical and practical learning sessions.
Blended Learning: This learning pathway takes an average of 8 weeks to complete. Applicants who choose this learning pathway will undertake both theoretical work on the e-learning platform, as well as practical learning during workshops.
Online: This course takes an average of 12 weeks to complete, but there are no set deadlines meaning that you can realistically take as long as you wish. Throughout the duration of this course, you will learn from OriGym’s state-of-the-art e-learning platform.
Regardless of which option you choose, and which provider you opt for, please be assured that all students will learn from the same modules, including:
- Anatomy, physiology and kinesiology for exercise and health
- Principles of health and wellbeing for exercise, fitness and health
- Applying nutritional principles to personal training
- Programming Personal Training Sessions
- Delivering exercise programmes for Personal Training sessions
- Learning The Business
The diploma effectively teaches you how to become a personal trainer, and with an emphasis placed on the business side of the fitness industry, you will simultaneously learn how to get and maintain a job too.
We believe teaching our students about business is important for their personal and professional development.
In fact, once you’ve graduated from our course, we can provide you with a guaranteed interview at one of our partnered gyms.
Therefore, when initially questioning how to get a job as a personal trainer you must always look at qualifications first and foremost. Without this, you will not be recognised by the wider industry as a professional personal trainer.
Personal Trainer CV and Cover Letter Development
Questioning how to get a job as a personal trainer is no different from any other form of employment.
You could have the best body in the world, an industry-leading qualification, and glowing recommendations, but if your CV and cover letter aren’t up to standard you may not even get an interview.
According to Indeed, it is estimated that employers will look at a CV for an average of 7 seconds before determining whether it’s worth reading or not.
Therefore, making an impression is crucial if you’re looking to land a job as a personal trainer. We’ve put together a few tips and tricks on making yourself stand out in this initial stage.
Creating an Impressive CV
We strongly advise you to take pride in the way in which your CV is formatted, as this will be the thing that employers will notice first, before reading any of your content.
A professional personal trainer CV should be:
- Use an Easily-Readable Font: This is a given, but employers should actually be able to read your CV. We recommend using a plain font such as Arial or Times New Roman in size 12.
- Ensure Your Headings Stand Out: Employers should know what points you’re trying to make in relation to the topic at hand. We’d advise making your heading font slightly bigger such as size 14, or making it bold.
- Keep It Compact: Keep your CV to 2 pages maximum, no employer wants to read rambling paragraphs. Keeping things short and concise ideally with bullet points.
- Ensure Everything is Aligned: Optimise your margins, alignments and spacing to make sure that your CV is readable and clear.
- Keep Structure in Mind: Start with the most important pieces of information (e.g. your qualifications and personal contact information) and conclude with content like hobbies and interests.
- Include Positive Keywords: Use language which frames you in a positive way. This can include the likes of – ‘reliable’ ‘determined’ and ‘punctual’. Employers have sharp eyes and these words will instantly jump out to them during an initial scan.
- Tell The Truth: Do not lie on your CV. This will only be to your detriment as the truth will always come out.
- Avoid Images: A profile picture is fine, but continuous images will only distract your employer, and may even come across as padding or fluff.
Remember, this information is in relation to the presentation of your CV and not the actual content.
For a detailed explanation of what you should include, please refer to our article on ‘How to Write a Personal Trainer CV’.
Creating A Cover Letter
A cover letter can make or break whether or not you receive an offer of an interview or employment. Think of it as an extension of your CV and another opportunity to sell yourself to a potential employer.
If you’re wondering how to get a job as a personal trainer we strongly recommend ensuring that your cover letter is as strong as it can possibly be. Here are some tips to help you through the writing process:
- Be Concise – Much like your CV, a cover letter should be direct and straight to the point of why you deserve to be hired for this role. Whilst you shouldn’t compromise the quality of your content, try to ensure this letter can fit on an A4 piece of paper.
- Check Spelling and Grammar – Regardless of how strong your cover letter is, simple spelling mistakes remaining uncorrected could impact upon your chances of being hired. To reduce the chances of this happening, ask someone to proofread your work, as a fresh pair of eyes could pick up on errors you missed.
- Provide Examples to Back Up Claims – Be sure to back up any claim that is made within your cover letter. For example, if you state ‘I am a qualified personal trainer’ be sure to support that with your exact qualification – I am a qualified personal trainer who holds a personal training diploma from OriGym.
- Let Your Personality Shine – Your cover letter should provide employers with an insight into who you are as a person. This doesn’t have to be as formal as a CV and provides you with an opportunity to be more personable.
These are just a few tips explaining how to get a job as a personal trainer with your CV.
For a more detailed analysis and examples of how this document should look, please refer to our article ‘How to Write a Personal Trainer Cover Letter’.
How to Find a Personal Trainer Job Through Your Training Provider
If you have completed your training with a reputable provider they should typically offer post-course support in relation to your job search. This can be done in numerous ways such as:
- Support when creating your CV
- CV Distribution Within Your Local Area
- Guaranteed Interviews With Corporate Connections
- Business Plan and Forecasting
- Sales and Business Training
- Internal Job Board Where You Can Apply To Work as Part of the Team
As a training provider ourselves, we’ll be using OriGym as an example within this section, providing an insight into how we help graduates get their dream jobs as personal trainers.
Earlier, we touched on how we guarantee an interview post-graduation for all of our students, regardless of location.
We are able to provide this thanks to our board of corporate partners, for whom we regularly advertise for. An example of this can be found in the screenshot below for JD Gyms.
We also have direct emails for the heads of recruitment for all the major gym chains, meaning that we do all the heavy lifting for you within the application process.
Ultimately, though, the only person that can secure the job in the end is you, and you’ll need to prove in an interview setting that you’re the right candidate for the role.
As mentioned earlier within this article at OriGym, we also include a business training module as part of our Personal Training Diploma.
During this module you will cover a variety of topics ranging from how to create personal training packages, sales closing strategies, and learning to grow and expand your business as a personal trainer.
The business module has been purposefully interwoven into our qualification as we believe it’s an important factor in guaranteeing our student’s future success. Armed with this knowledge alone, you should realistically be able to achieve your dream job following graduation.
Students are also given advice in relation to their CV from our expert team of tutors, all of whom have successful personal training experience under their belt. Therefore, learning how to get a job as a personal trainer has never been easier with the help of training providers like OriGym.
Since our personal training courses are CIMSPA-endorsed, OriGym students can browse tons of job opportunites on CIMSPA’s very own careers hub.
Finding a Personal Trainer Job on Leisure Specific Sites
Like many other industries, the fitness sector has websites dedicated to finding personal trainer job roles. These sites are commonly referred to as ‘leisure-based’ and provide thousands of vacancies every day.
These sites will typically ask for information such as:
- Your Name
- Date of Birth
- Forms of Contact
- CV
- Cover Letter
- References
- Any other important supporting documents – e.g. Forms of identification, proof of address etc.
Please be aware that every hiring process is different and some applications may require more or less information and documentation from you.
Within this section, we’re going to provide a list of the best leisure websites that you can use to learn how to get a job as a personal trainer.
#1 – Active Careers
Active Careers is a jobs board specifically for the fitness, health and sport sector. You can find hundreds of Fitness Instructing and Personal Training jobs from some of the UK’s largest employers such as Pure Gym and JD Gyms.
The website is very easy to navigate and it only takes a few clicks of a button to submit an application, plus their newsroom has tons of valuable resources for Personal Trainers to use.
#2 – Leisure Jobs
Leisure Jobs is one of the most popular sites among personal trainers looking for employment. One of the benefits of using this platform is that it’s regularly updated on a monthly basis, with around 2,000 fitness-based jobs being posted every single month.
In order to narrow your job hunt down to exactly what you’re looking for, be sure to optimise the search features. This includes specifying:
- Your desired working location
- The specific sector
- Your desired salary brand
- The amount of hours you wish to work
Creating an account on the website is simple and can easily be done in under a minute, and once you’re signed up you’ll find that the rest of the site is just as simple to operate.
But perhaps the best aspect of Leisure Jobs is that it can span across the entire world, meaning that if you intend on moving countries you can find a job suitable for your skillset.
#3 – Leisure Opportunities
If you’re still unsure of how to find a personal trainer job, look no further than Leisure Opportunities. The site is a well-established industry leader, and partners with highly respected fitness recruiters and professionals in the UK.
This includes brands such as:
- PureGym
- Everyone Active
- Xercise4Less
- and GL Leisure
Leisure Opportunities can help to expand your professional horizons too, showing you both personal training jobs and other specialist forms of employment, such as sports massage therapists and yoga instructor vacancies.
Creating an account has never been easier, with just your basic information needed to set up the profile.
You can even add your CV to your profile allowing you to simply tap the apply button whenever you see an application you’re interested in.
#4 – Cruise Jobs
Learning how to become a personal trainer on a cruise ship has proven to be a fulfilling career venture, and one that allows you to combine your passion for fitness with exciting locations across the world.
If you’re interested in pursuing this somewhat niche career option, then we would recommend using the leisure site, Cruise Jobs.
Here, you can find personal trainer job applications for various world-renowned cruise lines such as:
- Disney Cruises
- Royal Caribbean International
- Princess Cruises
- Virgin Voyages
More specifically, you can use Cruise Jobs to hone your job search onto a specific location by selecting said countries flag in order to see if there are any vacancies.
Please note, when trying to find employment as a personal trainer on a cruise ship you may need multiple supporting documents such as:
- Visas
- Valid Passport
- Language Qualifications
- Certified Health Checks
- Certificates in Safety Training
Be sure to read the application clearly before rushing to submit it, as this will inform you on exactly what is required of you throughout the entire application process.
#5 – Flow Recruitment
Flow Recruitment is another example of a leisure-based site that can be used in order to find personal training jobs online.
The site is well designed and super simple to use. Simply select your chosen discipline (in this instance sports/leisure) and you’ll be greeted with every available job the site has to offer.
What makes Flow Recruitment unique is that it expands upon many of the preconceived ideas of what a personal trainer does for a living and where they work.
If the gym floor isn’t for you then have no fear, as with this site you can find employment in sectors such as:
- Sports Institutions
- Educational Sports Facilities
- Spas
- Leisure Attractions
- Bowling Operations
- Casinos
- Hotels
- Golf Clubs
- Holiday Parks
- Professional Sports Teams
Therefore, we can recommend Flow Recruitment to all those who are looking to learn how to find a personal trainer job outside the more traditional gym environment.
If you fall into this category, you may also be interested in learning how to become a mobile personal trainer, as this role will allow you to work in a variety of different locations.
#6 – Health Club Management
Health Club Management (HCM) is arguably one of the most versatile leisure websites to appear on our list.
We recommend using the site in order to find personal training jobs, along with other related opportunities such as gym and health club manager roles.
HCM works in collaboration with some of the largest chain gyms in the UK including PureGym and The Gym Group, guaranteeing its quality of service.
Working at large chain gyms can provide personal and professional benefits for trainers, making it the dream role for many within the industry.
However, if the idea of working in this type of environment does not appeal to you, HCM also works with local community centres and private gyms, aiding in their recruitment processes.
Therefore, in pursuit of answering how to get a job as a personal trainer, we strongly recommend using any of the leisure sites that have been listed above.
What’s ideal about all of these sites is that they each offer a wider variety of job opportunities, making it suitable for all personal trainers regardless of their unique job aspirations.
How to Use Management Companies to Find Personal Trainer Jobs
Management companies will represent many major gyms and fitness employers, by providing personal trainers and other fitness-related services for the respective locations.
If you are employed by these management companies, you will be recommended for current job vacancies within your local and surrounding areas.
It is the goal of any good management company to find the perfect trainer for the specific location and vice versa.
Ultimately, personal training management companies can greatly improve your chances of becoming employed within the industry.
With a host of professional connections, they can help newly qualified trainers get a foot in the door, opening up a vast array of career opportunities and prospects.
#1 – Your Personal Training
Your Personal Training is one of the most well-established management companies in Europe, and is just one of OriGym’s many industry-based partners.
This personal training management company traditionally works with private institutions such as health centres and spas, providing employment opportunities that would typically not be available through general searches.
In the interest of exploring how to find a personal trainer job through a variety of methods, it may be worth looking into PT management companies.
By providing professional support for personal trainers and gym operators alike, Your Personal Training claims to instil integrity, passion, and commitment in order to ensure each of its employees become the best fitness provider possible.
In order to ensure their trainers’ professional success, Your Personal Training provides its employees with the following benefits:
- Capped Venue Capacity – By ensuring to monitor the number of personal trainers based at each location the management company prevents oversaturation. This will guarantee you a steady rate of clients, without the fear of losing them to competitors.
- Career Progression – The management company also provides you with consistent guidance on how you can effectively expand your business pathways.
- Prospect of Keeping 100% of your Earnings – Despite finding employment with the assistance of a management company you won’t have to give them any cut of your total earnings.
- Marketing Packages Worth £350 – To assist you in getting your business off the ground. This includes a personalised notice board and TV profile in a gym of your choice, a profile on the company website, exposure on their social media pages, and free online marketing classes that will help you improve in your own time.
This is just a fraction of the benefits that Your Personal Training can provide to its clients. Learning how to get a job as a personal trainer with their assistance can open you up to opportunities that would have otherwise been inaccessible.
However, please note that if you decide to pursue this specific personal training management company, you’d be legally considered to be self-employed.
For further advice on what to do if you find yourself in this position, please refer to our article debating the differences between sole trader and limited company personal trainers.
#2 – Motive8
Unlike the previous entry, Motive8 expands its management service far beyond personal training, allowing applicants to pursue a multitude of job roles within the health and fitness industry.
This could allow you to branch out and explore specialist areas of interest such as a Level 3 Yoga Diploma, in the knowledge that Motive8 will have vacancies within that specific sector following your graduation.
Working in collaboration with the likes of gyms, spas, and hotels, Motive8 provides an array of services to ensure that their client’s business runs smoothly.
In relation to gyms and personal trainers, these services include the likes of:
- Management – In which an individual will operate within a senior position and oversee facilitated roles such as client inductions, classes, and 1-to-1 sessions with clients.
- Maintenance – In this role, a Motive8 employee will be tasked with ensuring that gym equipment, pools, and spas are all running smoothly to the highest standards.
- Specialist Equipment – Motive8 also keeps on top of the latest health and fitness trends to ensure they acquire specialist equipment for their parameters facilities.
So even when operating as a PT, you could perform other roles such as attending to the maintenance of the gym equipment.
The great thing about applying for a PT job role through Motive8 is that they cater to multiple of facilities regardless of the size.
This essentially means that you could work at any location, from large-scale health spas to smaller, privately owned gyms.
Therefore, if you’re interested in working in new and exciting locations then it may be worth researching what personal trainer roles are available within your local area through management companies such as the two listed above.
Using Recruitment Agencies to Find Personal Trainer Jobs
Personal training recruitment agencies operate in a similar manner to management companies and are great resources for newcomers who are looking to discover how to get a job as a personal trainer with no experience with applications.
These agencies are also beneficial for trainers who have no specific employment location in mind.
Therefore, if you’d like to operate in various locations from gyms, to fitness centres, then this may be a possible route to take in pursuit of a PT career.
The jobs that are suggested to you by these agencies will be bespoke to your specified criteria, meaning that you won’t be recommended for an undesirable role.
#1 – 4 Leisure Recruitment
4Leisure Recruitment are specialists within the health and fitness sector, holding an impressive 40 years of experience that has seen them place many of their applicants within high end jobs.
With this agency you can specify whether you’re looking for full-time or part-time recruitment, meaning that work this around whatever existing schedule you have.
For example, if you’re unable to commit to full-time employment, why not opt for part-time work in personal training?
This way, you’ll be able to structure your working schedule around your existing commitments, which is ideal if you’ve got existing obligations, like childcare.
With an extensive list of affiliations, 4Leisure offer huge opportunities to work with the following companies:
- Anytime Fitness
- The Massage Company
- Motiv8
- Virgin Active
Employers can also use this site to find potential candidates that suit their specific needs. So, if you’re registered with the site you may even receive work offers without the need to apply in the first place.
#2 – Ultra Force
When questioning ‘how to get a job as a personal trainer’, online research will always bring up Ultra Force.
This is for good reason, as the website is both highly efficient and long-established. In fact, Ultra Force is currently the oldest existing PT recruitment company in existence, founded in 1985.
What makes Ultra Force unique is that it’s a specialist fitness recruitment agency for applicants who are looking for work overseas in locations such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, or Bahrain (as seen in the screenshot provided below).
Applicants who are interested in using this recruitment agency should primarily focus on the LeisureForce and SportsJobs4Women divisions of the site.
LeisureForce focuses primarily on finding job roles for applicants who are interested in management and senior positions within sports clubs, hotels and resorts.
When attempting to find employment from this specific recruitment division please be aware that you will be fully screened by the company. This is done in order to guarantee that you are suitable for the specific positions that are advertised.
This process includes:
- Screening candidates in a face to face interview (when possible)
- Verifying certificates and qualifications
- Checking previous experience and CV details
- Gathering previous employer references
- Visa and Medical requirements checked
As the name implies, the SportsJobs4Women recruitment division primarily focused on securing employment for women, primarily within female-only fitness locations.
Much like LeisureForce, this recruitment process provides applicants roles within managerial or other senior positions.
It’s crucial to note here that, as the screenshot above shows, applicants should hold a minimum of 3-years of experience in order to receive offers of work.
Therefore, this could be the perfect recruitment agency for trainers who are a little older and have much more experience under their belt.
#3 – Future Active
Back in 2005 Future Active was set up in order to help candidates find roles as PE Teachers. However, in recent years the company has expanded and can now help applicants find a job as a personal trainer amongst other forms of health and fitness roles.
The site is simple to navigate, allowing you to seamlessly search and apply for existing vacancies with little to no hassle.
You can even sign in through your LinkedIn account and receive regular updates of what becomes available as and when it’s posted.
By signing up for Future Active you could also be offered work in overseas locations, such as the Saudi Arabia listing posted below.
Future Active works in close collaboration with companies to ensure the perfect match is created.
They will gather as much information as possible in regards to the role, before determining candidates who they’ll personally recommend for the position.
However, just because you are not personally recommended doesn’t mean you can’t still apply as the application will still be posted regardless.
#4 – Yves Preissler
Yves Preissler is a fitness recruitment agency which specialises in overseas recruitment. Therefore, if you’d like to discover how to get a job as a personal trainer with no experience internationally, then this may be the site for you.
The agency offers bespoke recruitment solutions to companies located in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and South America, allowing for successful applicants to see plenty of locations across the world.
Whilst getting paid to work and travel may be the dream for a lot of trainers, operating aboard can have a plethora of other benefits too.
For example, those who work in locations such as Dubai will be eligible for tax deductions, meaning you’ll keep more of what you earn than you otherwise might.
Furthermore, Yves Preissler claims to provide the best possible opportunities in the entire industry, and with the diverse listing featured below, it’s easy to see why their recruitment process is so popular with specialised personal trainers.
Yves Preissler ensures that they have a specialised and diverse clientele base, meaning they’re able to offer jobs that require a varied skill set, but offer huge benefits and an exotic workplace.
This is beneficial when offering bespoke recruitment solutions, as the employer will get exactly what they’re looking for.
For example, if you wished to apply for the Group Exercise Instructor role we’ve outlined above, you’d ideally hold both a Personal Training Diploma and relevant boxing experience.
In this instance, you would be the bespoke solution, as you’d be able to successfully craft a workout class specialising in boxing, as well as deliver 1-on-1 sessions for those looking for a more tailored experience.
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If you want to be successful during the employment process, check out these other OriGym articles:
- Personal Trainer Business Tips
- Types of Professional Development for Personal Trainers
- How To Sell As A Personal Trainer
How to Find a Personal Trainer Job Directly at a Commercial Gym
When many individuals begin to question how to get a job as a personal trainer they’ll actually be thinking about how to become employed by a gym specifically.
However, merely wanting to work at a ‘gym’ isn’t specific enough. You need to also consider whether you want to work at a commercial chain, a private studio, or a specialised gym.
Whilst many of the previous sections in this article have discussed how to become employed in private and specialised locations, this section will specifically focus on how to become employed directly by commercialised gyms.
In many of these instances, you will simply have to apply through the gym’s personal website. With this, we’d strongly advise visiting the location in person, as this way you can communicate your interest directly to the employer.
Then, you’re able to submit an application directly to the gym. We’ve outlined all of these below, and linked to their application pages.
Simply select the facility you’re interested in and you’ll be taken directly to their application page:
- Sports Direct Fitness
- Virgin Active
- PureGym
- Anytime Fitness
- Nuffield Health
- David Lloyds
- TruGym
- The Gym
- Everyone Active
- GymBox
- JD Gyms
- Better
- Roko
- Simply Gym
- Total Fitness
- Equinox
- Village Hotels
- Marriott
- Third Space
- Xercise4Less
For a more in-depth look at obtaining employment in larger, nationwide gyms, please head over to our article which explores how to become a PureGym Personal Trainer.
Typically, applying for a personal trainer job directly through a gym’s recruitment page will require you to submit a CV and cover letter, but may ask further questions too.
These questions can be somewhat general, such as asking you to simply state how many years’ worth of experience you have, or they may require further elaboration and writing on your behalf.
For example, a question may ask you to share a moment when you’ve displayed good customer service skills, at which point you should try to be as detailed as possible.
It’s hard to give a general overview of how to find a personal trainer job directly through a Gym’s website, as every institution will have its own hiring process.
Be sure to read the entire application diligently before filling in any section or submitting a document, as this will allow you to plan ahead.
Finding Personal Trainer Jobs on General Job Boards
Although many gyms and fitness companies advertise directly on their sites or through third-party leisure sites, this does not negate the importance of general job seeking boards and websites.
Job board websites are the most mainstream way to apply for jobs in the modern age. Many companies still choose to advertise this way, which is why job boards tend to show very high up on the organic searches.
This can be seen in the screenshot provided below, which clearly displays Indeed ranking first on the Google search for the term ‘personal training jobs’.
Employers still use these sites for many reasons, including:
- They bring in many applications through general search engines such as Google. Not everyone knows about leisure-specific sites, but everyone will be able to instantly find these vacancies.
- They allow companies to create a positive reputation among applicants, through the site’s review section.
- The database of existing site users is high, meaning that desirable applicants who’ve applied for similar roles are more likely to be recommended for the vacancy.
Let’s take a look at a few general job boards in detail:
#1 – Indeed
Let’s start with Indeed itself. As arguably the most popular job board site in the world, you’ll be able to find thousands of personal trainer roles with the simple push of a button.
From the screenshot provided above, we can see just how popular the site is on any given day, with 1,096 results found.
Indeed is a globally recognised brand, and can even allow you to find jobs in other countries. So, if you’ve ever wanted to become a personal trainer in Australia for example, then the job board can be optimised to help with this search.
Another great aspect about Indeed is that it’s straightforward to use, without any unnecessary features or functionality, making it incredibly popular with employers and employees alike.
This also makes it the perfect board for those wanting to learn how to get a job as a personal trainer with no experience in applications or job hunting.
Simply submit your CV, cover letter, and any further information that the employer requires, and your application can be received within a matter of minutes.
#2 – Totaljobs
Totaljobs is another example of an exceedingly popular jobs board that can teach you how to get a personal trainer job with relative ease.
The site uses its pedigree and status to match you with your ideal role, regularly advertising 280,000 vacancies a month.
To provide you with an insight into the reach of Totaljobs, you should be aware that they recruit for the likes of:
- The Gym Group
- The Marriott
- Hilton Hotels
- NHS
- Local Councils
Using this site could allow you to work for/with major globally recognised brands and organisations, especially given its reach and standing as one of the best recognised job boards online.
TotalJobs even recruits for previously mentioned recruitment agencies such as 4leisure Recruitment, meaning you’ll be able to experience the benefits of focused employment, while still exploring all the possibilities available to you.
#3 – Reed
With Reed, finding a job within the fitness sector has never been easier, with over 25,000 global recruiters regularly advertising on the site.
On average, there’ll be over 1,600 existing fitness positions available worldwide allowing you to expand your personal training career into other avenues, such as becoming a fitness and gym manager.
Much like the previously mentioned job boards, Reed is also incredibly user-friendly and avoids any unnecessary complications that other sites might have.
Therefore, if you’re a newcomer looking for your first job within the industry, you can rest easy knowing that the application process was quick and easy.
When it comes to specialised features Reed also allows users to shortlist vacancies that interest them.
This allows you to save an application form for a later date should you be too busy to complete it at the moment.
#4 – Monster
Monster is an all encompassing jobs board where hundreds of vacancies are advertised every day for the fitness industry.
The site has been known to work with the likes of:
- Sports Direct
- Three People
- Everlast
- Local Councils
- Local Universities and Education Providers
Monster has also been known to advertise for fitness-based opportunities within the NHS. For example, they regularly feature applications for exercise referral specialists and other related roles, as evident from the screenshot provided above.
Therefore, if you’re looking for a jobs board that provides you with more variety outside the general gym-based roles then you should highly consider searching through Monster.
#5 – Gumtree
Gumtree is a little different from the aforementioned job board to appear within this list. Whilst it still allows employers to advertise vacancies within their companies, it also provides personal trainers with a great platform to launch freelance careers.
You may already be aware that the site is primarily used to buy and sell goods and items, but did you know that you can also advertise services such as personal training on the site too?
Simply select the ‘Post Ad’ feature and craft an advertisement for your personal training service. This could be a highly effective way to target clients within your local area, especially if you’re a newly qualified personal trainer looking to launch a freelance business.
For further advice on how to market as a personal trainer click here, including tailored advice on how to present the services you offer.
Perhaps the biggest benefit of Gumtree is that it puts you in direct control of your own job, allowing you to personally select every aspect including:
- Salary
- Desired clientele
- Current working location
- Working hours
- Training style provided
#6 – Glassdoor
Glassdoor is primarily known as a site for employers to receive feedback from current and previous employees through an anonymous reviewing system.
If you ever receive an offer of employment, you could use the job board to see how the company operates on both a personal and professional level.
However, Glassdoor also hosts thousands of job vacancies across 150 countries, working in close collaboration with fitness specialists such as:
- Nike
- The Gym Group
- PureGym
- Virgin Active
A further benefit of using Glassdoor is that you can also see how the vacancy’s proposed salary offer compares to the average salary of a personal trainer.
Whichever job board you choose to use, you are guaranteed to find a vacancy in your area to meet your needs. We would, however, recommend using multiple different sites to find the role that’s right for you.
Just because some of these sites aren’t specialist does not negate their effectiveness, and we’d strongly advise using them on your job hunt.
Using Social Media to Find Personal Trainer Jobs
Using social media as a personal trainer can help to expand your business in a variety of ways, from advertising your services in engaging posts, to putting you in direct communication with clients.
However, you can also use social media to find existing jobs within the industry. While many platforms offer ways to advertise existing vacancies, we’re going to primarily focus on two sites that offer the most interaction and options for employment – Facebook and LinkedIn.
This is due to the fact that they are the only existing social media platforms that allow you to directly apply throughout the site itself.
Other sites, like Instagram and Twitter, will have to include an external link within the job’s description, which will then lead interested parties to another page, rather than allowing them to apply there and then.
#1 – Facebook
Facebook is one of the most influential websites ever created, and whilst it is predominantly used to keep up to date with news and friends, employers will now use the social media site to advertise vacancies.
From the ad featured above, we can see just how simple the application process can be. Many employers will simply allow you to submit your details, CV and cover letter with the push of a button.
Other advertising posts may include a detailed description of the job before posting a link to their external website. Here’s a great example from PureGym.
Whilst discussing how to find a personal trainer job through gyms directly, we touched on the importance of visiting the location in person, in order to sell yourself to an employer and to express interest in working for them.
The same thing can be applied to applying for roles through Facebook, as every fitness business, no matter how large or small, will have some form of social media presence.
Facebook’s Messenger service allows you to directly communicate with the business in question, where you can find out further information, and register your interest.
You can even attach your CV and cover letter to this message, treating it as you would any other job application.
For personal trainers working on a freelance basis, you can also optimise Facebook to find work too.
Further guidance on how to start a personal training Facebook page can be found here, including how best to optimise your approach to social media advertising.
#2 – LinkedIn
When questioning how to get a job as a personal trainer, it may be your first instinct to check LinkedIn.
If you don’t already have an account, we would strongly recommend creating one as soon as possible, otherwise you could be missing out on thousands of job opportunities.
Regardless of where you’re located within the world, you should be able to find personal trainer roles that are both appropriate and accessible.
Furthermore, once you have applied for several jobs, LinkedIn will learn your specific algorithm and will begin to recommend roles that are suited to your application history.
These recommendations also extend to employers, who will be given a list of desirable applicants based on their previous experience and existing skills.
Should someone ever view your profile, you will be notified in a manner similar to the screenshot provided below from OriGym’s account.
Therefore, be sure that your profile is immaculately presented at all times, with a professional/appropriate profile picture and relevant up-to-date information.
This will create a good impression should LinkedIn ever recommend you to an employer, or if anyone decides to visit your personal page.
Another added benefit of using LinkedIn to search for job opportunities is that you can make connections with peers and employers within your chosen industry.
This can help to build both your reputations and rapport with others, increasing the likelihood of receiving an offer of employment.
How to Find Personal Trainer Jobs in Private Studios With Google
If you’re looking for a fast and easy way to find personal trainer jobs it’s important to remember one thing – Google is incredibly effective.
The search engine is a system of relevance, and in order to find jobs that are specifically within private sectors you must manipulate the language you use.
In order to find privately owned studios, fitness centres, and/or boutique gyms you could type in any of the following searches:
- Personal Trainer + (Your Location)
- Personal Training Studio + (Your Location)
- Fitness Studio + (Your Location)
- Private Gym + (Your Location)
- Boutique Gym + (Your Location)
- Specialist Gym + (Your Location)
- PT Studio + (Your Location)
From the screenshot provided above, we can clearly see that Google returns results that are specific to what you’re looking for.
This has been achieved through specified wording. You aren’t giving the search engine a general term such as ‘Personal trainer jobs’, and will therefore be greeted with a selection of tailored results.
With your job search narrowed down to one specified private location, you can easily apply to the personal training job of your dreams without needing to sift through page after page of advertisements.
FAQ
How Do You Prepare for a Personal Training Job Interview?
It’s all well and good researching how to get a job as a personal trainer, but succeeding in an interview is an entirely different matter.
This is your final chance to impress the employer and secure the job, so here are our top tips for what you can do in order to succeed in your next job interview.
Dress To Impress
Dress as you would for any other interview. Smart office wear is usually a safe choice, but be sure that you’re wearing something comfortable and appropriate.
You may also be required to perform a physical demonstration, at which point you should also bring workout gear to the interview. Don’t worry too much about this, as employers will clarify what your interview entails prior to your arrival.
You might also choose to bring a change of clothes, in case there is a physical aspect of the interview. This also subtly demonstrates your preparedness, and your willingness to participate.
Prepare a Demonstration
Many PT applicants fall at this hurdle of the interview, as they don’t come prepared with a pre-set demonstration. Don’t simply assume that employers will ask you to see specific workouts at the moment, they may ask you to personally improvise on the spot.
Take some time prior to the interview to practice a few different demonstrations, just to ensure you have multiple go-tos under your belt. It may even be worth teaching a mock class/session to family and friends.
Research Practice Questions
Every employer will approach interviews from a different perspective. For this reason, determining what questions you may be asked is simply a guessing game.
However, by researching commonly occurring questions you could prepare a series of answers to ensure you’re not caught off guard.
At OriGym, we’re here to help with this process with our article discussing some of the most common personal trainer interview questions and answers.
Before You Go!
This article was specifically designed to inform you how to get a job as a personal trainer. Our final piece of advice would be to try multiple different methods, as ignoring certain websites or recruitment processes can mean you miss out on your dream role.
Every extensive search begins with the right qualifications. Alongside your Level 3 Personal Trainer qualification, set yourself up for further success when finding employment by studying our Level 4 Nutrition course online.
Find out more by enquiring today or download our course prospectus to see what other qualifications you can add to your CV!