What is an alternative approach for a career change into personal training?
Having a BS degree in Business and MA degree in education and spending over 10 years in education. I am looking for the best approach to switching careers into personal training and nutrition.
Harris gives a thorough and well thought out answer.
I have worked at a Y and in addition to having a social mandate that looks beyone personal enrichment the Y does a good job at providing experience and education to their staff. education.
One thing to consider is whether you are going the personal training, or the nutritionist route. A nationally recognized certification in personal training would be my suggestion, as if you have only a cert. in nutrition you will be competing with people with nutritionist degrees. If you have the personal training, you can add on specialty training on lifestyle and health, or health coach and begin to work more with the nutritional side. Just remember that there is a difference between a nutritionist and someone with a certificate in nutrition having to do with scope of practice.
As Harris says, keep educating yourself. And if you really want to do this don’t give up. People often change professions, and what they have done in other areas enrich their new careers and give them their own uniqueness. I was a student of philosophy and a library tech before working in fitness and I can’t count the number of times I find myself referring to Aristotle in class 🙂
Good luck,