Tired of office work? Are you more and more often visited by thoughts that you are not doing your own thing? Training, fitness, healthy eating – is your outlet and hobby?
The first associations with the concept of “fitness” vividly contrast with the life of the “office collar”. A bright sports uniform and comfortable sneakers instead of a strict suit and shoes, a busy day of movement instead of sitting at a table and a computer, a sporty and slim figure, varied and interesting workouts instead of long and not always constructive meetings, smiling and satisfied customers instead of irritated colleagues and customers, finally, a team of like-minded people who share your values and beliefs.
The picture is very attractive and tempting. And here you are increasingly visited by thoughts about a radical change of profession – and not to go to work as a coach?
Let’s answer the main question together: what is the result of the coach’s work for you? What are you willing to risk for? Are you driven by the desire to help people become happier and healthier, more confident, more flexible, faster, stronger, more energetic? Are you ready to take responsibility for future clients, their health and safety during training, answer questions, guide, encourage, motivate, help to believe in yourself, overcome complexes and difficulties? If your answer is “yes”, and these victories are your main reward, follow the dream and move on to the next point.
Let’s outline a plan of action
1. “That’s it, I can’t do it anymore!”. We recognize the problem
Do you have no desire to go to work? Lost interest and sense of responsibility? Unpleasant to communicate with colleagues, irritation will be replaced by apathy and indifference? If you confidently answer “yes” to these questions, the symptom of professional burnout is obvious.
Each case of burnout is individual. Factors such as monotony and routine, the volume of tasks and workload, the discrepancy between the company’s sphere of activity and personal values, dissatisfaction with material remuneration and relations with superiors can have a significant impact. The pressure of information flows, speeds and distances of megacities, deadlines, projects, competitors and obligations affects.
Psychologists all over the world recognize the danger of burnout, this condition can seriously affect your mental and even physical health. Depression, irritability, sleep disorders, appetite, anxiety, constant fatigue, loss of meaning and devaluation of one’s activities, loss of faith in one’s own strength are frequent companions of burnout. In such a situation, many people are thinking about changing their activities. Perhaps this is not the only way out. It is important to make a decision that will be the best and right for you specifically.
2. We make a decision
No matter how much we sometimes want, no one else will take responsibility for our lives and will not make a decision for us. It is important to weigh the pros and cons and make a choice that will be the only right one for you. Let’s try to understand the current situation. Is it that bad?
Take a break. Plan a vacation (of course, not for 3-4 days). Change from a noisy office to a deserted beach, mountains or countryside. Information detox is a mandatory component, take a break from mail, phone, social networks.
Remember why you fell in love with your work? Analyze your functionality, it may be worth delegating a number of tasks and focusing on what really inspires you, perhaps the taste for life will return.
Adjust the work and rest regime, do not live at work.
Run away from the routine, take time for your hobby and learn new things. Let it be sports, movies, books, exhibitions, programming, crop production.
Check your feelings after a while. Doesn’t help? Are you ready to start from scratch? Are you ready to take a risk and follow your dream – a career as a trainer and further development in the fitness industry? Then we make a decision and proceed.
3. Planning financial resources
Most likely, your work in the office is the main source of earnings. When you leave, be prepared for the fact that the usual level of your earnings may decrease significantly or income will not come at all. Savings, the so-called financial “cushion”, will make it easier to adapt to new conditions, including psychologically. General recommendations – to have an amount equal to six of your salaries in the same place. If this is unrealistic, try to find an opportunity to provide for yourself for at least three months.
There is a high probability that for the first time in a new profession you will earn less. But it is important to always remember – having found yourself and your vocation, you will be able to actively develop, which is certainly related to the level of income.
4. And if there is no diploma of higher education in the field of sports and medicine?
The next logical step is to get additional education and knowledge. High-quality knowledge can be obtained in professional courses, for example, in the course of a Personal Fitness Trainer at FPA. Choose independent accredited training centers with a proven reputation. The “quality mark” is the duration of the course, its content and cost. Unfortunately, no matter how tempting the promises to find a new profession may sound in two weeks, it is unlikely that you will have time to cover at least a small part of the basics of physiology, biomechanics and methodology, not to mention practice, memorization and consolidation of what you have passed.
Quality education requires financial and time investments.
It is extremely important to plan time in advance. Check the schedule in advance, make sure you can attend classes.
Choose a proven education, build a foundation, dig deeper, read, be interested, expand horizons. Ask teachers questions, “get involved” in discussions. Debunk myths and systematize knowledge. Justify the trust of your future customers.
5. What should I write in my resume if I have no work experience in a new specialty?
Many will have this natural question. The path will not be easy, but there is always a chance to start a new successful career. It is better to write a resume closer to the completion of the courses.
Let’s analyze your strengths and determine your competitive advantages. There is no need to “reset” your accumulated previous experience. For example, sales experience or conducting complex negotiations, marketing experience is your invaluable baggage.
In addition to the resume, it will be useful to compose a cover letter with an emphasis on your strengths. Often your main advantage is a new perspective and a look at the industry as a whole. We help you to make a resume and advise you on the right steps towards employment.
6. Who will hire me without experience? Job search
Skeptics believe that you can’t find a job without experience, but is it true? If you have an education and a great desire, but no practice, the chances are still great.
It is important to be proactive, move towards the goal and not lose an optimistic attitude if things are not going as quickly and smoothly as we would like. We will work out various options.
Respond to open vacancies is the easiest way. Stay tuned for updates on shared portals (for example, hh.ru or Sulierjob) and specialized resources, for example, ours: vacancies. Subscribe to the FPA newsletter, where interesting options often appear, including for beginners. To do this, we even created a separate Telegram channel.
Independently send your resume to the clubs and organizations you are interested in, even if there are no open vacancies on the site.
Start with an internship, it will allow you to gain practical experience, which can be indicated in the resume, and get recommendations. In particular, there is an opportunity to complete an internship after studying at the FPA.
Communicate, get acquainted, develop your network of professional contacts. The Internet will help you, namely profile groups and pages, just carefully approach the choice, choose really professional communities. Go to conferences, profile events, ask speakers prepared and interesting questions. There is a high probability that you will be remembered.
Don’t “narrow the funnel”. Do not limit yourself to the geography of your area only. Do not refuse to work in startups or clubs that are opening. An actively developing project is an invaluable opportunity to quickly gain the necessary experience.
Every year, people aged 70-90 are interviewed in different countries, what they regret most at the end of life and make up “Regret Ratings”. In the first place, regret that most of my life was given to an unloved job. Also in the top 5 is the fear of leaving the comfort zone and the opportunity to change your life for the better. No one is sorry for lost time, empty conversations, careers, meetings, expensive cars and designer clothes. They regret that they did not follow the dream, that they did not realize themselves.
Unfortunately, we all do not live in an ideal world with an unlimited amount of money and free time, when we can think enough about what we really want to do. Often we have to do everything at once: work, be responsible for financial obligations and our family, and at the same time look for a vocation, a favorite job and hobby, take care of our spiritual and physical well-being. It is said that J.K. Rowling worked as a tutor in the process of writing Harry Potter. It is necessary not to be afraid to take a step forward, at least a small one, but to do it, you need to meet your desires, reveal your potential and realize yourself in your own – exactly your own! – vocation.