PT job-hunting

This is a summary of what I've learned from looking for a PT job over the last few months. It applies to Australia mainly, but there may be stuff in here useful to everyone.

Since coming back from my honeymoon at the end of April, I have [LIST][*]applied for 12 positions[*]been invited for 6 interviews[*]been offered 4 jobs[*]accepted 2 of those jobs[/LIST]Of the 12 positions, 4 were just open ongoing advertisements for casual GI/PTs put up by councils and gyms. These did not reply to me at all; I think they just keep the advert up forever then whenever they really do need someone, they start responding.

One job I was unadvertised, I was talking to my PT school teacher, he asked me if I had a job yet, I said no, he asked where I lived, he told me to call PA at the gym; PA is a colleague and friend of his from some years back. I rang up PA, chatted to him, he told me to email the gym supervisor and mention I'd talked to him. So when I went for that, I was competing against no-one but myself.

Others have been advertised at [URL="http://www.fitness.org.au/job_board_50568118.html"]Fitness Australia[/URL], or else on the websites of chain gyms like the [URL="http://www.ymca.org.au/careers/Pages/details.aspx?keyword=&branch=All&program=All&state=VIC"]YMCA[/URL].

Typically those jobs get 30-100 resumes sent in, so your cover letter is important. I found it useful to give a potted life story, in this I said I was a new and inexperienced PT who wanted to work with more experienced people and learn. So the implicit message was, "I don't have PT experience, but do have life experience."

Of the 30-100 resumes received, they ring up 10-15 people to see who they want to interview in person, which is usually around 6 people.

Some will make their decision from there, but some will take 3-4 of the people interviewed and do a practical interview with them. They then make their decision. Typically from first contact to being offered the job takes 3-6 weeks.

The verbal interviews come in four parts,[list][*]They ask you to run over your [B]background [/B]again, even if it's just a repetition of the resume/cover letter. Part of this is to set up the interview generally, but it's also to see if you're lying about your background and experience, you're more likely to stumble verbally than in writing. [*][B]HResque[/B] questions with no "right" answer. Apart from the "what is your major weakness" stuff, it's some questions about how you resolve conflict situations, like "suppose someone was on the treadmill for an hour and others were waiting to use it, and refused to get off." Wrong answers include "I'd leave him to it," and "I'd smash him!." [*][B]technical[/B] questions to show you know your stuff; some places omit these questions, or just go by feel in the rest, expecting to leave it to the practical interview. "What are the four muscles of the rotator cuff?" and that sort of thing. [*][B]communication/thinking[/B] questions to see how good your comprehension and expression abilities are, how clear-thinking, eg "do you have a philosophy of training, and if so what is it?" Among these is "how would you grow the PT business here?"[/list]Essentially most places are looking for someone who is friendly, outgoing, positive, and knows their sht. Knowledge of their sht is actually the least important part; you can teach knowledge, you can't teach a good attitude.

The [B]practical interview [/B]will generally have the manager watching while some staff member roleplays being a client, and will consist of three parts,[list][*]health consult with roleplayed person X[*]programme showthrough with X[*]PT session with a different roleplayed person Y[/list]so this is where your technical knowledge, general demeanour, coaching ability and so on will be demonstrated. The "client" will usually demonstrate bad form, or apprehension about "bulking up", and present with some injury or health condition, etc. Ordinary competent coaching cues like putting your fingers under their toes while they do a bodyweight squat or leg press to ensure they put their weight through their heels tend to go down very well, and a friendly rapport with the "client"

[b]References[/b] will only really be called to help decide between candidates they feel are evenly-matched, and/or to confirm opinions the interviewers already have.

During interviews it can be good to drop some names of people you've met in class and been lectured by, or trained with over the years, etc. You never know who'll turn up as knowing each-other - the managers at my two gyms actually went to Cert III together at Holmesglen and had the same teacher JS, the character who quit two weeks into our course.

Having someone in common you know, even if that person's not recommending you or something, it creates a bit of a bond and kind of reassures the interviewer that you're human and not just someone who sprang up from their resume, if you know what I mean. It also gives you something non-job-related to talk about during the interview. If they're talking non-job things with you, that's usually a very good sign.

The initial job offer will usually be for a casual gym instructor position of 1-3 shifts of 4hr each. The first 3 months are probationary, you can be dismissed at any time with no reason given. Some will want you to stick to just GI work for that period, and only PT afterwards; others will want you to start PTing right away. The GI work is paid at a certain rate, the PT work at a higher rate. Gyms differ in whether they allow you to PT during your gym shifts.

If you want to build the PT side of it, you will have to make available times outside your gym shifts to train people, you may have to come in unpaid just to hang around and get to know people.