A little afraid - new to this

[fitnessexcellc1]

Hey guys, I just wanted to see if I could get some feedback.
I just graduated from college and am to get my ACE in less than a month. I'm just afraid once I take the certification : I don't really know if I'll even like being a trainer, what it'll be like, etc. I just really want to try it, and then go from there. I'm also not sure how to go about finding a job with it - whether to just resume bust every local gym's website in my area or look on jobs available on the internet and submit resumes, or to go into local gyms and fill out applications, hoping to get in as a keycard swiper initially.
I'm really just looking to gain financial independence by doing this, and hopefully by helping others too and excelling at it. I just figure I'll take it a step at a time.
Any tips or feedback is awesome!

[SFT]

I won't go hard on you because I don't think it accomplishes anything and your situation probably isn't your fault. I'm going to assume that you graduated with a fitness related degree. These programs, as well as many others, do fairly poor jobs at graduating people who understand how to search for, apply for, and ultimately land jobs. On top of this, most of these programs somehow think that it is okay send graduates out to the "real world" with very little experience with patients/clients.

If I were you, I would first work on my resume. Here are a few things to remember:
1. Make sure the formatting looks pleasing to the eye.
2. Outlines any job experience, coursework, or skills that would be relevant.
3. Write a cover letter for each position and address it to a real person. Don't start the letter with "To Whom It May Concern". There is plenty of information about writing covers letters out there.
4. CHECK FOR SPELLING ERRORS. Any typos shows a complete lack of attention to detail. Once you are confident there are none, have at least two other people look it over for you.
5. Print both your cover letter and resume on good paper. The kind with cotton in it.

Once your cover letters and resume are complete, you can either bring them in to the facility or email them. Going in to see them is always nice, but you are very unlikely to see the hiring manager anyways. Worst case scenario is that another employee loses your resume/cover letter. No matter the method you use, you must follow up after a week. If you don't follow up, you will most likely not get the job.

Now your second option is an internship. While I thought you might be an Exercise Science/Physiology major originally, these majors usually include some form of an internship. I suggest you look for a "performance" gym or a small business as opposed to a large chain gym. You will often learn more. Even if you give 5-10 hours per week, you can learn a lot in just a few months.

The last thing I will say is that financial independence is up to you and not always based on salary. I've seen people that make $30,000-40,000 a year with more wealth than those who are making six figures. Obviously you have student loans that aren't going to pay themselves. That being said, it would be prudent to be as frugal (read:cheap) as possible. Avoid the iPhone with the $100/mo bill, buy used vehicles, try not to spend too much when going out with friends... I think you get the idea. This career path is not known for making people rich, but even if you do end up commanding a large salary, your frugality will likely serve you well throughout your life. If you end up with a modest salary, you will be just fine.