Best Resume Format For A Fitness And Personal Trainer

With more and more people realizing the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, it's a great time to begin a career in the fitness field. Getting a job as a fitness and personal trainer depends on impressing your potential employers with a great resume. The best resume format for you will depend on your unique skills and ability to motivate others. You’ll also need to exercise patience and remain updated regarding advancements within your field.

Decide on Which is Best: A Functional Resume or a Chronological Resume

Looking at your individual work history, education and accomplishments can help you determine if a functional or chronological resume will work best for you. Go with a functional or chronological-functional hybrid resume if you're just starting out, if you're changing careers or if you've only worked in a specific industry for a short period of time. This is the best resume format in these cases because it directs the focus to your strengths and skills rather than to a list of work experiences. Employers want to interview candidates who can give them specifics, so a functional resume still needs to demonstrate where and how each skill was attained. For example, if you mention that you have "good communication and people skills" as a means of showing that you will work well with clients, back this statement up with examples of your people skills in action. Explain how these skills contributed to the success of your previous employer.

Alternately, a chronological resume format lists work experiences in reverse chronological order and is typically preferred among employers. Many employers put resumes into their company database, so using a chronological resume that features dates and keywords may help your resume get selected. It is therefore the best resume format for those with prior experience in the fitness field. When utilizing this resume format, your prior jobs, the names of each company and the dates of employment should all be listed. Using bullet points, write down specific accomplishments that demonstrate your professional development.

Keep in mind that functional and chronological resumes should include your contact information, your education and your training.

Sections to Include

First, your full name, the city and state in which you live, a phone number and an email address should all be included at the beginning of your resume. Never use your current employer's email address when sending out resumes, and ensure that your personal email address is professional.

Though some fitness and personal trainers become certified in their field by taking classes, many fitness employers require either an associate's or a bachelor's degree in a fitness or health-related field. Your educational background should always be included and should state your degree, the name of the college you attended and its location. Mention what your major or focus was during school. Likewise, any on-the-job or formal training should be included.

Tips for the best resume format for a Fitness and Personal Trainer

After your contact information, a summary statement that highlights your main qualifications should be included. The best resume format features keywords that are relevant in the fitness field, such as "client," "fitness," "trainer" and "coach." This will ensure employers can find your resume in their database. Make the summary statement about four to six lines.

Instead of simply listing the duties and responsibilities of your past jobs, explain what you have accomplished during your career. Quantifying these accomplishments with numbers is the best way to stand out. For a job as a personal trainer, mention any contributions you’ve made to your previous places of employment, including your recruitment and client satisfaction rates or how you helped to optimize workout routines.

If you're still having trouble deciding on the best resume format, you may find the additional information on LiveCareer helpful.