When you’re writing a personal trainer resume, your target audience may be a health club owner, another trainer, administrative staff, or a human resources professional. You might not even know who you’re talking to until you hear back from a hiring manager.
Because there’s so much room for uncertainty, it’s best to let the job description in the listing be your guide. Look for keywords that describe the skills, certifications, work experience, and other qualifications that are required or preferred. Then, work those keywords into your resume, cover letter, and other application materials.
Here, we’ll provide you with a sample personal trainer resume, some tips on what to include and delete from your application, and a list of skills that you might find in a job listing. These materials can help you customize your resume to make a good first impression, regardless of who reads your application.
Need some help fine-tuning your resume? We’ve reviewed the best resume-writing services on the internet. After your resume is polished, you can start your job search on ZipRecruiter.
Personal Trainer Resume Example
Jane Doe
Certified Personal Trainer
Contact
Email: jane.doe@email.com
Phone: (305)555-0987
City: Miami, Florida
Summary
NASM-certified personal trainer with 10+ years of experience motivating, inspiring, and supporting clients. My areas of specialization include 1-on-1 and group strength training and sculpting classes, as well as cardio and general fitness. I love helping my clients achieve their goals!
Work Experience
Personal Trainer
March 2020-Present
Neighborhood Gym, Miami, Florida
Designed custom fitness plans for private clients based on personal fitness goals. Performed health and fitness assessments. Created free pass program to drive memberships with a 45% conversion rate.
Assistant Trainer
January 2013-March 2020
Excelsior Fitness, Miami, Florida
Assisted senior trainers in group exercise classes and seminars. Managed front desk, cleaned and maintained equipment and studios, and planned events.
Education
Join The Break Community
Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science
Miami State, Miami, Florida
Certifications
- NASM-certified personal trainer
- CPR/AED certified
Skills
- Fitness training and coaching
- Motivation and goal-setting
- 1-on-1 and group fitness classes
- Strength training
- Cardio
- Marketing and customer service
What Is Unique About A Personal Trainer Resume?
To make the best impression on the hiring manager, a personal trainer resume should emphasize work experience in the field, relevant certifications, and soft skills like communication or ability to motivate customers.
You should also ensure that you’re in compliance with any local regulations for personal trainers. For example, in Washington, D.C., personal trainers are required to register with the Mayor’s office and pay a registration fee.
What Should Be Included On A Personal Trainer Resume?
A personal trainer resume should include your experience, skills, and qualifications. Consider adding any of the following to your resume:
- Related work experience: List previous jobs as a personal trainer, fitness instructor, or health coach. Be specific about which types of classes you’ve run or instruction you’ve provided. For example, if you’ve taught Pilates, spinning, yoga, etc., be sure to mention that.
- People skills: Talk about communication skills, problem-solving skills, ability to motivate and inspire clients, and customer service skills.
- Education: If you have a two- or four-year degree, list that in the education section of your resume. Include the concentration or major, e.g., exercise science.
- Certification: List any certifications, such as National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA), CPR, etc.
What Should Be Left Off A Personal Trainer Resume?
Personal trainers must be able to inspire and motivate their clients. So, the most important thing to leave off your personal trainer resume is anything that sounds like you might be judgmental or have difficulty getting along with people in stressful situations.
Other resume items you might consider cutting include:
- Unrelated work experience: You can emphasize transferable skills, like customer service, but you can delete totally unrelated jobs. Consider, also, whether your work history aligns with the story you’re trying to tell in your resume. For example, a personal trainer resume is not necessarily a great place to talk about your previous jobs at a fast food restaurant.
- Outdated fitness techniques: Stay on top of trends in your field and be sure to cut references to any discredited (or out-of-favor) techniques.
- Older jobs: Your resume is not a biography–it’s a sales pitch. You don’t need to include every previous job or work experience. In fact, as you reach mid-career and beyond, you may decide to be selective and include only more recent experience. On top of ensuring that your resume is focused on your current skill set, it will make it harder for employers to discriminate against you based on your age. (It’s illegal for them to do so once you reach the age of 40. However, it’s hard to prove unless they say something. Better to cut those jobs and be safe.)
Important Job Skills For Personal Trainers
Personal trainers need to demonstrate knowledge of personal training and fitness techniques, but equally importantly, they must be able to show that they’re good with people. Soft skills like listening and motivation are essential to helping clients achieve their goals.
Some employers will give preference to job candidates who have an educational background in kinesiology, sports medicine, exercise science, or a related field. Others will be satisfied with work experience as a coach or trainer. Employers may give preference to candidates who have certifications. You may also be able to start your career without certification but be asked to acquire certification within a certain time period, e.g., six months after being hired.
Here are a few important job skills to include on your personal trainer resume:
- Fitness program development
- Personal training (one-on-one, group exercise classes, etc.)
- Nutrition planning
- Marketing
- Ability to motivate clients
- Listening and communication skills
- Customer service
- Certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA), American Council on Exercise (ACE), National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSC), or similar
- CPR/AED (automated external defibrillator) certification from the American Red Cross
The Bottom Line
A good personal trainer resume is as unique as you are. To make sure your application shows off your most compelling qualifications, match your skills, certifications, and experience to the requirements in the job listing.
Need help getting started? Check out the top resume-writing services. Most offer a free resume review, so you can try them out before you commit. When you’re ready to start applying for jobs, head over to ZipRecruiter!
