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Published 2020-07-01
Specialists Have The Most Value As A Coach
Specialists In Our Industry Are Often The Most Valuable. To be a career coach in our industry, you must have a specialty to set yourself apart from other coaches. Specialization can be anything that you’re better than most everyone else is. It could be in the Olympic lifts, jump rope, gymnastics, anything that can set yourself above other, generally skilled coaches.
As the owner of BarbellJobs, I have the opportunity to speak with many different coaches about their staffing needs every day, and one thing that always comes up is they are searching for a coach who can create new programs to add new revenue to the facility. Most coaches you find in gyms know how to coach the general population, and while that is important, it’s just basic. Just being a “good coach” isn’t enough if this is what you plan on doing with the rest of your life.
Being a specialist creates the facility’s new revenue streams, as well as yourself. Let’s assume you’re applying for an open position at your dream facility, and it pays $20 per hour. You’ve applied for the job you want, and the owner has 15 other applications to go through. The other 15 coaches all hold a CF-L1, and you have your USAW L2 and have coached lifters to Nationals. You’re a weightlifting specialist. In the cover letter, you state that you’ve been through the gym’s website and noticed they do not have a barbell club of any type. You explain how you can create and run this specialty program, which will add a new program current members can pay for while bringing in new members. You get the job, and now you make the original $20 per hour, but you are also getting a 60/40 split on your new program, which doubles your income. On top of that, because you created a new program, your position is now revenue positive for the facility, and that means, unlike the other coaches who applied, having you there actually generates more income for the facility. Your specialty has made you more valuable and increased your bank account.
In addition to your new, higher income, having a specialty allows you to travel and share your knowledge by holding seminars, further increasing your income. Here is an example using myself. I own BarbellJobs, I also own a facility and have become well known as a powerlifting coach. Each month I travel and hold a seminar for a CrossFit gym that wants to show their members new techniques to make them stronger and better at the barbell movements. Having become known as the powerlifting coach for the CrossFit community has put me in a position where my worth is much higher as a coach, I can pick and choose when and where I hold seminars, being a specialist has increased my monthly income as well as generating online income for selling my powerlifting for CrossFit programming through American Strength Club and SugarWod. That’s just an example. You can make anything your specialty.
Once you have your specialty in our industry, point it out not only on your resume but also your unique cover letter for each position you apply for. I also want to point out that you can be a CrossFit specialist as well of you have achieved higher training such as the L-3 and L-4. Explain how you can use your skills to increase the revenue of the facility, and you will position yourself as an expert and significantly elevate your chances of getting the position you want. Plus, I guarantee that after reading this, the facilities will be looking for specialists as well.
Whatever your specialty is, be sure to discuss it on your BarbellJobs Coaching Profile as well, so gym owners looking for those specific skills can easily find you. After all, BarbellJobs is the LinkedIn of the fitness industry.
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