Personal Fitness Professional - March 2008 - (Page 28) the CORPORATE FIVE PROVEN TIPS TO ADVANCE IN THE FITNESS INDUSTRY AND GROW YOUR CAREER BY TOM PERKINS CLIMBING c LADDER MOST fitness professionals not only want to grow but also excel in their chosen fitness field and be recognized for their accomplishments. Being provided with opportunities to develop both professionally and personally is often a top factor cited by many in surveys when questioned about what is important to them in a job. Opportunities for career growth are different for most people but generally fall into three broad categories. For some, it may involve simply having a solid annual performance review that results in a raise in their salary. Others may equate opportunity with receiving a promotion in recognition of a continued job well done. And, for a select few with strong entrepreneurial drive, it may translate into successfully striking out on their own to start a fitness-related business. Advancing in your fitness profession typically requires not just working longer, harder and smarter, but developing and following a sound strategy. Yes, a strategy. A good strategy provides you not only with a purpose and a goal but with a plan of action — a guideline of sorts — that, when combined with your individual skills and abilities and your capacity to be a strong team player, equates to a recipe for success. There are several things you can do that can improve your chances of successfully pursuing your professional opportunities of choice. I have outlined a few of the more tried-and-true methods that have worked well for many fitness professionals looking to take their career to the next level. Consider incorporating these suggestions into your overall strategy: FIND A GOOD MATCH Hooking up with an organization that shares the same values and standards as you do is extremely important but often overlooked. Some fitness professionals anxious to start working in their chosen field often do not take the time to really question and research the company offering 28 MARCH2008 · WWW.FIT-PRO.COM http://WWW.FIT-PRO.COM
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