Career Advice

How Being a Gym Instructor Is Making Me a Better Recruiter

Posted by Brad
min read
Jonathan Borba R0y B E Uji Om Unsplash

2 years ago I walked into a gym and took a class Iโ€™d never heard of.

It was called Body Pump. This class was 55 minutes of working on different muscle groups using low weight selections but high repetitions listening to a mixture of pop/ rock & rap music. I walked out of there dripping in sweat and I could feel every muscle in pain for about 2 weeks. I donโ€™t know what it was exactly, but I fell in love with that class and now 2 years on, I finally kicked my butt into gear and undertook the instructor course, so that I can officially teach Body Pump.

I certainly consider myself to be a confident person but once I was on a stage in front of 30 + people and having to remember choreography, different instructional cues, timing, technique and to motivate over the course of the class,  my confidence was shaken. I kept thinking,  โ€œI donโ€™t know why I canโ€™t ever get through a whole class without making a mistake or without having my legs shake with nerves, but eventually, like with all things โ€“ time and experience made me better. Now I teach classes comfortably and I canโ€™t ever remember why I was scared.

 

I didnโ€™t realise how much this translated into my recruiting profession.

When I first started recruiting and felt like I was getting nowhere, I realised that itโ€™s exactly like Body Pump. Itโ€™s all about knowing how to handle the various situations, staying calm whilst keeping the motivation elevated all around you and having a good time! If you didnโ€™t like your job, then perhaps you shouldnโ€™t be doing your job. Iโ€™ve really discovered that if I can stand in front of a room of 40 people and run them through a full exercise class for an hour, then I can handle any situation that my recruitment career throws at me. One thing I love to shout with drive and passion at my class is โ€œif it doesnโ€™t challenge you, it doesnโ€™t change youโ€ and thatโ€™s the attitude Iโ€™ve adopted into my recruitment life.