How To Become a Personal Trainer

In a special guest blog post, Phil Moore talks about becoming a personal trainer, getting qualified and staying fit.  

I’ve always wanted to become a personal trainer.

I wanted to have a career in an industry I was passionate about. I have been an active individual since I was young, participating in several different sports and athletics. I believe it’s important to do something you enjoy. It’s very motivating to take something I enjoy and instil it in others.

You need to work hard to get qualified.

After my degree I undertook a six-week course to become a qualified personal trainer. It was REPS (Register of Exercise Professionals) accredited which is important if you want to work for gyms in the UK. When I was starting out most gyms wanted someone with previous experience so I would often train my friends and family for free.

There’s no such thing as a typical day for a personal trainer.

As a personal trainer the hours you work will be quite different from a normal job. Most of your clients will work 9am -5pm and so you must be willing to train them around their work – which means early starts and late finishes, however you do get a lot of time off during the day. Also since many of my clients have different goals every day is different.

Knowing that I’m helping others improve motivates me.

The most rewarding feeling is knowing that you have helped a client achieve their goals -whether that’s an improved physique, a faster 10km time or simply a better quality of life.

If you’re thinking about a career in personal training…

Anyone who is passionate and enthusiastic about health and fitness can become a personal trainer. The first step would be to enrol on a REPS level 3 course. However what makes a good and successful trainer are those that continue to invest in themselves, whether that’s through additional courses and workshops or reading books and journals. For new trainers looking to set themselves apart from the rest I would recommend reading anything by Charles Poliquin or Paul Chek.

And if you’re thinking about getting fit, don’t forget that…

There is much more to health and fitness than just going to the gym. Sleep, nutrition, work, stress and lifestyle are all aspects of ones life that need to be considered to become fit both mentally and physically. To become fit physically one tip I recommend is full body functional-strength training. This uses a large number of muscle groups simultaneously which can be a far more effective and quicker way of burning excess body fat than your typical long slow duration cardio training.

Phil works for one of the leading Personal Training companies in the North East, Body Guards Fitness Service Ltd. He can help you boost your fitness with bespoke personal training sessions, call 0787344066 for more information.

For those keen to pursue a career in fitness, we have a range of fitness training courses available UK-wide on the Help Training Courses website.

Adult Learners Week 2012

You’re never too old to learn.

This week is Adult Learners Week, a national annual celebration of learning without age limits.

Taking place between 12^th – 18^th May 2012, Adult Learners Week focuses on how learning can change lives. No matter how old you are, there is always potential to develop new skills and abilities.

The week-long celebration recognises significant achievement and aims to showcase the range of learning opportunities there are out there. Whether it’s undertaking a distance learning qualification to help you change careers, attending a short training course to advance your skills or just attending a hobby course to pursue an interest, there is a lot to learn.

Adult Learners Week is a great opportunity to discover a new passion. You’re never too old to learn something new, so what are you waiting for?

You can follow Adult Learners Week on Twitter, hashtag #ALW12.

And if you’re looking to learn something new…

The Help Training Courses site helps thousands of people every month just like you find and book training, whatever you want to learn. We’ve got everything from Accountancy to Zoology (with a lot in between).

GCSE Revision Tips

With exam season fast approaching, young people UK-wide are hitting the books. To help get you started with revision, we’ve put together our top GCSE revision tips.

We help people train, learn and develop their skills all year round, so here are our top tips for those of you revising this week…

1. Plan! – Draw up a revision schedule and stick to it. You’ll need to mark on when your exams are, and think about how much time you’d like to dedicate to studying each topic. Try not to only study the subjects you like best, mix it up and do a bit of everything. Depending on how much time you’ve got before the exam season officially starts for you will dictate how intensively you want to study, but always remember to give yourself plenty of little breaks to stay refreshed.
2. Look after yourself – It can be tempting to pull a couple of all-nighters and really cram before exams, but this usually does a lot more harm than good! Instead, try to get some early nights, eat healthy and stay hydrated.
3. Being nervous is okay – Exams can be stressful, so it’s okay to be a little nervous and worried. Try to focus on revising during set working times and chilling out during scheduled breaks, as keeping busy will mean you have less time to worry! The more revision you actually do, the more confident you will begin to feel.
4. Be prepared for the day – make sure you have an accurate exam schedule, and plan how you’ll be getting to each exam in advance. If you’re relying on buses for example, you could take an earlier bus to give yourself more time, or keep an emergency taxi number in your phone just in case (buses have an awful habit of just not showing up on exam days!). Check what you’ll need for each exam, and take all the necessary equipment – along with a spare pen!
5. After taking your exams, move on – Don’t worry about the answers you submitted, you’ve already finished the paper and there’s no way you can change them. Just stick to your schedule and start preparing for the next test. By actively moving forward, you’ll progress more smoothly. You can always set a goal or reward for you and your friends when you finish all of your exams – even something little like a night out will give you something to look forward to.

For those taking exams, best of luck from all of the Help Training Courses Team. There’s no magic formula to passing exams, just work hard, follow the above GCSE revision tips and try your best.

Summer Jobs for Students

With fewer schools offering work placements, summer jobs for students are a good way to gain practical workplace experience – and they look great on your CV. There are a huge range of options available if you’re looking for work in the holidays, but our top tip is to start planning early and get your applications out there.

Think about what career you’d like to pursue, and what job might help you get some relevant experience. For example, sweeping hair from floors might not seem like the most glamorous summer job for a student, but a stint helping out in a hair salon will stand you in good stead to get into a beauty academy or onto a relevant apprenticeship.

Just because you’re looking for something temporary, don’t rule out internships. Though many are for six months or more (not quite right if you’re back in class, or starting college or Uni in September) some are as short as ten weeks – ideal if you’re in further education and have a longer summer holiday.

Applying

For CV advice, visit your careers advisor before you break up for the summer holidays. They’ll be able to help you draft and perfect your CV depending on the type of summer job you might be interested in applying for. Lots of schools also have details of available work and can help match you up with potential employers with summer jobs for students, so this is a great place to start.

If you’re applying for a job, always go the extra mile and attach a covering letter to your CV. It shows you’ve taken the time to write something personally, and will help your application stand out from the crowd.

Before the Interview…

This is all stuff your mum will tell you, but … Get a hair cut, think abut what you’re going to wear, and dress smartly on the day. Take the time to Google the company before you show up for the interview too, this will mean that you understand what they do and what the role you’re applying for might involve a little better.

At the Interview

Interviews can be scary, but smile, maintain good eye contact and answer the questions as best you can. Always try to draw on specific examples when talking about your qualities, for example, if you’re saying that you work well in a team and meet deadlines, why not talk about a school project where you worked as part of a group, and the challenges you overcame to finish the work on time. If you’re offered a drink, always accept. Even if you just opt for a glass of water, it’ll help you if you’re nervous and feel your mouth is dry, and if you’re asked anything tricky, just take a sip before answering. This gives you a couple of seconds to think before you speak, and means you can give a better, more considered response to the question.

On your first day

When it comes to starting your summer job, make sure you’re well presented and appropriately dressed for the work you’ll be doing and the environment you’re in. You might want to check in advance to see if there’s a dress code. When you’re there, smile and be friendly and professional at all times. Being enthusiastic, going the extra mile and helping out will be recognised, and always volunteer for any work. This will make you appear proactive and keen – and you’ll learn a lot more during your time at the organisation. You might spend a lot of time making tea, but it’s all worth it.

There are lots of opportunities out there for those looking for summer jobs and placements. Apply early and you’ll have the pick of the work available. There are so many career benefits from getting work experience early, and you’ll get to make a little bit of money too – a summer job is a must for any student.

North East Expo – Special Offers

Taking place on the 18^th April at Newcastle Racecourse, High Gosforth Park, the North East Expo brings together businesses from throughout the region. There are over 200 organisations exhibiting, and delegates can attend for free.

Help Training Courses are proud to be attending for a second year, and we’ve got a range of exclusive offers available on the day. Whether you’re looking for training, a training provider or an existing customer, we can help… and we’ve got an awesome freebie for you!

Individuals and Organisations

Looking for training?

If you’re looking for training or if you book training regularly, then a visit to the Help Training Courses stand could save you £££’s! You can access all of our great training deals and sign up for emails tailored to your training needs and packed with deals direct to your inbox. Our Magical Auto Search makes it easy, just leave your details with us and we’ll do the rest.

Training Providers

We put more bums on your seats

Every month, 11,000 (and counting) potential customers search the Help Training Courses website for everything from Accountancy to Zoology courses (and everything in-between).

If we talked in ‘hits’, that’s 300,000 hits from your potential customers looking to book training across all sectors. From this, our listed training providers get 30,000 page views every month.

By listing your training with us, customers are able to find and contact you directly. We can help you fill your open courses, boost your bespoke training or deliver more distance learning by giving you access to these 11,000 potential customers.

We’d love to talk to you in more detail about how the site works so come and see us!  For all training providers signing up on the day, we’ll be including a free Sponsored Search Phrase (worth £100 plus VAT) with every subscription.

And if we’re already putting more bums on your seats…  

Already using the Help Training Courses website to reach customers? Come and say hello! We love to meet our training providers in person, and we’re offering free reviews of your listings. Want to reach even more customers? Make your courses stand out in search results? Develop killer course descriptions that boost your enquiries? We can help. Leave your details on the day, and we’ll give you a call at a convenient time to run through how to make your Help Training Courses account even better.

How to find us…

We’ll be on the first floor, stand 61 in Gosforth Park Suite. Come meet our friendly team for offers, site demonstrations, great banter and free green stuff!

Not attending?

Not able to attend? No problem! Simply give Help HQ a call on 01388 417 112 on the day, let us know what offer you’re interested in and we’ll match the deal.

Study in the UK

Whether you want to study in the UK at a traditional academic institution or attend a state-of-the-art development workshop, there is a great range of world-class training opportunities available.

For international students, there is a range of benefits – everything from practising spoken English, sightseeing and submerging yourself in a truly multicultural society.

We speak to lots of potential students keen to visit the UK for all sorts of educational opportunities every day. They’re keen to learn and progress, but often the reputation of International students can be marred by sensational newspaper headlines – most recently, claims last week from the UK Border Force that up to 50,000 migrants had potentially abused the new student Visa system.

While like any immigration system, there can be loopholes, it’s important to remember that the majority of those coming to the UK are doing so genuinely, and have a lot to contribute. If you’re thinking of coming to the UK to study, there is a range of support in place to help you do so.

There are lots of different levels to study at, and a wide range of training options are available to International students looking to further their education. It can be scary visiting another country for the first time, but there’s loads of support available through International student groups, and with email and social networking, it’s easier than ever before to stay in touch with friends and family at home.

For those coming to the UK from any other EEA country (or Switzerland), you’ll just need to apply as an International student, and do not require a Visa. If you’re coming to the UK from outside of the EU, you will need a valid Visa, and the application process can seem daunting. The application system is regularly updated, so always make sure you’re working with the most recent documents available from the UK Border Force website. There’s lots of advice online to help you complete them.

If you’re interested in visiting the UK to further your education, check out our new Studying In The UK page for more information.

Courses to Help Your Career…

With shockingly high unemployment figures and more competition than ever for each job vacancy, it’s important to be aware of your career and consciously try to develop it.

This doesn’t mean constantly applying for jobs, it just means taking a structured approach and setting both long and short term goals for yourself.

To progress in your chosen industry, taking sector specific training courses can help develop and hone your knowledge. There are many more general training options though that can help you climb whatever ladder you like.

Confidence and Assertiveness Training – The world of work can be a scary place at times, and all of us wish we could be more confident in certain situations. There is a wide range of confidence and assertiveness training available, offering support to help you believe in yourself, tackle anxiety and generally just be a little bit bolder.

Interview Skills Training – There’s no way around it, job interviews can be intimidating things. They definitely get easier with practice, but they’ll always be a little scary – it’s that combination of not knowing what to expect and trying to present yourself as best you can. Then there’s the difficult questions and polite small talk to contend with. Training can help you manage your nerves, and equip you with the skills needed to shine and answer even the trickiest of tricky questions.

Presenting / Public Speaking – Most jobs require a certain amount of presenting and public speaking, whether it’s feeding back to a team, explaining the latest report to your directors or even getting past the initial stages of the recruitment process. Again, it’s a really valuable skill as it has many applications, and a great training investment, as you’ll use it throughout your career.

CV Writing Skills – A strong CV will open doors, and a CV workshop is a great way to give yours a boost. Presenting yourself well on paper is a skill that can be honed, and there’s plenty of tips and tricks trainers can share to get yours to the top of the pile for interviews.

Helping You Get The Most From Your Help Training Courses Account

Thousands of customers search the Help Training Courses site every week for training, and we put them directly in touch with training providers throughout the UK.

There are lots of great features available to training providers to help you promote your courses effectively. The following top tips will help you get the most from your account, and help customers actively searching the Help Training Courses site for your sector of training, find and contact you directly.

• Add a logo to your listings – When customers search the site, a logo will help your course listings stand our in the search results.

• Include your contact information – We put customers directly in touch so you’re able to build positive relationships with them right from the start. Customers are able to view your phone number, email you through the Help Training Courses site and click through to your website.

• Use Direct Links on your course descriptions – Direct Links enable you to ‘link’ your course listings on our site directly to relevant individual pages on your own site. This encourages customers to click through and reduces bounce rate when they do – meaning happy customers landing on your site!

• Keep your titles clear – Put the most important words at the start of your title to make it easier for customers to spot what they’re looking for. For example, ‘Management for Beginners’ is much more likely to catch the eye of a customer searching for Management Training than say, ‘A Beginner’s Guide to Management Workshop’.

• Get the most out of the site by listing all of your training options – we have customers looking for bespoke, online and open courses, so by listing all of your training options with us, they’re able to find you and get in touch. If you offer open courses, don’t forget to add all of your course dates as we have customers looking for training throughout the year.

• Keep your course descriptions punchy and effective - The best course descriptions give your customer a ‘taster’ of what you have to offer, and encourage them to contact you directly. Tell customers something interesting about what they’ll learn.

• Check out our Last Minute and Early Bird booking features – If you want to fill your open courses, we make it easy! Customers search the Help site every day for great training deals so they can get qualified quickly and save money. Discounts are fully automated and simple to use.

• Monitor your enquiries – Customers come straight to you, so be sure to always ask how they found out about your business. Often, they may just cite the Internet or Google as the source, but don’t be afraid to dig a little deeper. They won’t mind and it’ll help you develop your marketing strategy effectively.

If you’ve got any questions or would like any expert advice on how to get the most from your account and additional services, you can call Help HQ on 01388 417 112 – our team of real life actual humans will be able to advise you.

Manual Handling Operations – What everyone needs to know

Jenny Insley, of Phoenix Health and Safety Consultants explains what everyone needs to know about Manual Handling Operations.

Usually the term ‘manual handling operations’ is associated with workers in a warehouse rigorously stacking boxes and extending themselves beyond usual movement. However, it is not only industrial workers who must apply safe manual handling techniques. Employees in almost all work places, whether they be offices, building sites, schools, shops and banks will need to move and handle items throughout the day.

Injuries relating to manual handling are common within the workplace. It is estimated that around 30% of work related injuries are caused by while doing manual work, with around 300,000 employees every year suffering from back pain caused by incorrect lifting. Whilst most lifting injuries occur in the back, they can also occur in the arms, legs and even heart. It is therefore imperative that employees, whether they perform lifting/moving tasks daily or occasionally, complete manual handling training and gain the knowledge to carryout all manual handling operations safely.

Training will equip delegates with the knowledge and skills to be able to carry out manual handling safely and without risk of injuring themselves and others. It also means companies don’t have the risk of litigation from injured employees. The training covers any activities that include moving, pulling, carrying, pushing or restraining an object, person or even animal.

Here are a few keys steps to remember for safe manual handling operations:

1. Plan the route
2. Correct position of feet
3. Assess the load
4. Correct grip
5. Natural back
6. Bend knees
7. Head up
8. Lift smoothly
9. Replace safely

Health and Safety legislation can be a minefield and that’s why receiving the necessary training is so valuable.  It’s more than just listening to a lecturer and sitting an exam, it needs to be fun to engage the audience to make sure they understand the critical messages.

More and more people are becoming responsible for health and safety management and so the correct level of manual handling operations training is vital.

Phoenix Health and Safety offer a range of Health and Safety courses, including Manual Handling. You can find out more about their training options on the Phoenix Health and Safety website or here on their Help Training Courses provider page.

We also have a wide range of Manual Handling training available on our Hot Topic pages.

How To Get Your Business Started on Facebook – Part 4

We’ve reached the final installment of our How To Get Your Business Started On Facebook special mini blog. So far we’ve looked at how to set up your page, how to get likes, and what and when to post. If you’ve missed anything you can catch up on the series so far here, along with our Getting Your Business Started on Twitter guide.

Throughout the series, we’ve been appealing for your Facebook dilemmas, and here they are along with some helpful answers. If you have any more questions though, please don’t hesitate to send them across to enquiries@helptrainingcourses.com and we’ll get back to you with an answer.

Q. Can I schedule updates on Facebook?

A. In a word – yes! This is easy to do using TweetDeck or Hootsuite, you simply type your update directly into them, select a time and date and they will post directly on your Facebook wall. This is a really powerful tool for anyone keen to maintain a strong social media presence but struggling to fit in time to update regularly. You’re able to store up days’ or even weeks’ worth of updates and have them posted on your behalf.  If you’re posting more than a couple of days in advance, however, be conscious to keep your updates relevant.

TOP TIP – while you can automate your status updates, you unfortunately can’t automate the conversation! Try to make time to drop into your Facebook account at least once a day to respond to any comments or likes and actively engage with your audience.

Q. What Facebook mistakes should I avoid? 

A.  Really, social media is something very specific to what your organisation offers and who your customers are, so there are no set rules. We’d always recommend trying a little of everything to see what works, what engages your audience, and ultimately, what helps you build an effective social media campaign.

That said, there are a few rookie errors that even the best of us can make at times – things like blatant service broadcasting constantly or not replying to comments don’t look good, but can be easily and unintentionally done. The best advise is to keep things consistent – if you only manage one Facebook update a day, that’s fine, but make it relevant and interesting always.

Q. I’m thinking of running a Facebook competition but I’ve heard some horror stories! How can I make sure everything goes smoothly?

A. Facebook competitions are often a good way to increase your online following, but they have very strict guidelines that are strongly enforced. Think about what you might like to do, and then check Facebook’s Promotion Guidelines to make sure everything is above board.

Competitions need to be exciting, engaging, and easy to participate in. Ask entrants to create content for you, think photos, videos, songs, slogans and more, and reward them with a good prize – usually a gift card or product, but make sure it’s relevant to your organisation and desirable. If you’re a training provider, then perhaps something useful that promotes personal development such as an Amazon Kindle would be ideal; though four tickets to Alton Towers might be more exciting for some people, it’s not relevant enough to what you actually do.

Q. When a Facebook page likes me, the like doesn’t affect my overall count. Why?

A. Unfortunately, likes from other pages don’t count towards your overall like count as Facebook recongises that they’re not from individuals. However, that’s no reason to be disheartened by likes from other pages. Your status updates will still appear in their news feeds, and you’re still increasing your online profile with a bigger, more engaged following.

For those keen to learn more, we have a wide range of Social Media Training available throughout the UK, available from our Hot Topic page.