I received my fitness certification in 2010 with the International Sports and Sciences Association through independent study and additional training beyond required continuing education. I scored an 85% on my certification test and was proud.

In the same year, I consulted with a firm assisting federal employees on Army bases transitioning to other federal jobs or the civilian sector. Some of the work was remote, providing career coaching and federal resume writing while I substitute taught, which fit perfectly.

I didn’t maximize my Personal Training career, but over-indexed in career services and training. Both merged at the intersection of helping people find jobs and their best selves in fitness. Personal fitness training provided the template for assisting people in finding employment.

Although I no longer provide one-to-one career coaching, I’ve presented to colleges, organizations, and media. Here’s what I’ve gleaned from writing this blog, speaking, and engaging with peers.

1. Customized Plans Based on Individual Needs

Both industries are fundamentally the same in principle, while each has unique approaches. Getting in better shape and wanting a job are similar goals. Without plans, strategies, and goals, failure is imminent.

An obese person walking around the block is a plan. For someone who wants a job, it takes more than a walk. Both require focus, accountability, progression, and effort. For the job seeker, focus is the most challenging part. If you’re willing to do the work, you’ll progress. Without it, you’ll wander.

Action item: Employment and strength assessments help find industries to optimize skills and talents. Personal trainers prescribe correct exercises through assessments; job seekers need to do similar assessments themselves.

2. Behavioral Change and Mindset Coaching

Maintaining a healthy body is a lifestyle. Successful job seekers make job searching a way of life. Both require behavior and mindset changes. Losing 100 pounds and being unemployed both feel daunting. Progress builds resilience, despite discouragement.

Coaches emphasize discipline, provide encouragement, and promote proactive habits. Both fitness and job search clients need:

• Discipline to apply strategies for different results.
• Encouragement to stay the course.
• Proactive habits to avoid being reactive and stuck.

Action item: Enhance your most marketable skills, improve essentials to move forward, or connect with someone who can introduce you to others.

3. Goal Setting and Milestone Tracking

Most coaches set incremental goals. Clients who value mentorship initiate contact, direct their efforts, and own the agreement. While self-motivated clients thrive, most need a nudge. Slow job markets can be discouraging, so motivating without criticism is essential.

Progress happens with small wins. An interview after months without one is a cause for celebration.

Action item: Chart your progress and document successes and areas for improvement to aid future growth.

4. Progressing Past Plateaus

Everyone experiences workout, diet, and job search plateaus. Both indicate adaptation without progression, require evaluation and adjustment, and cause frustration if unaddressed. Job seekers often hit a brick wall when relying on mass applications without adding value or context.

Good coaches provide multiple strategies. Trying something different, like informational interviews, researching ideal companies, or preparing interviews with intention, stimulates growth.

Action item: Use varied job search strategies to build new skills and resilience, making you stand out even after a long search.

Feedback is essential. Personal training clients often misunderstand muscle use or food intake. Similarly, job seekers underestimate how they present themselves in interviews. Small changes make significant differences.

Mentors offer unfiltered constructive direction. Coaches and mentors help you address the little things that affect success. Personal training and job searching require awareness, feedback, adaptation, and progress. Both depend on effort and strategy. Coaching, whether self-guided or external, builds lasting lessons applied to life and career.

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This week, my guest is Lorraine K. Lee, the former editor of LinkedIn News and Prezi. She is now a Trainer, Professor, Speaker, and author of “Unforgettable Presence.” 

Highlights:

Lorraine emphasizes the importance of having both confidence and presence during job interviews. She explains that presence doesn’t only relate to executive levels but is crucial for everyone in their career. 

Presence video with intentional tech setup, energy, and aesthetics, collectively termed as the “T method.”

Lorraine highlights how non-verbal cues, such as body language and hand gestures, influence perceptions during video interviews.

Lorraine discusses the significance of video presence, particularly in virtual interviews, where technical aspects such as lighting, sound, and framing play a crucial role.

Eliminating backlighting, ensuring eye contact, and using gestures naturally to appear more personable.

We delve into overcoming challenges faced by new graduates during interviews. Lorraine points out that being intentional about one’s presence on platforms like LinkedIn and during virtual meetings contributes to building a professional reputation over time.

Lorraine shares insights on handling interviews with AI avatars, emphasizing the importance of a positive setup and practicing with real people to get feedback.

Lorraine advises job seekers to focus on storytelling and to convey their passion for the role to create a stronger connection with the interviewer.

In another segment, my article from last week, “No! Really Breathes Life Into Your Career And Reclaim Time!”