My August Thus Far

It's been a great month for me. August was about starting to get back into work and I started focusing on being a casual fill in for other instructors at my local gym - just a 5 minute walk from my place. My instructor friend - who is the group fitness coordinator at the gym - was going on a working vacation for 2 weeks (going to the international fitness conference in the US - not sure where. Possibly Los Angeles) so I am covering the majority of her classes while she is gone. She left last Monday and has one more week to go. So I've been a busy little bee filling in these classes and getting my fitness back at the same time. But while all of this was going on, I had some more news about work and other prospects. At the beginning of the month - August 3 - I received a phone call from the Australian Institute of Fitness. This is the place to get your qualifications to become a Personal Trainer. It's the place I got my qualifications from. Back in the middle of July they had advertised positions for course presenters (people to 'teach' and 'present' these qualifications to. I hadn't heard from them after I applied, so I assumed they had filled the vacant positions. Not so, because on Aug 3 they called to see if I was still interested in the position. I excitedly said yes and they booked me in for an interview 4 days later. So I spent those 4 days practicing my job interview skills (I really wasn't that worried. I always nail interviews! And especially if they are in the field that I am passionate about - like fitness!)

4 days later - on a Friday - I went for the interview, and just as I thought I would, I nailed it!! I was talking about my 2 favourite topics (me and the fitness industry!!). Lisa, the lady conducting the interview. told me the head trainer would give me a call on Monday or Tuesday to arrange for a second interview, where I was to prepare a small presentation about any aspect of the fitness industry, just to see my style of teaching and presenting information. She told me explicitly to expect the phone call.

So I went along my merry way, nice and happy knowing that I had made it past the first stage (I knew I would, as I applied for the same position 2 and a half years ago. But I turned them down when I found out it was a full time position. I only wanted part time back then. Now I'm ready for a full time career move!) I kept myself busy on the weekend with friends and teaching classes. That weekend flew by. Monday came along and it was just a matter of me sitting by the phone and waiting for that call. It was one of the slowest days ever. Even though I did have a class to teach on Monday morning - and that was a welcome distraction - the day could not have gone by any slower, even if it tried to. No phone call. I wasn't concerned, as Lisa had told me Monday or Tuesday would be the day I got the call.

Tuesday comes along and I knew I would be getting that call. This day was even slower than Monday, because I knew it was the last possible day they could call. Once again, I had a class in the evening to teach to distract me. Before I taught that class, I gave them a call to see what was happening. It turns out that Lisa had taken 2 sick days from work - Monday and Tuesday. So she was unable to pass on my details to the head trainer. They told me to expect a call on Wednesday and to call back if I hadn't heard from them. It was a bit of a relief, but it was still a long process to try and get that call for the second interview.

Wednesday morning. My sleeping habits had altered since I've been sitting around waiting for that phone to ring. I woke up at 8am. I was homebound once more, but confident that I knew what the deal was. At 10.30am, I got the call from Mark, the head trainer. He asked me to prepare a 5 minute presentation (I only thought it was 2 minutes, so I was getting a little panicky, but still thrilled to have finally got that phone call 5 days after I had one of the best interviews ever). I spent the next few hours trying to formulate what I would talk about. It could be anything in fitness, so I decided to talk about what I know a lot of and what I am passionate about: group fitness classes. I originally was going to talk about the 8 common styles. I practiced and it was 15 minutes long - and it was then that I had wished I had a longer time to talk about this! I dropped it down to 4 classes to discuss. 10 minutes. Cut it down to 3. 8 minutes. Finally I got down to the 5 minute mark by talking about 2 classes (and incidentally, the 2 classes I am currently teaching at gyms). I practiced that, as well as practicing for my new class I would be teaching on Saturday morning. So I was juggling 2 things at once (and that's my strength - successfully multi-tasking. If it's just one thing I have to do, I stall. But when it's more than 1, I'm in my element).

Friday. I'm all prepared and I arrive 15 minutes early. They bring me in straight away and I am presenting to Mark and another guy who both haven't met me. So they started asking me questions that I got from my first interview (tell me about yourself, why do you want this position, etc). I hadn't practiced any of that because I was just focused on that presentation. But we're talking about me, I can't get anything wrong there! Shortly after, I'm asked to present. I got up there, kept them engaged and got their full attention for the whole 5 minutes and once again, I really excelled and presented wonderfully. I got some great feedback too. Mark asked, "Have you had any teaching experience?", and that's where I told him about Japan. He said, "I love you, when can you start?" I said, 'As soon as you need me". The only thing I needed to do was provide 4 referees. That posed a bit of a problem. The last 2 places I worked was while overseas in Argentina. They said, "If you have their numbers, we'll call them" and I had to remind them that they don't speak English. So I gave them 2 referees from Melbourne. My old boss from the cake shop and my friend the club manager! I hadn't told them I would give them their details, so as soon as I walked out of the interview, I ran to look for the first public phone I could find and call them up. I called my club manager mate and couldn't get a hold of her, so I left an urgent message on her mobile. I had told my old boss I would be visiting the cake shop this week, so I decided to tell her in person that I used her name as a reference.

I arrived at the cake shop and told my old boss and she was fine with it. 10 minutes after I told her, AIF called - while I was sitting there next to the phone! My boss was on the phone with her for 10 minutes, and afterwards she said, "Those were the strangest 10 minutes ever". She had asked my old boss fitness related questions about me, but my old boss didn't know me as a personal trainer, only from the cake shop. So she told them the other important bits: me being punctual, responsible, bla bla bla. Straight afterwards, AIF called my friend and they spent 20 minutes on the phone with her asking 10 questions about me (do I take criticism well, was there any animosity after I left the gym to go overseas, what are my strengths and weaknesses, am I suitable for a career in the fitness industry or would I be better suited to another field, etc). My friend gave me a glowing reference (and all true, she did work with me and knows me well and has seen me working in the fitness industry). The lady told my friend "That was the best reference call I have ever had. Thank you for being so open and honest". So in other words: I am now employed!!! I was told that I would get a call back after they call my references. I was hoping they would call me later that day, but possibly on Monday. I know I have this - the head trainer loves me and wants me to start soon and I want this because it is a full time career in the fitness industry - not just some random job. It's hard to get a full time job in fitness because hours are varied. But because I am teaching people, it is in normal school hours, plus some weekends. Add my gym work to the mix and I'm working 6 days a week again in an industry I love. Everything is perfect this time around and I am so thrilled about this.

So that's why I haven't blogged for the last fortnight - either the days have been going really slowly or super quickly. Plus the uncertainty of it all was just bugging me. But not anymore.

Today I had a fantastic day too. My friend and I had been learning the new Pump release to teach to my class. We taught together at my local club. Some members at this club used to be members at another location, which closed down. This was the location that my friend and I used to work in together, so the members know us. When we both got up on stage today at the new located club, all the oldies remembered us!! She and I had fun on stage and we provided an educational and fun hour with Pump. This was possibly the best class I've ever taught. She had a good time too and we're planning on doing this every fortnight. She is a recent Pump instructor so she wants as much practice as she can before she branches out on her own next year. So it serves the both of us as well, not to mention all the old members who remembered us and loved as and the new members who fell in love with us today too!!!

Tomorrow I'm teaching again, but on my lonesome. I inherited Sunday morning Pump classes when the regular instructor broke her arm 2 weeks ago in a car accident. She's quite accident prone and is unlucky with injury and health. Only 4 weeks prior to that she was in hospital with pneumonia. Weeks before that she was in hospital for an injury to her leg. She may give up Pump, so it's mine. I may have blogged this last time, but I can't remember. I'll edit this out if I did mention it.

It's been a long and wonderful fortnight - let the good and abundance continue to flow.

My life according to INXS

I saw this on Amanda's page and it was something I can picture myself doing. So here it is: what you do: Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. You cannot use the band that I used. Re-post as 'My life according to (band name)'

Pick your Artist: INXS

Male or Female: Beautiful Girl
Describe yourself: What You Need
How do you feel: The Loved One
Describe where you currently live: Not Enough Time
If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Searching
Your favourite form of transportation: The Stairs
Your best friend: Devil Inside
You and your best friends are: The Gift
What's the weather like?: Mediate
Favourite time of the day: This Time
If your life was a TV show, what would it be called?: Kiss The Dirt (NB - The life of a PT! hehe!)
What is life to you?: New Sensation
Your relationship: Heaven Sent
Your fear: Falling Down The Mountain
What is the best advice you have to give?: Don't Lose Your Head
Thought for the day: Never Tear Us Apart
How I would like to die: Disappear
My soul's present condition: Shining Star
My motto: Taste It

THAT was pretty cool! I had over 30 years' worth of songs to choose from, but I decided to stay with the INXS stuff with Michael Hutchence as lead singer. Pretty cool, ay?

Thanks Amanda, it was quite fun!