I am in the middle of a round of interviews for a new intern and a new coach.  A couple years ago, I started bringing interns in to assist us and when we get one, it works out great.  In fact, the last three coaches that I hired have all been interns for the company.

Not everybody is cut out to be a good coach.  I don’t look for new coaches all the time, but I’ve been doing interviews now for a while and think I have a good idea what I’m looking for.

I look for interns the same way, but unfortunately when it comes to interns, sometimes we don’t have a big pool to pick from.  You usually have to have an intern in place by either September (beginning of school), January (beginning of second semester), or May (beginning of the summer).

What has happened to me is I get someone to commit to me early in the process.  I usually sign them on 3 or 4 months before I need them.  That way I’m not scrambling to find one when the time comes.  Twice, I’ve had people screw me over a few weeks before they were about to start.

I don’t really appreciate that!

I’m all ears to suggestions on how to stop that, but basically they let us know at the last possible instant they can’t do it for one reason or another.  What goes around comes around and they’ll find out soon enough how that goes over with future employers.  Basically, a nice way of saying “Karma’s a b*tch.”

Getting a quality coach is really important.  For obvious reasons, but mainly as I back off from doing the majority of the training for your athletes, I need a good coach in place to implement my system.  If I don’t get a good coach, it hurts both you and me.

Here are a few things that I am looking for when it comes to a good coach:

  • Appearance.  You have one shot to impress me.  I know usually when we work, it will be in sweat pants, athletic shorts, and athletic shirts.  All I ask is if you really want this job, dress up just once.  At the very least it tells me, “I want this job bad and I’m willing to try and look my absolute best to get it.”  I’m about to the point where if you show up in something that you could work out in, I’m just going to end the interview before it begins.  IMPRESS ME!
  • Education.  It is nice to have some type of exercise science degree or one of the several certifications that I feel are valuable to our industry.  The degree in the field isn’t absolutely necessary (I don’t have a degree in this field), but it certainly helps establish a base of knowledge.  If you don’t have a degree in a related field (even if you do), having a certification will certainly help.  I like NSCA, ACSM, USAW and I know there are a few more I’m forgetting.  But, this will get your resume not thrown in the trash immediately.
  • Experience.  You would think someone with experience would be treasured, but not necessarily.  If I have someone passionate about wanting to make a difference, but a little green, I might give him/her the opportunity to grow as a coach with us.  I will teach you the system and allow you to work with our athletes.  They might be more indebted to me and continue to grow with us.  That’s why the internship I provide is so key.  Sometimes an individual with too much experience is more trouble than they’re worth.  For you as an athlete that might be good.  For me as the business owner, I’d prefer someone just starting out and willing to soak up everything like a sponge.
  • Accountability.  Our product is our service.  It is nothing solid that I can replace.  If I made pens and you get a not-so-great pen, I could just give you a brand new pen.  If you get not-so-great service that is hard to remedy.  You need to be on time EVERY TIME.  You need to remember what you need to remember.  The clients don’t want to hear excuses and neither do I.
  • Personality.  This is probably the most important piece of all.  The interview for me is a chance to ask questions about what your goals are in life, what you have done, and why you want the job.  It is also my chance to see if you will allow your personality to shine.  Are you engaging?  Can you form a sentence?  If not, this might be a reflection on how well you will grasp my program.  If you can’t move me in this interview, I can’t trust you to connect with my athletes and help them accomplish their goals.  This is a service industry, so you need to get off all the electronics, stop texting, and learn how to communicate with LIVE people.  You do this well and it can make up for any lack of experience you might have.

I realize I can’t learn everything about you in one or two interviews, but I try to get the best candidates as I can.  I would love to know of any questions or ideas you would want me to do in my interviews to assure I get the very best.  Leave those in the comments box below and maybe I will incorporate them into my interview process.

Photo courtesy of Brisbane City Council on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/brisbanecitycouncil/