Strength And Conditioning Coach CV: Tips And What To Include

Whether you’re looking for a new role or you’ve recently become an S&C coach, perfecting your Strength and Conditioning coach CV is the key to success!

From structure and formatting to what to include, we’ve compiled the ultimate guide to writing the perfect Strength and Conditioning coach resume. 

We’ll cover:

• Strength And Conditioning Coach CV Structure
• How to Format Your S&C Coach CV
• What To Include In Your CV
• Tips For Writing A Strength And Conditioning CV

If you’re looking to break into the fitness industry, taking a Level 2 Gym Instructor course with OriGym is the best way to get started! Enquire today, or browse our full range of course by downloading our free course prospectus here. 

Strength And Conditioning Coach CV Structure

Before you even start writing the content, planning a clear and concise structure for your Strength and Conditioning Coach CV is essential.

As well as making your CV look professional, having a good structure makes it a lot easier for a prospective employer to read. If your CV is difficult to follow or has a confusing structure, they are much more likely to ignore it! 

Of course, how you structure it is entirely up to you. But if you are struggling with what to include, here’s a good basic structure to follow:

• Contact Information 
• Personal Summary
• Qualifications 
• Work experience
• Achievements
• Education 
• Hobbies and interests
• References 

We’ll discuss exactly what to include in each of these sections later in this article. 

You should make sure that your sections are clearly divided, which can be easily done by making the subheadings bold or in a slightly larger font. We will discuss fonts in more detail next when we cover the Strength And Conditioning Coach CV formatting. 

Strength And Conditioning Coach CV Format

Another important aspect of writing a good Strength and Conditioning Coach resume is formatting. Like the structure, getting this right will make your CV look professional and make it easier for the employer to read, ultimately helping you stand out amongst other applicants!

Check out our tips for how to stand as a personal trainer here.

Here are some points to consider when formatting your Strength and Conditioning Coach CV:

Font. We recommend using fonts such as Arial, New Times roman Calibri as they are professional, simple and easy to read. 

Font size. We’d recommend using size 16pt for your titles, and 12pt for all other text. 

Spacing. If you can, use 1.15 spacing to make your CV easier to read. This also allows room for the employer to write any notes or annotations on your CV!

Avoid large chunks of text. Try to avoid large blocks of text in your Strength and Conditioning Coach CV. The person reading it will probably also have several (if not hundreds!) of other CVs to read. They are much more likely to engage with quick bullet points or short paragraphs, rather than long chunks of text. 

Colours. The colour theme of your CV is really a matter of personal preference. We recommend sticking to blacks and blues in order to maintain a professional look. However, if you have an eye for design, adding a pop of colour can show off your skills and personality!

What To Include In Your Strength And Conditioning Coach CV

So, now that you know how to structure and format your Strength and Conditioning Coach CV, what should you include in it? Let’s break down exactly what information you need to put in your Strength and Conditioning Coach resume!

Contact information 

Perhaps the most obvious way to start your Strength and Conditioning Coach CV is with your contact information. This is pretty important as without it, an employer won’t be able to contact you about your application if you are successful!

Your contact information should include:

• Full name
• Address / location 
• Phone number
• Email address

Another thing you may want to include is your social media links. This is entirely optional, but since marketing yourself on social media is becoming one of the important skills of a personal trainer, and anyone working in fitness for that matter, it is definitely worth considering! It can help give the employer a more rounded view of you and your brand, as well as demonstrating your marketing skills. 

This is the first thing that someone will read on your CV, so you could also include a line stating your job title, e.g. ‘Qualified Strength and Conditioning coach’.

Personal summary

This is an important but often overlooked section of a Strength and Conditioning CV. A personal summary is essentially a personal statement. The overall premise is very similar to that of a personal trainer bio, except your personal summary should be tailored to a specific job at a certain company rather than to clients.

As one of the first things an employer will read, it is worth taking some time to perfect your personal summary. It needs to be strong but short; it is an opportunity to really sell yourself in a few lines!

It should give an overview of you, your experience and your qualifications, as well as why you are the best candidate for this specific job. You could also briefly mention your future career goals. 

An important thing to remember about your personal summary is that it should be tailored to the specific job description. Make sure to look at what skills and experience they are looking for, and ensure that your personal summary is relevant and makes references to those particular skills.  

For example, if the role is to coach a team of athletes, you could highlight any experience you may have with group personal training which would give you transferable skills. 

This is particularly important if you don’t yet have much experience in the industry, as your personal summary can be a good way to convey your personality, passion and motivation for the job. 

Work experience

After your personal summary, you should then outline your relevant work experience. 

In this section of your Strength and Conditioning Coach CV, you should outline your professional history, covering your previous job roles and the roles and responsibilities you had within them. 

Particularly in the S&C sector where you will likely be training a high level of clients in professional contexts, having a lot of experience behind you will stand you in good stead.

But if you don’t have experience specifically in Strength and Conditioning yet, don’t worry! Everyone has to start somewhere, and there is always experience you can draw upon. For example, you could highlight the roles and responsibilities you had as a personal trainer, or any other kind of teaching or leadership skills that could be transferred to S&C.

You should also remember that the role of a Strength and Conditioning Coach involves tasks such as cleaning equipment, communicating with clients, working in a team, and time management - skills which you may have acquired working in sectors such as hospitality or retail. 

However, the most important thing to remember when it comes to listing your experience is to keep it relevant. There is no need to list your role as school prefect or your high school paper round - unless you have something really important to say about it! 

In terms of structuring your work experience, make sure to always talk about your roles in reverse chronological order. That is, start by listing your most recent role and work backwards in time. 

This is what you should include when talking about your work experience:

• Your job title
• Company name
• Location of company 
• How long you worked there (month and year you started and ended)
• Briefly explain the roles and responsibilities you had

Qualifications

The next thing you should include in your Strength and Conditioning Coach CV is arguably the most important: your qualifications! 

This is where you can show a prospective employer that you are qualified for the role, and you can share any extra qualifications you may have that will help you stand out! In fact, employers often look at this section first to quickly discount any unqualified candidates. 

If you’re wondering what qualifications you need to be a Strength and Conditioning coach, there are some essential qualifications that you will need:

• Level 2 Gym Instructor Qualification: This primarily qualifies you to work as a fitness instructor in a gym, leisure centre or fitness club. But it also provides you with a strong foundation of knowledge and skills to enter the fitness industry. You’ll learn the basics of human anatomy and physiology, which is at the core of Strength and Conditioning. 
• Level 3 Personal Training Qualification: Once you have completed your Level 2 course, you can then qualify as a personal trainer. Taking this course will expand upon your fitness knowledge and provide you with an in-depth understanding of the human body and how to create and deliver a programme for clients. 

If you don’t already have either of these qualifications, you can enquire about our CIMSPA endorsed Personal Training Diploma now and get qualified in as little as 4 weeks!

Once you have these core qualifications, you are all set to start specialising in Strength and Conditioning! You may choose to deepen your knowledge even further with a specific strength & conditioning course. However, this isn't mandatory to pursue this career.

This section of your strength and conditioning coach CV is a great time to show off your Level 2, Level 3 and CPD qualifications, demonstrating your commitment and dedication to being a Strength and Conditioning Coach. 

You should also list any further qualifications you have to do with Strength and Conditioning. For example, you may have taken an advanced S&C course with an awarding body, such as the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). 

As well as Strength and Conditioning-specific qualifications, it can also be helpful to list any extra fitness-related courses you may have taken, such as specialist CPD or first aid courses.

When listing your qualifications, make sure to include the following things:

• Name of the course
• Course provider
• When you completed the course
• Governing body 
• Course accreditation (e.g. CIMSPA)
• Grade you achieved (if applicable) 

Within this section, you can also include whether you are insured. Showing that you already have your own insurance is not always essential, but will definitely be a selling point for potential employers. S&C coach insurance is essentially the same as what you need as a personal trainer so check out our guide to what insurance personal trainers need. 

Education

Some jobs may have certain academic requirements, so it is worth listing your education history in your Strength and Conditioning coach resume. 

Like with your work experience, you should list your education history in reverse chronological order. This means starting with your most recently completed education and working backwards. 

When listing your education, you should include: 

• Start and end date (month and year)
• Subject / degree title (including acronym e.g. BSc, MSc)
• Name of school, university or college
• Level of qualification (e.g. degree, A-Level)
• Grade achieved (e.g. merit, A*, 2:1)

The level of detail you go into in this section really depends on your level of education. For example, if you have a university degree, you don’t need to list all your GCSEs. You could instead simply say something like:

Sept 2008 - June 2015 

Park High School 

10 GCSEs grade A-C (including Maths and English)

However, some roles may require specific GCSEs or A-Levels, in which case you should list them in more detail. As with all jobs in sport, it is therefore important to read the job description carefully and adapt your CV accordingly. 

You can also choose which grades to include in your Strength and Conditioning resume. You should never lie about grades, but if there are some that you are not particularly happy with, you don’t have to include them! Similarly, if there are grades you are particularly proud of, make sure to include them at the top of the list.

Finally, you can also include any pending qualifications, for example if you are in the process of completing a degree. In this case, simply state when you started and your predicted or expected grade, if you know it. It could look something like this:

September 2019- present

BSc Sports Science

Liverpool John Moores University 

Predicted grade: 2:1

Hobbies and interests

You may not have thought that your hobbies and interests are something to include on a professional Strength and Conditioning coach CV. But we think it is definitely worth including a short section on them!

Considering that a Strength and Conditioning coach is an active, social and dynamic job, demonstrating your hobbies and interests shows that you are a well-rounded person suitable for the role. Ultimately, it shows that you are human!

Of course, you should particularly mention any sports and fitness-related hobbies. Whether you’re into running marathons or play for your local football team at the weekend, it all shows that you understand the industry from a personal perspective, as well as a professional one. 

As with all aspects of your Strength and Conditioning coach CV, make sure that it is relevant. For example, there is no need to mention general hobbies such as ‘listening to music’ or ‘reading’, as they certainly won’t make you stand out from the rest! 

You don’t need to go into much detail here, simply saying what the hobby is and how long you have been doing it is enough. 

References 

Finally, you should end your Strength and Conditioning coach resume with references. 

A referee is someone who your potential employer can contact and ask for a personal reference about you. They may ask them what you are like as an employee, or ask them to verify any claims you have made on your Strength and Conditioning coach CV. 

Referees can be previous employers or lecturers who you have worked with in the recent past. 

You don’t need to share their personal contact information on your CV. Instead, simply state “References available on request”. Then if you are successful, the employer will ask for further details so that they can contact your references. 

Enjoying this article so far? Here’s 3 more that we think you’ll love:

• How To Become A Strength And Conditioning Coach
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Tips For Writing A Strength And Conditioning CV

Now that you know what exactly to include, here are some of our top tips to really perfect your Strength and Conditioning coach CV. 

#1- Include a cover letter 

When applying for a job, you should always include a cover letter alongside your Strength and Conditioning coach CV. A cover letter is simply a document that introduces your CV, typically attached before the CV itself. 

Where a CV is a general overview of your skills and experience, a cover letter is specifically written for the job that you are applying for. It allows you to really sell yourself and highlight any particular points that you may not be able to include in your CV.

A Strength and Conditioning cover letter is very similar to that of other fitness roles, so check out our guide to how to write a personal training cover letter for more tips! 

#2- Keep it concise 

When it comes to writing a Strength and Conditioning coach CV, less is often more! 

You may think that the longer your CV the better but in fact, seeing several pages of a CV can completely put off potential employers. We therefore recommend keeping your CV to no more than 2 sides of A4 long. 

#3- Convey your passion

Writing a Strength and Conditioning coach resume can sometimes seem like a laborious task. Whilst you should follow a structure (like the one we have outlined in this article), equally don’t be afraid to think outside the box!

Being a good Strength and Conditioning coach requires confidence, social skills and creativity, so use this as a chance to show that you have these qualities! Whether it’s designing your CV in a creative way in relation to the role you are applying for, or including something a bit different, it can be a great way to help you stand out! 

Just like when people are wondering how to choose a personal trainer, prospective S&C clients will want someone who is passionate about what they do. So this is the chance to show that you fit that criteria!

That said, try not to over-do it! Make sure that your CV remains professional and easy to read. 

#4- Check your spelling and grammar

This is one of the biggest mistakes that applicants make, but it's also one of the easiest to avoid! 

You could have the best Strength and Conditioning coach CV ever, but if you make spelling and grammar mistakes, it will instantly make it look unprofessional and imply that you haven’t taken much time or care over it. 

The best way to avoid this is to simply make sure to use a spelling and grammar checker on whatever application you are writing your CV on. You could also get a friend or family member to read it over, as often they will point out errors that you may have missed. 

#5- Follow up 

Once you have sent off a job application, it can be easy to think that all your hard work is done and you can forget about it. But this is not the case!

It is likely that employers will receive hundreds of applications for one single role, particularly if you are applying for one of the best gyms to work for in the UK. This increases the chance of your application getting lost or an email being left unread.

In order to avoid this, if you haven’t heard from a company you applied for in a few weeks, there is no harm in sending them a quick email to check if they have received your application. This shows that you are proactive and really interested in the job. 

Even if you haven’t got the job, try to get feedback as to why you didn’t get it, so that you can improve your CV for your next application. 

#6- Don’t lie!

When applying for a role that you desperately want, it can be easy to get carried away and tell a few white lies on your CV about your experience or qualifications. But this is always a bad idea!

No matter how small it is, if an employer finds out that you have lied about something, even after you’ve started the job, it puts you in a very unprofessional light. Not to mention the awkward conversation you would have to have with them!

It is therefore always best to stick to the truth when it comes to writing your Strength and Conditioning CV. It avoids any potential problems in the future and means that you can apply for jobs with a clear conscience! 

FAQs

Where can I find a job as a Strength and Conditioning coach?

Once you have written your Strength and Conditioning coach CV, we know that you’ll be wanting to start sending off those applications!

Online is a great place to start. General job listing sites such as Indeed and Glassdoor will advertise S&C jobs. The UK’s professional body for Strength and Conditioning, the UKSCA, also has a handy job board here where they exclusively post S&C coach vacancies.

It can also be worth taking the initiative to reach out to potential clients yourself. For example, if you want to work for a specific sports team, sending them your Strength and Conditioning coach resume or even just beginning to network with them shows that you are passionate about working for them- and will help you stand out! 

What career progression is there for a Strength and Conditioning coach? 

When you are writing your Strength and Conditioning coach CV to apply for a job role, you may be wondering where your career could take you. 

Perhaps the most common career path for Strength and Conditioning coaches is to work with professional athletes or sports teams, working their way up from local to national, international and even Olympic level. 

Many experienced Strength and Conditioning coaches also go on to become teachers and assessors, helping create the next generation of S&C coaches! If this sounds appealing, taking OriGym’s Fitness Teaching and Assessing Course equips you with all the knowledge and practical skills you need to pursue this career path.

Whatever path you choose, Strength and Conditioning is one of the most lucrative and dynamic fitness careers out there! 

Before You Go!

So, now that you know how to write a Strength and Conditioning coach CV, what are you waiting for? It’s time to start sending your applications and landing your dream job in Strength and Conditioning! 

If you haven’t already, kickstart your S&C career by taking a personal training course with OriGym and see where it could take you! You can also browse our full range of courses here by downloading our free prospectus here.