Ok, so you’re thinking about studying to become a Pilates instructor, and that Pilates might be a career option for you.
You love how Pilates feels when you attend classes and want to help others experience the same feeling.
You want the opportunity to delve deeply into your own health and wellbeing, and transferring this knowledge onto others appeals to you.
You want the flexibility to work when you want, where you want.
Having made these decisions, your first important step is to find a Pilates instructor training provider.
What should you be looking for? I suggest these seven things:
- To be assured of quality, it should go without saying that your training provider must be a Registered Training Organisation. To guarantee you employability skills, the course you’re looking at should be government accredited, and taught by qualified and experienced Pilates faculty educators.
- Read and thoroughly digest the website of the provider you’re considering, find out who owns the organisation and who the educators are. Ask to meet them and observe them at work in the traditional setting, a fully equipped Pilates studio. Make no mistake, Joseph Pilates created more than the reformer, so your training provider needs to have the experience and capability to train you on all Pilates equipment.
- Do some research on your potential trainers – how long have they been teaching, where did they train, who did they train under, and what is their direct lineage?
- Experience the style, culture and expertise of your potential trainer firsthand by participating in a Pilates studio session. Do they deliver everything they say they will?
- Arrange your time to observe the supporting staff at work if you can. What does this Pilates studio look like and feel like, and how does the overall business present? How does it feel when the owner is not present?
- Consider your study needs. Does the provider offer you the flexibility to study in a way that meets your learning preferences and the other demands of your life, including online study options?
- Look to the future: do they offer a pathway that caters for your ongoing growth and education? For example, even if you start with a matwork course, do they offer the flexibility to upgrade to a diploma later?
Remember, as a prospective student you’re a customer who is about to outlay a significant course fee, and want the best possible return on your investment. I encourage you to take the time to research and consider this important decision.
Beware of the impulse purchase. An attractive, persuasive website is not enough, treat it merely as the awareness tool that it is, your doorway to discovery. And should an enthusiastic salesperson convince you that “you’ll love it!”, that too, on its own, is not enough to sign on the dotted line.
It’s your money and your life, so do your due diligence. Continue to shop around, shop around, and shop some more before you make your decision.
This decision will change your life.