Need help with possible career change

**Fordfan01** · 01-27-2008, 09:44 PM

Ok so heres the deal i have two more years until i get my bac. degree in nursing. However after working at the hospital for the past 7 months, i really dont want to be a nurse for the rest of my life. Honestly i would love to be a personal trainer as a full time career. I am about to take the NSCA-CPT and CSCS next month. Is it crazy of me to try and make a career out of this? This is just something i really love and i want my job to make me happy. Need some help here guys. Can it be done and wats the best way to go? thanks

**gixxerboy1** · 01-27-2008, 09:58 PM

Very small % of personal trainers are really successful. It takes a lot of time and energy, You need to know how to market and run yourself like a business. Depends alot where you live too. I wouldn't do it.

**10nispro** · 01-27-2008, 10:24 PM

You have lots of options with your degree in nursing.....gixxer is correct, it takes alot of time and patients(no pun intended). Unless you are vested in a gym yourself its hard. I was in the medical field for close to 10yrs...I took a leap of hope and it has worked out for me. Look into exercise phys or physical Therapy....Not discouraging you, but give yourself a chance....Do both for a while and see what you like.

**kaberle_15** · 01-27-2008, 10:29 PM

Originally Posted by gixxerboy1

Very small % of personal trainers are really successful. It takes a lot of time and energy, You need to know how to market and run yourself like a business. Depends alot where you live too. I wouldn't do it.

Agreed

**MuscleScience** · 01-27-2008, 10:32 PM

I was and exercise physiologist for awhile and it doesnt pay very well. You still would work at hospitals and such if you wanted. But its a hard field to make real money in because the general person out there really isnt into spending all types of money for a weekend warrior type competitions. The market just isnt there unless your working with high profile athletes and most of them go to the big established institutes. I say stick with nursing, get good grades and go to anesthesia school thats where you can make some real bucks.

BTW you have to have a degree before you can take the CSCS unless your a college senior in good standing.

**DIESELPWR** · 01-27-2008, 10:33 PM

yeah it is very hard to make a lot of money in personal training... i mean if you work at a gym, you are giving the gym a large percentage of your money.. and if you work on your own, you have to work very hard to build a list of clients.. you have to get your name out there and it is very hard.. especially wen after a little bit people think they can do it on their own and they come and go.. hard to do full time..

**peteroy01** · 01-27-2008, 11:47 PM

get ur RN and take a few fast track EMT courses(maybe 9months at the most) and become an emergency flight RN Paramedic. you have to work 10-12days a month @ 24hr shifts and you've got all the time in the world to chase your hobbies. and the 24's your sitting in a apartment type setting just waiting for something to happen. so its pretty chill. im looking into it myself.

**peteroy01** · 01-27-2008, 11:48 PM

and the pay is awesome.

**qualityclrk1** · 01-28-2008, 12:18 AM

i too am a nursing student...After i get my 4 year, i'm going to try and move as quickly as i can to my masters to become a practitioner....my goal is to only work in a hospital for a couple years, then soon enough be working with a physician in our own office.....i probably won't be in the position to deal with a lot of "life on the line" situations...more like people coming in with a rash or a cold and i'll just subscribe an antibiotic....i've got an amazing website my high school subscribed to that i can hook you up with...pm me and i can give you my user name and password to log on...its a real in-depth site on a variety of careers, how much they make in certain states, the degrees/training that is necessary, schools that offer the program in whatever state, how much it all costs- EVERYTHING....you can look up different career paths that ur degree offers you....

**10nispro** · 01-28-2008, 12:24 AM

Originally Posted by peteroy01

get ur RN and take a few fast track EMT courses(maybe 9months at the most) and become an emergency flight RN Paramedic. you have to work 10-12days a month @ 24hr shifts and you've got all the time in the world to chase your hobbies. and the 24's your sitting in a apartment type setting just waiting for something to happen. so its pretty chill. im looking into it myself.

I was a medic for most of my medical experience(almost 10yrs). Flight RN is nice but it does get monotonous. He is right about having lots of time to do other things. As far as pay, most of the medics I knew, only stayed because they had been with this paricular company and didn't want to lose what they had vested. Most left and worked critical care or ER. Some did the RNA route. Look into travelling nurse also. Great money and you go lots of places. Good Luck. Oh BTW, average burnout for a medic is 5yrs. I was on a high paying truck and the most I made was $13.50/hr.

**Fordfan01** · 01-28-2008, 07:58 PM

thanks for all the advice fellas yea ive been thinking hard on it and im just gonna finish out my degree...work a few years then persue my dreams got to have money before i can do nething like pt b/c eventually i want to work for myself

**Kennedy** · 01-28-2008, 08:00 PM

Some hospitals offer per diem workshift as well as 12 hours shifts I'm sure you can find time to do both. Good luck.

**goodcents** · 01-28-2008, 08:03 PM

Originally Posted by 10nispro

I was a medic for most of my medical experience(almost 10yrs). Flight RN is nice but it does get monotonous. He is right about having lots of time to do other things. As far as pay, most of the medics I knew, only stayed because they had been with this paricular company and didn't want to lose what they had vested. Most left and worked critical care or ER. Some did the RNA route. Look into travelling nurse also. Great money and you go lots of places. Good Luck. Oh BTW, average burnout for a medic is 5yrs. I was on a high paying truck and the most I made was $13.50/hr.

That's alot of schooling for that small of pay

**goodcents** · 01-28-2008, 08:05 PM

Get a business degree, business runs every thing.

**Fordfan01** · 01-28-2008, 08:28 PM

Originally Posted by goodcents

Get a business degree, business runs every thing.

ill prob get my grad in business

**naturalsux** · 01-28-2008, 09:11 PM

Originally Posted by 10nispro

I was a medic for most of my medical experience(almost 10yrs). Flight RN is nice but it does get monotonous. He is right about having lots of time to do other things. As far as pay, most of the medics I knew, only stayed because they had been with this paricular company and didn't want to lose what they had vested. Most left and worked critical care or ER. Some did the RNA route. Look into travelling nurse also. Great money and you go lots of places. Good Luck. Oh BTW, average burnout for a medic is 5yrs. I was on a high paying truck and the most I made was $13.50/hr.

yeah but the pay sucks here in Louisiana.