Posted on 30 May 2024
By Claire Floquet, Active IQ Ambassador
Claire Floquet made a late start in the fitness industry after a 15-year career in communications and marketing. Always being a sports enthusiast, Claire’s passion for inspiring people to be active and helping them get healthier led to a career change as she was turning 40.
For the past five years she’s worked as a personal trainer (PT) and encourages more people to make the switch to fitness in her role as an Active IQ Ambassador. We sat down with her to find out more about the decision and how she’s found life as a PT.
Tell me about your career before you became a PT
Before becoming a PT, I worked for more than 15 years in communications and marketing, starting as a communications specialist, and then becoming a marketing manager. I worked for several companies in different industries (pharmaceuticals, finance, education, technology) and in different countries; France, Canada, Singapore, Denmark, and of course the United Kingdom.
My latest work experience as a marketing manager was in the fitness industry, for a scale-up providing a technical and commercial platform to support online fitness coaches all over the world.
What made you decide to change careers?
After more than 15 years working in the same field, I felt some kind of boredom in what I was doing, and I had definitely had enough of being desk-bound and not seeing first-hand the difference my work was making in people’s life.
I needed a new career in a field where I could be up on my feet and, most importantly, see the positive impact I could have on people’s lives.
Why did the fitness industry appeal to you and what made you want to become a PT?
Being a sports enthusiast since childhood, I've always led an active lifestyle and loved to share my passion for sports and physical activity. I was always naturally driven to inspire my friends to become more active and loved to see how they were benefiting from it.
Two of my former colleagues, from when I was working at a college in Scotland, convinced me to study towards becoming a PT. I was regularly giving them motivation and advice to be more active, including taking them for lunchtime runs. They told me I was very inspirational and motivating, and seemed to love helping people get fitter. They were sure I would thrive as a PT and advised me to give it a try. I listened to their advice and started looking into what was required.
What has your experience been like since becoming a PT?
Amazing! I love my new job so much, it’s really my passion. I love being active all the time, I love inspiring and motivating people, I love seeing my clients’ progress and the difference I’m making in their life. There’s no better reward than seeing people becoming healthier and happier thanks to my work (and theirs, of course).
I also love the diversity of the work as a PT. Every session is different as every client comes with a different background, a different goal, different motivations and barriers, different abilities, and likes or dislikes. It’s very interesting to work with them and figure out exactly what they need to reach their goal – and when you get there, it’s exhilarating for both them and you.
Tell me about any highlights or standout moments since becoming a PT that convinced you it was the right move.
One of the highlights was a client who – literally – jumped into my arms when she managed to do a rolling pistol squat. It might sound insignificant, but it’s a move that was totally inaccessible to her before she started training because of some lack of mobility and strength.
She dreamed of doing this move since she saw someone else doing it years back. We worked hard on all aspects of her fitness and, one day, here she was, rolling her way to a beautiful pistol squat. She had tears in her eyes, and I think she gave me the most happy and grateful hug I ever received in my life!
What would you say to anyone thinking of changing careers?
It can be daunting to make the big jump and leave a career where you know exactly what you’re doing to start from scratch without knowing what to expect. For me, there’s two magic ingredients: passion and qualification. Your passion will give you the power to initiate the jump, and a qualification will give you the confidence to make it all the way.
I’m not going to say it’s easy; it requires some hard work to study towards a new qualification and some sacrifices, as you will probably start on with a lower income than what you are making in your current career. But if you’re passionate, you will have the drive to achieve fast growth and quickly thrive in your new career.
We spend a lot of time working in our life, so taking action to make your work something you love is one of the best decisions you can make.
How has Active IQ supported you in your role?
As I said before, for me, gaining a qualification is one of the pillars of a successful career change. Your qualification needs to be recognised as broadly as possible, by potential employers, and by potential clients, wherever you plan to work now and in the future.
Active IQ qualifications are recognised, not only by the entire UK fitness industry, but also internationally. This has helped me secure work in the UK as well as in Denmark, where I moved to for a couple of years before coming back to Scotland.
Active IQ qualifications are also great when you’re at the learning stage. The study content is best-in class, and there are plenty of accredited training providers. You will find one near you, and most providers offer diverse study options; face-to-face or online, daytime or evening. Whatever your personal learning preferences or your life constraints, you can find an option that suits you.
How important is continuous professional development (CPD) in your role and what impact has it had on your career as a PT?
CPD is extremely important for me. It helps me stay up to date with industry standards, as well as expand my knowledge and skills. For me, continuously learning is very important as it makes my work enriching, interesting and stimulating.
Also, upskilling is crucial for my growth, as it enables me to better support my clients, and to reach out to a wider range of people.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking about or researching how to become a PT?
Ask people in the industry! Go to your local gym, ask the fitness manager, ask the personal trainers. Don’t be shy, most of them will be delighted to tell you about their work and help you get on the right path.
You can continue to follow Claire’s journey and advice on our social media platforms, as part of our Ambassador Program. If you are thinking about joining the fitness industry and are looking to retrain, Active IQ has over 100 qualifications to support your career pathway. If you need further advice or would like to find your nearest training provider, you can contact our Customer Experience Team by emailing csteam@activeiq.co.uk