How to improve your employment opportunities as a Pilates instructor

If you want to have a successful, lucrative, enjoyable career as a Pilates instructor, giving yourself the best chance at achieving this goal is essential. Pilates is the fastest growing fitness trend of the last few years in Australia, with the Australian Institute of Fitness predicting this rapid rise will continue throughout 2024 and beyond.

So naturally, plenty of people are wanting to jump into the thriving industry at a time of high growth, and use this momentum to carve out a rewarding career for themselves.

However, this does mean the competition for top jobs in Pilates has also increased - which means it’s more important than ever to improve your employment opportunities as a Pilates instructor using some forward planning and strategic thinking. Here’s how.

Complete a course that opens doors, rather than limits where you can work.

Here’s a little secret most Pilates studios don’t want you to know: the majority of Pilates instructor courses only qualify you to teach in the specific studio or franchise at which you completed your training. That means, if you were to go overseas or even interstate, or decided to jump ship and apply for a role at another local studio, your options would be very limited.

Not only does this affect your ability to work the hours you ideally would like to, it also impacts the type of work you can do, and your freedom and flexibility to seek out a workplace or culture that best aligns with your values and priorities for your career.

Also, it really affects your earning potential. Think about this… If you can only work at the studio you were trained by, then the same goes for the other students who completed the course alongside you.

This means you’re all competing for the same select few roles (if there are any open positions at all!), so you have less ability to set your own rates and hours than you if you were able to walk away and seek work anywhere else you wanted. Instead, the studio you are qualified to teach at knows you need work from them, so they don’t have to pay you a premium to entice you and show you your expertise and skills are valued.

Instead, if you complete a course like our APPI Pilates Instructor Certification, which allows you to teach at any Pilates studio across Australia, and internationally too, you have the freedom to seek employment opportunities anywhere you like - or even create your own by starting your own business if you choose! This means you can walk away from the jobs that don’t meet your salary or culture expectations, and instead seek out ones which value and appreciate you as they should. Your options are endless when you plan for your future and choose a course which allows you to carve out your ideal career wherever you want to do so.

Pursue an evidence-based certification.

Something else to consider when you’re completing your Pilates Instructor training: not all courses are created equal. Make sure you’re completing a science-based course, which is well-respected within the industry. This makes future employers far more likely to consider you favourable for Pilates instructor roles as they come up, and also helps to set you apart from others in the industry who haven’t completed courses as high-quality as yours. Naturally, employers look for instructors who have had the best preparation and training, as it better prepares them to be confident, skilled and capable when teaching.

Our APPI Pilates Instructor Certification is the perfect example of this at play. Created by physiotherapists based on years of clinical experience and scientific research, it’s an entirely evidence-based course, equipping you with all the fundamental understanding, knowledge, skills and practical experience you need to excel as a Pilates instructor.

You’ll walk away confident in your own depth of understanding, having had leading experts in the Pilates industry deliver extensive theoretical knowledge, along with plenty of hands-on practical experience.

Plus, our course is the most highly respected Pilates training offered in the industry, meaning potential employers will recognise your high-quality training, and acknowledge your superior skills set as a result. It’s an amazing way to open doors for future employment opportunities.

Network with others in your Pilates Instructor course 

Another way to create and open up new employment opportunities in the Pilates world is to network. Networking and connecting with experts in the industry, and with your peers as you complete your Pilates instructor training (and afterwards!) is an excellent way of getting your name and face out there, so you can be recognised and considered when any new job openings come up.

It gives you an advantage when applying for roles alongside others who haven’t had the same chance to network with the employer, and it can also help you get inspiration as to the types of jobs available in the industry - some of which you may never have even considered before!

At Unite Health, our community is everything to us. It’s our priority, and we make a conscious effort to always ensure our students and graduates have every chance to network, connect and support each other. Not only do we foster and encourage collaboration and connection during each of our courses, but we also offer ongoing career development opportunities - which provide further chances to network and meet others in the industry.

We don’t send you out into the Pilates world alone as soon as you finish your Pilates instructor certification. When you become a member of Unite Health’s community, you’re a member for life. This means you’ll get to interact with and learn from experts in the industry - many of whom have completed our courses themselves - and you’ll get to interact with like-minded Pilates lovers and instructors, opening up a whole bunch of potential opportunities for you.

You never know - you could meet another Pilates enthusiast in your course and end up opening a studio together, or you could find employment in the future from one of our course educators teaching you throughout your certification! We also regularly share job openings that come up within the industry, so networking with our amazing community and getting involved in the ongoing initiatives we offer is an excellent way to expand your employment opportunities.

Ask questions of experts or leaders in the industry who inspire you or have had their own success.

Another effective way to give yourself a greater chance of carving out a career you love in Pilates is to reach out to those who have come before you, whose careers inspire you. If you find someone who you admire or respect, or who has created their own path which you’d like to replicate or follow in your own way, don’t be afraid to reach out and connect with them!

Often, people are far more generous with their advice and time than you’d expect. Particularly within our Unite Health community, our expert course Educators are so generous and approachable, and regularly support our students by providing advice and guidance as you carve out your own path in the industry. One of the benefits of being taught by leading experts who have all had their own immense success in the industry is that you can learn far more than just the course material from our Unite Health educators.

You can learn important business skills, understand how to differentiate yourself in the industry, and even ask for help or guidance as you navigate the industry and seek employment opportunities for yourself. Our team are all so successful and knowledgeable in their own rites, and are always willing to go above and beyond to support you as much as possible - beyond just providing the best-quality education possible, to share their own practical learnings, expertise and wisdom with you too.

Be cool and kind! Be passionate.

Lastly, think about the type of person you show up as when you’re looking for your dream job or career path. Be kind to those around you, and never be afraid to demonstrate your passion and enthusiasm for Pilates and the industry. Don’t feel like you have to “play it cool” and take a backseat - instead, get your name out there, start conversations with others in your course or with your educators, reach out to people you admire, and demonstrate just how excited and eager you are to bring your skills, expertise and passion to your job and the industry as a whole.

Being open, engaging and personable will really help to differentiate yourself from others, and open up so many employment opportunities for you. It’s the little things that count! 

There you have it, five tried and tested ways in which you can set yourself apart from the rest of the Pilates industry, and give yourself the best possible chance of creating your dream job and career. Open up endless employment opportunities when you complete your APPI Pilates Instructor Certification with Unite Health - you can enrol in our upcoming course here! Or, if you want a little more guidance or information, book a time to chat with our wonderful course experts here, to determine which course best suits your career goals.