Alex Coulson, 21 from Stepney Green
Despite her young age, Alex has a strong background in the Health and Fitness industry: she has trained as a football coach and a trampolining coach. After returning home from 3 months of travelling in Australia Alex decided to pursue a career in the Fitness Industry, but found it impossible to find a job in a gym without direct experience and qualifications. She was informed about the TAG programme by her local Job Centre and jumped at the chance of gaining a qualification and making a long-term hobby into a career. Alex was mentored by Carlo Felice, and says she was able to really rely on Carlo’s help throughout her course.
Alex breezed through her 5-week training and secured a placement working part-time at London Wall gym. Within 3 weeks of starting her placement, Alex was already snapped up by LA Fitness centre in Bayswater to work any hours she wasn’t working at her placement. It comes as no suprise that she was hired by LA Fitness after her placement to work as a full-time Membership Advisor.
Alex has only been working at LA Fitness since December 2010 but she is already on track to become a Deputy Manager and is taking a training course in March 2011. Looking back on her time with TAG, Alex feels it has really helped her along:
“I’ve benefited majorly; the TAG programme got me where I am today”
Alex hopes to become a Club Manager in the future. She talks of her experiences with applying for work:
“No one would hire me, because even though I had previous experience in coaching, I had no direct experience in working in a gym or any relevant qualifications. It is amazing that programmes like TAG exists, but I don’t think there are enough of them”