ohsohopeful

Today is my last day at my marketing job. My distance learning Gym Instructor coursework has arrived and I will begin studying and working damn hard next week.

Not sure how I will feel later on, I have been here almost 4 years and it feels strange to be leaving on very good terms without another job to go to.

Since we are still waiting on the visas everyone is keen to know when we are leaving the country but we just don't know for sure. We are telling everyone end of January and keeping our fingers crossed!

Badge

Fistly congrats (attempt to be polite)

secondly - on to the real guts now:
can you tell us a bit about this gym instructor thing?

Is it a TAFE course?

I used to be a physical training instructor for the MoD.

Badge

ohsohopeful

Hi Badge
It's the Certificate III in Fitness (Professional Fitness Instructor) from the FIA (Fitness Institute Australia).

It leads to Certificate IV in Fitness (Personal Trainer) and ultimately to the FIA Diploma in Exercise Science.

They are internationally recognised qualifications and FIA are affiliated with such organisations as FitPro UK, YMCA etc.

Badge

how long is the course, (I see you are doing it at home...) ?

do you need both to get a job, or is Cert III sufficient?

Badge

ohsohopeful

Badge

The Certificate III course is sufficient to gain registration as a fitness instructor and be able to work on the gym floor. It's deisgned to allow full registration in approx. 3 months I think.

It's made up of 3 strands combining theory, a 2 hour written examination and face to face learning. The bit I'm starting now is the theory stuff which can be done by distance learning. I will be taking the exam and completing the practical elements in Sydney at the FIA next year. It incorporates a work cover approved First Aid Certificate which is required to gain registration. The practical part of the course is specialising in one of 3 key areas, group exercise (aerobics), aqua fitness, or gym/fitness instructor.

Their website if you are interested is www.fia.com.au.

Some info here on the FIA:

The Fitness Institute Australia is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO), and is accredited with the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA), Vocational Education Training Authority Board (VETAB), Fitness Australia and the Training and Registration Advisory Committee (TRAC). All Fitness Institute Australia courses are Nationally and Internationally recognised.

I've seen the same certficiate and registration offered by other training organisations in Oz so I think it's a standard requirement.

ohsohopeful

Well they got me good and proper today. I was hoping that I'd get away with it, but have just been presented with the most fantastic card with photos of everyone inside, and some lovely gifts too. Got a bit tearful but held it together quite well.

Off to the pub soon for beer and pool...

Pollyana

Hope you have fun in the pub! I wished for the sort of send-off where I could just sneak away, but they did the same to me - pressies and card and stuff; lovely of people to care, but its tough holding it together isn't it.
Just think of the pub waiting for you....!!!

sky

steandleigh

Enjoy your last day and have a good booze up at the pub afterwards!!!!

tinaj

Well done for surviving through it all. 4 weeks to go for me and am getting worried about crying already. I am not bothered about leaving the job, just a few of the people.

What a great idea to re-train!

tom's mum

Hi,

Today was our final day at work and I can tell you I found it very emotional. As osohopeful stated its very different leaving a job when you have no problems with the old job. I have loved every minute of my job and it was extremely hard leaving all my friends today.

If I could have got out of my leaving 'do' I would have, especially when the pressie and speeches started!!

Ah well new horizons beckon. Just hope we exchange contracts soon or I wont have any hair left!! :scared:

Helen

bawi

hi there

i hope you had a good evening out and that you were not too sad about leaving everyone at your old job. sounds really good with that training course for fitness instructor!

i will post my 'last day at work' in two weeks, but have a job to go to in OZ, find it therefore less scary.

good luck and lots of motivation (i am sure you have it) for the training.

barbara

Paul&Ann-Marie

I would also like to say good luck with the course and hope everything goes well for you.

I was a bit concerned when you stated:

Today is my last day at my marketing job.

Followed by:

Since we are still waiting on the visas........... lol, you are either very brave or very confident.

Whichever it is we really do wish you the very best.It also looks like you have done a great deal of research into your potential job which is exactly the same thing we have done ( i reckon i can earn $450.00 dollars a week as a door-to-door salesman and the wife can get work in a brothel no problem lol ).

Good luck Ohso

Paul & Ann-Marie

ohsohopeful

Thanks for everyone's messages of support, it has been a great day and not quite as tearful at the end as expected.

Paul & Anne Marie: thanks a bunch, I feel so much more confident now.

Only joking, I am going for it without reservation and aiming high!

Badge - let me know your plans and what your good lady is up to, I would be grateful to share information.

Have a good weekend all

Good luck to the Wallabies