|
Julka7
Aug 2, 2010, 1:44 AM
Post #1 of 4
(2889 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 26, 2007
Posts: 34
|
I've been working in IT for way too long and am thinking of transitioning into kinesiology. Anyone has any information, thoughts, opinions about what it's like -- job satisfaction, ability to get a job, ability to live where you want to live, athletic training vs exercise science.. anything really! I don't know anyone in the field.
|
|
|
|
|
agparker
Aug 2, 2010, 2:25 AM
Post #2 of 4
(2880 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 12, 2009
Posts: 11
|
I am a kinesiology professor in Texas. If you have a BS in kinesiology, you can teach/coach, work as a cardiac rehab specialist, become a personal trainer...as an athletic trainer you could probably find a job just about anywhere. I would need more info about your education to offer more suggestions as far as jobs are concerned. As a teacher/coach you would have a significant amount of time off during summer/christmas/spring break. Depending on what you coach you might be busy during certain times of the year...the same goes with athletic training. A personal trainer has the ability to set their own schedule, but if you don't work much, you won't make much. Cardiac rehab would get old fast, but would probably be the most lucrative job out there.
As a professor of kinesiology, I absolutely love my job. I don't get paid a whole lot, but I have about 17 weeks off per year to do whatever I want. My kids take up a lot of my free time, but I also have quite a bit of time to myself for outdoor hobbies.
If you have any other specific questions I would be happy to discuss them with you.
|
|
|
|
|
aerili
Aug 2, 2010, 4:37 AM
Post #3 of 4
(2844 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 13, 2006
Posts: 1166
|
My first question is: how is this pertinent to technique and training for climbing?
Anyway, I have an undergraduate degree in exercise science and worked in various areas of the field for 7 years (medical/rehab, personal training, corporate fitness/wellness). Although I love kines and am passionate about it in every way, if you are used to IT industry pay and benefits, you will be in for a SHOCK if you try to get into this field.
1. Expect very low pay--usually in the mid to high 20K even if you're an athletic trainer at a Division I school
2. Private training studios often require you to work a gratis for 40-100 hours BEFORE even deciding if they will give you a job. I have seen this multiple times
3. Jobs with actual benefits (like corporate fitness jobs) seem to be easier to get in the midwest and back east but are fewer and far between out west, i.e. this means very competitive and hard to get (in my experience) + the pay is beans
4. Personal trainers who make the most money are usually just great salespeople with little to no real education in the field. Most trainers work ridiculous hours or split shifts and barely scrape by with no benefits and no PTO
5. To become an athletic trainer, you need both the Bachelor's degree in kines + 800-1500 extra clinical internship hours and have to pass a national exam (which I'm sure you have to pay big bucks for). Then you get to work a job that pays virtually nothing more than if you just got the degree and worked elsewhere in the field
6. Most people I have known in the field over the years (myself included) worked 1 full time job + 1-2 part time jobs on the side to make ends meet
7. Coaching is awesome but does not pay shit either (I would know)
My experience is that kines people who work in academia have little to no idea what working in the real world is like with this degree. As stated, I love kines, I loved my degree, yet I could not really recommend putting the time and effort into getting this unless you wanted to teach at the collegiate level like the previous poster does.
If you went the physical education route you would probably have better job security, I guess. Don't know much about that, though.
(This post was edited by aerili on Aug 2, 2010, 4:40 AM)
|
|
|
|
|
Julka7
Aug 6, 2010, 2:02 AM
Post #4 of 4
(2739 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 26, 2007
Posts: 34
|
Thanks for the info everyone.
|
|
|
|
|
|
