How do I get kinesiology experience if I'm brand new to the field?

Dear soon to be kinesiology graduates,

You’re on your way to finishing our degree and want to start the process of applying for jobs. Your degree should be enough… right?

This is a common question that many of my classmates and I faced during our undergraduate and master's degrees.

Unfortunately not.

You also need experience.

Gaining experience in the field is critical. Not only will you improve your resume, but you'll also be able to apply the knowledge from school to a real-world setting. Plus, there is always an opportunity to be hired from these placements.

Don't worry. I’ve created a roadmap for you to go from zero experience to getting full-time jobs in the field.

Note: Although the road map is tailored to an undergraduate student completing their program in four years, you can still progress based on your timeline. This road map is an example of a potential framework of what to do.

Volunteering

If you're brand new to the field, volunteering is a great way to gain experience. Plus, there are many volunteer opportunities that require no prerequisites. Being a kinesiology student alone will provide you with many volunteer opportunities as well as many other perks, so be sure to take advantage of them while you're still a student!

One area you can volunteer in is at your university. For example, at the University of Calgary, several programs are offered through the fitness center and facility that need a helping hand from university students. These opportunities are not restricted to only kinesiology students – I've seen engineering and psychology students volunteer, too.

If you aren't sure of any volunteer opportunities at your university, try emailing the facility to see.

If the place you want to volunteer at isn't offering any positions right now, you can keep an eye out for the next season and stay in contact with the supervisor for future opportunities. Don’t be afraid to reach again in the near future. By taking initiative, you’re able to earn respect from potential volunteer coordinators and stand out.

While some volunteer locations require zero experience, other places can be more competitive and require more qualifications. As well, some places only accept a limited number of volunteers.

If there are no current available volunteer positions at your university, you can look for opportunities around your city.

Even volunteering for programs and events that aren't entirely related to kinesiology is still valuable. For example, offering to help mentor a youth demonstrates leadership and communication skills. These skills are crucial to success in the field of kinesiology.

Gaining volunteer experience early in your undergraduate degree is beneficial. This allows for a competitive advantage in applying for practicum opportunities. Plus, creating connections with other volunteers and coordinators could lead you to incredible opportunities in the future. You could even be offered a job at the company you volunteered for down the road.

But what kind of volunteering opportunities should I choose?

During your first two years of kinesiology, there are two possible volunteer opportunities you can choose from:

Option #1: Applying for volunteer opportunities in areas that you are interested in pursuing a career in.

Here’s a couple examples:

Interested in becoming a physiotherapist?

• Physiotherapist Assistant at a sports rehab clinic
• Exercise Physiologist Assistant at a neuro rehabilitation program
• Athletic Therapist Assistant for a sports team

Interested in becoming a clinical exercise physiologist?

• Assisting an exercise class for cancer patients
• One-on-one support with an osteoarthritis participant’s exercise program
• Clinic Assistant at a cardiology clinic

Option #2: Try volunteering in many different areas to understand what you do and don’t enjoy in the field.

This is a great option if you’re not sure what you want to do with your kinesiology degree. Maybe you have your sights set on clinical exercise physiology, but want to see what the sport performance side of kinesiology has to offerHere are some examples of places to volunteer:

• Assistant Trainer for a group exercise class for individuals with autism
• Assistant Strength Coach for a varsity sports team at your university
• Assistant Strength Coach for your local wheelchair basketball team

Remember, you can also volunteer in areas outside of kinesiology. Here are some examples:

• Research Assistant at a hospital
• Mentoring youth at your local community
• Activity organizer for summer camps

So which option is best for you?

I would recommend volunteering in many different areas in kinesiology as you can. You never know what opportunities might change your life. I remember in my undergraduate, I was set on wanting only to help the elderly and refused to work with youth until I was required to volunteer with children for a course.

This opportunity changed my life. I realized that I love helping children and youth build self-confidence through physical activity and exercise.

Each opportunity provides learning lessons that help you understand what you want to do for your career (even if they weren't experiences that you were hoping for). This also provides lessons and insights to help you prepare for practicums.

Practicums

Most universities will have opportunities for students to gain real-world practical experience, whether through internships, practicum placements, or co-ops. For example, at the University of Calgary, you have the option to complete practicum opportunities after you have completed two years of your degree (or 20 credits). These are optional, and you don't have to do practicums, but they provide great opportunities. Depending on your school, you may hear the term practicum or internship. For this context, I'll be using practicum and internship interchangeably.

My number one piece of advice when it comes to practicums is to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible. You never know what might be the golden ticket to landing your dream job.

In most cases, the benefit of doing a practicum over volunteering is that supervisors will give you more responsibilities related to your field. For example, instead of shadowing a group class, you're now leading the warm-up exercises and assisting the participants.

Plus, you can set goals with your supervisor on skills and experiences you want to gain from your practicum placement. By setting goals, this will motivate you to strive to make progress. Also, you’ll have someone like your supervisor to help you work on achieving those goals.

Similar to volunteer opportunities, you have the choice of exploring different areas in the field. Either you choose specific placements for the career you want to go into or diversify.

Mentor's Tip: Depending on your university and program, you might be limited to the number of practicums you can do (e.g. Only allowed two practicum placements). If so, consider whether your practicum of interest offers a volunteer program or will only take on accredited practicum students. If the answer is both, opt for volunteering and find another practicum of interest for your placement. This gives you the chance to take advantage of more opportunities.

Here are a few examples of areas you can complete practicums:

• Clinical Exercise physiology (e.g. Provincial/territorial health such as Alberta Health Services, Primary Care Network)
• Comprehensive care clinics (e.g. CBI Health, Lifemark, Copeman Healthcare)
• Strength and conditioning (e.g. Canadian Sports Institute, NHL, adaptive sports)
• Exercise physiology research (e.g. Research labs at your university)
• Occupational health (e.g. Fire department, police services)

Don't forget: you don't have to only apply for practicums offered by your school. You can also reach out to places that aren't offered through your school.

During my master's, I wanted to do practicum placements with powerlifting companies. At the time, there weren't any offered through my university. So I reached out to those companies myself and was given an opportunity.

Also feel free to apply for internships that aren't associated with the school. For example, if you’re looking to gain experience in strength and conditioning, you could apply to do internships with local businesses. In Calgary, some great internships include Vital Strength and Physiology and Bold Athlete.

Gaining Work Experience

If you've followed the roadmap and gathered tons of experience from volunteering and practicum placements, the experience section of your resume will look quite impressive, which will help you stand out in a crowd of applicants.

While other students are focused only on grades, you'll have set yourself up for entry-level jobs in Years 3 and 4 of your kinesiology degree. Or after your degree too.

For example, many of the jobs below will require at least two years of being a kinesiology student:

• Fitness consultant
• Personal Trainer
• Research assistant
• Group Instructor
• Kinesiologist
• Physiotherapist assistant

For jobs after graduation, you may also need specific certifications and experience but also gain the opportunity to work in these areas:

• Exercise Physiologist
• Strength and Conditioning Coach
• Research Coordinator

Tada! Your road map from no experience to landing jobs left and right in kinesiology. Now, this is only one way to progress in gaining experience in kinesiology. Feel free to choose your own path. We are simply giving you a step-by-step for those who want a little extra guidance.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact any of the mentors, and we would be happy to share more. Your Kines Mentor is based in Calgary and would love to provide specific recommendations if you're in Calgary.

Sincerely,

Your Kines Mentor