Employment at Lifetime Fitness
Lifetime Fitness is a premier health club chain with locations across the country. Their facilities are typically larger than most gyms and include spas, pools, food courts, basketball courts and more. As a result, they are in constant need of employees from a wide range of backgrounds.
The Lifetime Fitness application process is completed entirely online. This review will describe the Lifetime application process, the in-club departments found at most locations, the benefits of working with the company and several other details important to a potential employee.
Lifetime Fitness Application
At first, Lifetime’s career page is a lot to take in. Jobs openings in all locations are listed in the order they were posted. As a massive chain of health clubs, you will need all available resources to find relevant jobs at nearby locations. Before moving forward on your Lifetime Fitness application, it’s important to first gain an understanding of the following departments:
Child Care & Education
Lifetime features a full-service daycare and is always on the lookout for employees interested in early-childhood development. These jobs require employees to lead camps, plan activities and work with parents in creating schedules.
Child care and education positions include:
- Camp Instructor
- Kids Activities Team Member
- Gymnastics Instructor
Aquatics / Swim
From lifeguards to pool maintenance crew, each Lifetime location that features a pool needs an aquatic staff. Pool positions include:
- Swim Services Specialist
- Swim Instructor
- Lifeguard
Maintenance & Operations
Every Lifetime club requires an extensive maintenance team to oversee day-to-day activities. Though much of this work is janitorial, some of these positions include:
- Facility Operations Team Member
- Locker Room Attendant
- Facility Technician
Sales
Sales positions are vast at Lifetime, but they are competitive. Salesmen are given offices to work in, but that doesn’t make the job easier; Lifetime memberships are notoriously pricey, and recruiting new members is difficult in many clubs across the country. These positions include:
- Account Manager
- Sales Manager
- Assistant Sales Manager
Spa & Salon
Applicants with licenses in cosmetology can apply to their club’s spa and salon. These are full-service salons that draw many visitors of their own. These are a few standout jobs from this department:
- Hair Stylist
- Esthetician
- Massage Therapist
Club Customer Service
Lifetime’s customer service department handles all non-sales activity with customers. These positions include:
- Front Desk Associate
- Member Services Associate
- Food Court Cashier
Personal Training
As with any health club, Lifetime employs personal trainers to lead classes and work with members on an individual basis. Common positions in this department are:
- Group Fitness Leader
- Personal Trainer
- Personal Training Manager
Departments often feature more than the jobs listed above, but these are by far the most prominent positions in locations across the country. It should be noted, however, that transferring between departments is common for Lifetime employees. For example, one might start in customer service but move to aquatics if the opportunity presents itself.
Finding the appropriate job for your qualifications is simple enough, but most of the website’s navigation is carried out through a column on the right side of the page. At the beginning of your Lifetime Fitness application, you’ll want to:
- Select your location. Lifetime Fitness clubs are located across the United States and in parts of Canada.
- Select your desired department. This will narrow the search to jobs which you qualify for.
- Choose your job type. Your options are full-time, part-time and seasonal. Most Lifetime positions are full-time.
- Determine your job level. This comes down to experience. You can choose between several types of managerial or non-managerial positions.
- Applying in-person is not recommended. In most cases, you will be asked to go home and apply online. You can, however, follow up with a phone call to the service desk of your chosen location.
- Unfortunately, completing your Lifetime Fitness application requires you to create an account on the website.
Account creation on Lifetime Fitness’s website is comparable to what you might find on any job portal. Creating your profile comes down to the following 7 steps:
- Enter an email address and password. This is so you can log back in later and save your information.
- Upload your resume. You will have the option to import information from LinkedIn or Indeed, upload a file from your computer or enter your information manually. Manual entry is the only way to assure your information is correct.
- Assuming you chose manual entry, you will be asked to enter your personal information. This includes your legal name and location.
- You will then be asked about work experience and education. These fields are optional.
- Next is the questionnaire. This is filled with basic questions to assure you are qualified for the job. Specialized fields will ask you to provide information about your certificates or licenses.
- After the questionnaire, you will have an opportunity to upload a cover letter. This is not required for most positions, but it may give you an edge over other candidates.
- Last, you will create your eSignature. Do not sign the document until you’ve reviewed your information.
Again, the application process here is straightforward. They also don’t require candidates to consent to a diversity survey.
Minimum Age for Employment at Lifetime Fitness
During the Lifetime Fitness application process, you’ll learn the minimum for general employment is 16 years of age. Most positions, however, will be easier to obtain for those above 18 years. Even still, it will be difficult to land a position as a trainer or manager for applicants under 21.
Those with little or no experience should expect jobs in customer service or maintenance and operations. Some positions, like management and sales, are only available to candidates with bachelor’s degrees or other certifications. Lifetime Fitness is a premier health club, and their vetting process is more rigorous than their competitors.
Lifetime Fitness Hours of Operation
All full-service Lifetime Fitness locations are open 24 hours. As such, certain opportunities are open to those with overnight availability. This is particularly true for maintenance and operations positions. As clubs quiet down during late night hours, operations employees have an opportunity to perform maintenance in a more open environment.
Departments like aquatics, sales and the salon close every night at either 9 or 10 pm. It’s also not uncommon for managers to be ‘on-call’ at any point in time. Before submitting your Lifetime Fitness application, realize that managers have a very hard time maintaining work-life balance.
Entry Level Lifetime Fitness Careers and Respective Income
Starting experience at Lifetime Fitness depends greatly on one’s experience level. Nationwide, it seems that each entry-level position falls in the range of $8 – 13 per hour. However, after your initial Lifetime Fitness application, it may take years climbing to the top of that range.
Top employees should expect to progress from entry-level positions in two to three years. Each department requires shift leaders and other semi-managerial roles, and Lifetime Fitness tends to hire for these positions from the inside. Promotion to one of these positions comes with a considerable raise as hourly wages fall in the $13 – 17 range.
Lifetime Fitness Careers in Management
It’s not impossible for one to work into a management position after starting from the ground floor, but candidates with degrees or previous experience will be heavily favored. Managing general departments such as customer service or operations may not require experience at a similar company but managing a team of personal trainers almost certainly does. The wide range of potential managerial roles at any Lifetime Fitness location makes it difficult to pin the exact qualifications necessary for a management position, but education and experience are valued greatly throughout the company.
Benefits of Working at Lifetime Fitness
As you might expect, one of the major benefits for all Lifetime Fitness employees is complete access to the facility. Given the high membership prices, this is a more considerable benefit than it may seem at first glance.
On the other hand, full-time employees enjoy a robust healthcare package complete with vision and dental. Lifetime’s below-average 401k matching may leave something to be desired, but employee assistance is easy to find online or in-person.
Vacation time is also slightly below average at Lifetime Fitness. Time accrues slower than average with full-time employees usually netting less than two weeks of vacation time per year.
Perhaps the subtlest benefit of working at Lifetime is the sense of community. Many current and former employees have spoken of the company’s efforts in making newcomers feel welcome.
Basic Tips for Applying at Lifetime Fitness
Before submitting your Lifetime Fitness application, understand that any job in the company will feel better if you have a true interest in fitness. The employees who go on to enjoy the company the most are the ones who happily utilize their complimentary memberships.
Especially for supervisor positions, showing open availability in your Lifetime Fitness application will give you an important advantage in the pre-interview phase. Lifetime prefers managers with extreme flexibility in their schedules.
Though Lifetime is a major chain, all their hiring decisions are made on-site. After your online application, it’s a good idea to call the service desk on the following day. Showing this type of initiative will give you a better chance at landing an interview.
Unlike some other companies, Lifetime greatly favors applicants who utilize the “attachments” option in the application process. A well-written cover letter explaining your interest in fitness can go a long way.
It’s also important to approach your Lifetime Fitness application with a flexible mindset. Especially for entry-level applicants, you shouldn’t limit yourself to one specific role — or even one department. Broadening your horizons will make landing an interview much more likely. Once you’re in a position, however, you’ll rarely be asked to help anywhere else. Lifetime strongly encourages each department to hold themselves accountable.
Also, it should be noted that every job at Lifetime requires employees to purchase their own uniforms. The average price for the full uniform is nearly $70.
Lifetime Fitness Interview Tips
The difficulty of your interview at Lifetime fitness will depend on the role you’re applying for. However, there are some general questions that are common in all Lifetime interviews. Applicants typically attend a single in-person interview.
Common Interview Questions
- How have you handled an experience with a difficult customer or patron?
- Describe your level of education in fitness, sales, business or personal training.
- Why were you hired at your most recent position?
- Describe how you lead a healthy lifestyle.
For supervisor positions, it’s common for interviewers to ask applicants to start a conversation with a random member. Since customer service is such a large part of semi-managerial positions, they will want to see how you handle conversations with members.
Throughout the Lifetime fitness application process, the interview may be the easiest or most difficult part depending on your level of preparation. All applicants should plan to enter the interview prepared to discuss health, fitness and general self-improvement.
Working at Lifetime Fitness
Lifetime Fitness is a massive company with over 10,000 employees. The reception of work quality at Lifetime Fitness drops as one progresses through the ranks. The best Glassdoor reviews are left by those in entry-level positions. Unfortunately, many managers have reported high levels of anxiety for little reward.
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