An internship in the strength and conditioning field resides on the resumé of the vast majority of the top strength and conditioning professionals. If you want to move up in the college or pro ranks, it's just about a prerequisite. Even if you choose a private sector/entrepreneurship route where what's on your resume may not matter as much, an internship still provides a ton of valuable experience and connections.

Usually, when people talk about internships, you hear about resumes, cover letters and interviews, and other typical internship components. We won't talk about that here.

Don't get me wrong, all of that is valuable and often essential. But if you want to get a high-level internship, one above what's on your resumé, then great references and a well-written cover letter won't be enough for you to stand out. You can't just follow what everybody else does and expect to magically find the perfect internship. Consider these additional strategies if you want to find a perfect, high-level internship in strength and conditioning.

For every one well-known exceptional strength coach, there are many more out there who are equally exceptional at what they do. They just may not have a big blog or large Instagram following. The former are the trainers and facilities who first come to your mind when you think about internships. They're also the first ones to come to everybody's mind when considering strength and conditioning internships. Want to intern at Cressey Sports Performance? Welcome to the club; it's going to be a crowded application pool.

RESOURCE: The elitefts Internship Guide

Instead, consider the latter group, the most impressive lesser-known coaches. There are a lot of them, just quietly working in the trenches, like the unassuming, Mr. Miyagi-type mentor figure. In fact, they may not even have internship programs. Mr. Miyagi sure as hell didn't.

Just because a strength coach doesn't have a formal internship program doesn't mean they're not open to having an intern. They may love some support, someone they can lean on for a few months in exchange for teaching.

Not only will there be much less competition to get an internship with these coaches, but they're also much easier to reach and get a response from. Since getting an internship with that person isn't a competitive endeavor, the question won't necessarily be whether you're the best among a large pool, but whether they could benefit from an intern at all. I'd much rather convince a potential mentor of the latter than have to duke it out with coaches who've stacked their resume with extracurriculars while I kept rewatching The Karate Kid.

Build a Deeper Relationship

When you walk into a college or pro training setting as the only intern, you'll get much more time with your supervisor than those at well-established strength and conditioning internship programs.

You'll have opportunities to ask just about whatever questions you have and get to know them on a much deeper level than if you were one of a large pool of interns working at a large facility. Yes, there is the downside of lacking a curriculum, structure, and systemization. But you'll make up that in hands-on experience, a deeper relationship, and individualization. One is not necessarily better than the other, but they both have their benefits.

With that said, just because you've identified someone who you think you're more likely to get a response from doesn't mean you can send a generic email and expect them to take you in. Just reaching out and asking is not the best way to shoot your shot. Instead, there are a few options to first make you aware of your existence.

Follow Their Work and Approach at the Right Time

First of all, you should be familiar with their work in a way almost nobody else is. You should know something witty they said on a podcast once and be prepared to ask them something they haven't been asked before. (If they're not as well known, they're also much more likely to be impressed if you know their work well.)

In the early 1970s, the American chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer was preparing for the world chess championship when a young chess player named Adam Robinson saw him on the street in New York. "Mr. Fischer, Mr. Fischer," Robinson went up to him, "in 1962 when you were playing Reshevsky in the US Championship…" Robinson later reflected on that moment. "I had years of questions for him because I knew all his games by heart" (1). From that interaction, the notoriously reclusive Fischer invited Robinson to lunch, and ultimately mentored him during the 18 months leading up to the 1972 world chess championship (which Fischer won).

Robinson knew Fischer's games better than Fischer did. Obviously, this example comes from outside strength and conditioning, but the principle applies: you should know their work in a way very few do.[1] 

Taking this a step further, in whatever medium you end up connecting through, be prepared to ask them one thought-provoking but not too complicated question. Ideally, it can even encapsulate something they've written about, or said on a podcast, or otherwise, just like the way Robinson asked a specific question about one of Fischer's games. Your question needs to stand out from the mass of inbound they receive, thus making you stand out.

You're not asking for an internship, or if they have an internship, or anything about internships. Asking them for a big favor like that is a big recipe for failure. Anybody who's ever done cold sales (like calling strangers and asking them to come to your gym) knows how hard it is to convince strangers of anything, especially when you're asking them for a favor right off the bat.

I mean, how do you feel when you get a random Instagram direct message and they ask you to buy something?

Emailing somebody who has no clue who you are and asking for an internship is like that.

Whether you're connecting in-person at an event or virtually, here are some specific tactics for those situations.

Say "Hi" At An Event

You know what it's like trying to talk to a speaker after an event. After their presentation, there's a line of nervous young strength coaches ready to introduce themselves. This is one strategy. And if you have your thought-provoking question ready, it could be all you need. While the massive line of people is fine with a bit of ingenuity, it's not your only chance to say hello.

Many in-person events have meet-and-greets, especially weekend-long ones, where everybody can mingle like a school dance. And there's usually alcohol, which never hurts anyone's confidence. Another choice is to talk to them in between sessions when people are moving around.

Regardless, the point is not to seduce them into an internship at the conference. The point is to get them to remember you, even if in the slightest. When you further the interaction later on, they remember that you're an actual person, and preferably one who smells good (don't blow it by forgetting deodorant), and asks thoughtful questions.

With the rise of virtual seminars and webinars, you could also attend those with the same goal. Unfortunately, they won't know how good you smell, but a spritz of cologne also never hurt anyone's confidence.

The Email Strategy

If none of those options are possible, then you have to send a well-thought-out email. There are other ways of getting their attention, such as sharing their Instagram stuff. And you can definitely experiment there and get back to me on your success. I just think a random email makes a lot more sense than a random Instagram DM. Unless there are people who actively talk about how they like to talk to their audience in their DMs, email is still the default for communication in our field. Whether you go through email or social media, you have to send them a written message of some kind.

Your message should have a few components in addition to your good question. First off, the subject line should not be anything potentially spammy or boring. Boring subject lines I see way too often include "Reaching out" and "Introduction." There's nothing inherently wrong with this, but it's much more likely to be left unopened than a subject that's more attention-grabbing. Depending on your message, here are some ideas that balance the interesting while still maintaining professionalism. Above all, the most important part is that it's genuine.

"Inspired by your story."

In this email, you could reference a particular moment that inspired you in something they're written or spoken about.

"Question about [topic]"

Even better would be a question about one of their products. If they have a book, and you have a question about it, that's more likely to get opened (because people like to sell things).

"Expressing gratitude."

Here the emphasis should be on thanking them for whatever work they've produced that made an impact on you.

Another important part of your email should be that there's no pressure to respond. For example, it should include something like, "Thank you so much for even reading this. If you don't have time to respond, I totally understand, as I imagine you're quite busy." This approach always eases people and paradoxically will make it more likely they respond.

With a better subject, empathy for their busy life, and a great question, your chances of success skyrocket.

Keep the Relationship Warm

If you asked the one question at a conference one time, that's no guarantee six or twelve months later they'll even have any clue who you are, no matter how good your question was (and how good you smelled). So the next step is to continue to foster the relationship. For my first internship, we met in person at a conference, then a few days afterward, I sent him an email saying it was nice to meet him. All standard and fairly common sense.

A few months later, though, I followed up. Specifically, I sent him a short email detailing a few lessons I'd learned from reading his book and included another easy-to-answer question about the book. In other words, I kept the relationship warm.

Intuitively we know the disconnect we feel when we haven't seen someone in months, maybe years. How different are those relationships from the people in your life who you're lucky enough to visit regularly or at least talk to regularly?

Now, of course, you cannot bother them frequently. But every few months a little nudge here or there to remind them that you exist might be the key differentiator when you later go ask for an internship.

Asking For The Internship

Now they know who you are and you've fostered a little back and forth relationship. At this point, you can write a short email asking if they offer an internship or, even if they haven't in the past if they would be interested in having an intern.

If the answer is along the lines of "Yes I do. Send me a cover letter and resumé," then you can go to this playbook for how to craft your best resumé.

If the answer is no, then you could respond by asking, "Okay, no problem. I'm hoping to find an internship this summer to gain more hands-on experience. Would you happen to know any colleagues who you think would be a good fit for me to reach out to?" Depending on how deep your relationship is, it may even be appropriate to add, "If so, could you make the introduction for us." Here, you can see how even if you're "unsuccessful," that coach may point you to further avenues to explore. Either way, at this point you don't need to overthink the actual request.

The Alternate Route: Hire Your Dream Mentor

"I invested a disproportionate amount of my income in paying for an ever-growing collection of trainers and coaches" - Graham Duncan

As coaches, I don't need to sell you on the value of, well, coaching. Think about the athletes with who you've felt so lucky to build relationships with. Why was that possible? Well, under whatever circumstances, you became their coach. Because you were their coach, you developed a relationship.

Many of the top strength coaches also coach coaches. They're entrepreneurs as well as coaches. With that, they may have a coaching or mentorship program you could sign up for. By hiring them, you're literally making them get to know you, and once they've gotten to know you (and since you're a client of theirs) it will be much easier to ask favors. After all, a coach's job is to help their clients.

Even if the coach you hire doesn't have an internship program, or isn't looking for support with their coaching or otherwise, they might know somebody who is looking for help, and because they know you, they can find you someone who you'd be a good fit for. Yes, I don't know what this says about our capitalistic society, but for you, it can instantly give you one-on-one time to learn and build a relationship. From this relationship, who knows what doors might open.

The one obvious caveat here is that you have to, well, pay them. And that's not among everybody's means. However, if it's someone you really admire and look up to, and who you know is offering a service you'd gain huge benefit from, then the coaching service itself should be worth the investment to you. Any relationships you build and connections you make outside of that are gravy. In any case, if you have the financial means, investing in your personal growth is rarely a regrettable resolve.

Of all the things to spend money on, you could do much worse than spending it somewhere where you'll learn lasting skills and build relationships.

Consider Virtual Internships

I have used all the above strategies in separate scenarios to get internships before. The first one I talked to my future boss at a conference, then connected over email for a few months before entering into the internship.

The second internship, I hired him first. At the end of the allotted time for the coaching I had hired him for, he asked me to intern for him. Now, I own part of his company and went from paying to unpaid to getting paid.[2] 

However, internships in today's world look quite different. Late last year, a kinesiology student in need of an internship to fulfill a degree requirement reached out to me. He had nowhere in person to intern due to gym closures, so he came to us. Of course, running a fitness company with entirely online services is quite different than an in-person coaching gig. But, just as in-person training can be hectic, online training can as well. Online fitness companies, like in-person training facilities, have a lot to keep track of, from social media, to blog posts, to you know, actually coaching. Some enthusiastic support would go a long way for these companies also.

When our future intern reached out, I didn't even ask him for a resume. I hopped on a quick Zoom call, talked about what he wanted to learn and how we could arrange that. I could tell his goals aligned with what we could teach him and started working together rather quickly.

So, consider expanding your search to fitness and strength and conditioning companies that are entirely virtual. These companies have a lot to offer in terms of what goes into that side of the industry, especially if you have entrepreneurial aspirations and would be excited to learn about more than just the sets and reps of coaching. Very few strength coaches think to ask online fitness coaching companies, fitness blogs and magazines, and other industry companies for internships. It may not be as sexy as the internship with a professional sports team, but it provides its own benefits.

In our intern's case, because he asked a company that nobody else had thought to ask if they needed support, he literally skipped every step that's typical of the internship process. I did not ask for his resume, references, or anything else. He did not have to strategize a creative question for us or any of that. The only things that mattered to me were whether I could see myself working with him and whether what we could offer in terms of education would be interesting to him. We solved both in one virtual interview.

If after all of this, you're still struggling to get an internship, it's not these strategies, it's you. Are you a person who's ready to take on a high-level internship? Or, do you need to do more studying or coaching to hone your skills not only as a coach, but as a person before launching out? At the end of the day, if who you are is ready to serve a coach and help a program, then the rest of this is really a matter of putting yourself in the situation to be at the right place at the right time.

Appendix: Will It Be Unpaid?[3] 

Look, I think "paying your dues" is as stupid as the next guy. If you provide value, you should be compensated. However, in this industry, compensation won't necessarily be monetary. The opportunity to connect with coaches and gain invaluable experience will be worth it if it's the right fit. If you find yourself resenting the fact that it's unpaid, you should step back, and rethink who you'd be so excited to work for that you feel lucky you're not paying them. THAT's the internship you should seek out. That doesn't mean I don't think interns should be paid. And that's a broader question for our industry to deal with. Would creating a culture where interns get paid encourage brighter people to enter strength and conditioning? I don't know. But right now with where the industry is at, internships are almost always unpaid.

If you're insistent on getting paid, then make sure you're looking in the private sector with a company that manages their finances as they please, unlike a college where programs have strict budgets. Perhaps with the right negotiation, you can get paid for your work.

However, if you're financially stable (and I understand that's a big if) working for free will be well worth your investment of time and energy if you find the right fit. You'll learn what it's really like at the top of the field, improve your coaching dramatically, and foster a relationship with a mentor that could prove to change your life.

David Rosales is a writer and personal trainer, certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). He's the co-owner of Roman Fitness Systems, and the head editor of prohockeystrength.com, the official website of the NHL strength coaches. He has worked with athletes and coaches from beginners all the way up to NCAA Division 1 and professional ice hockey. Originally from Vermont, David lives in New York City. He loves books, pop-punk music, Vermont maple syrup, and heavy split squats.