Pros
Free gym membership and a laid back atmosphere may lull you asleep. The atmosphere is very laid back - HR would have a heart attack if they knew the language and lack of professionalism that actually goes on in this place - this may be a "Pro" to some people if you like that kind of laid back atmosphere....if you prefer a more professional work environment this is not the place for you. There are a lot of "stud" and stereotypical "jock" type personalities in upper management and amongst trainers.
Cons
If you are older than 21 and you have bills this is not the place for you. If you are a certified personal trainer through ACE, NASM or any reputable certification it is your best bet to work independently as a personal trainer. A lot of people give you the advice "Hey it's best to start in a big box gym!"...Here's why it's not. - This is a sales job. You are responsible for building your client base of training clients. If you are going to spend the time and energy to network and build a client base...why not just build your own client base independently and charge your own rates? - Some say the pros of working big box are the benefits...at Equinox YOU DO NOT RECEIVE ANY BENEFITS UNTIL YOU REACH 42 PAID TRAINING SESSIONS IN A 2 WEEK PAY PERIOD...so you better not get sick, get hurt, get a toothache or anything. That may not seem like an aggressive number of paid sessions but it is when there are almost 50 trainers and the gym is not highly populated. -$12 an hour floor shifts. You are supposed to use this time to build your client base and get "known" around the gym....if you are a self starter and a certified trainer THE WORLD is your floor shift. You can meet people anywhere and there is a higher chance of you finding clients this way than in the small pretentious bubble which is Equinox. - You are dealing with snobbish professionals and literally trust fund babies who are paying $200 a month for membership. There is a certain air or disrespect and almost peasant like appeal of the personal trainer at Equinox. You received a very minute fraction of what is actually being charged for trainer and you are expected to go through Equinox's education to raise up the different tiers of trainers to one day hopefully receive about 40% of what the client is actually paying. - Some may see it as a "Pro" that equinox pays you to get an education. NO. They pay you $12 an hour to take "EFTI" course (EFTI courses only exist in the Equinox world. You can not take them with you. So unless you plan on living and dying at Equinox this is pointless.) The courses are for you to move up the tiers at Equinox and one day make a decent living. I suggest furthering your own education through college, reading books, or actually certification courses. - There is no work/life balance. Equinox's motto is "It's not Fitness. It's Life." and they mean that. There is a trainers lounge which has roaches and is cramped with the belongings of almost 50 trainers. People literally sleep there. You may have a session at 5AM and not have another one until 12PM so they literally sleep there. Working independently you can just leave...and train clients when you have them. It's a matter of preference. If you think that being an adult and living that way is cool I understand. Just not for me. - Turnover rate is CRAZY. I saw 4 people get fired in a 3 week span for training clients independently but EVERY one there is sneaking and training clients independently so that they can EAT and SURVIVE. So, rather than drinking the kool-aid of Equinox...why not just take the jump and start your own small business as a trainer? - There are people who have been at this gym for 10+ years. Do you think you will get leads before them? Do you think there is no favoritism when it comes to passing decent leads? Do you think this doesn't promote a weird far too comfortable environment that is very far from professional? Yes. It does just that. - You have to do these $12 an hour floor shifts until you have enough clients to "get off the floor". There are people who are with the company for over a year and are still on the floor. Being "on the floor" (meaning having to work these floor shifts) is not a reflection of you being a good or bad employee. It is a reflection of a company intentionally placing you in a position to lose because there are way too many trainers at the gym for everyone to be successful. There's too many trainers and not enough clients and management knows this but they still hire more people....they hire people and have them leave their good jobs and careers to come to Equinox and make $12 an hour. I was hired with 5 other people....4 of them left within a month because they were misinformed and drawn in by lies from management.