Massage Therapy Job Search Tips

Once students have completed massage therapy instruction and gained a substantial amount of hands-on experience, it is time to look for work. These massage therapy job search tips will save them time and energy and let them know whether their searches are on the right track. Of course, this is assuming you've already obtained your massage therapy certification. If not, this should be your top priority.

First, there are many different types of businesses that employ massage therapists. Students should decide whether they prefer to work in a clinical setting, a health club, a hair salon, a nursing home, a beauty spa, or another type of setting. They should do some research and make a list of all the businesses that fit into the preferred categories. Persons who are new to massage therapy may have more difficulty finding a job in a preferred setting than they will later on, as they gain more experience and professional connections. At first, most will likely find a business that will give them a trial through part-time hours.

Another massage therapy job search tip is to consider working for two or three establishments at this early point in a career. This serves three purposes: the new therapist gains a broader range of experience, has a chance to “try on” various employers, and also has the opportunity to build a client base rapidly.

While new therapists should check online and newspaper job postings, they should keep in mind that many other new—and experienced—massage therapists are looking at the same jobs. They should be sure that any job boards they visit are kept up-to-date. Another job search tip is to stop by local chiropractors. If they have no, or only limited, massage therapists available to their patients, they may be willing to give a new therapist a chance. The job seeker might consider offering a few free massages to the chiropractor’s clients as a “getting to know you” incentive. If the feedback from those clients is positive, the likelihood that they will be open to working with a new therapist increases.

While beauty spas and hair salons typically pay at the bottom of the scale, for many newly licensed individuals, they can be good places to begin. This will give the new therapist professional experience to add to a résumé. This is an important massage therapy job search tip. Building connections and clients through networking and a résumé through hands-on experience can make all the difference between long-term success and failure.

Both online and local professional groups can offer emotional support while a newcomer is searching for employment. Better still, the more established therapists in such groups are often willing to mentor newcomers with job search advice and maybe even a personal recommendation.

Following these massage therapy job search tips will speed the new massage therapy school graduate to an ideal work situation.