Travel therapy is an exciting and rewarding career. But for a new grad, a career in travel therapy can be daunting. You have been working hard over the past several years to pursue a career as a therapist. Perhaps during these years you heard a few things here and there about travel therapy. An opportunity to travel and work around the country sounds exciting. But you no doubt have a few questions. How do I get started? What is the right agency for me? Can I really travel anywhere? What to pack for your next travel therapy assignment? This article outlines our top 10 travel therapy tips for new grads. These top 10 travel therapy tips for new grads will help any new grad successfully navigate a successful launch into the travel therapy industry and find the right agency for you.
Top 10 Travel Therapy Tips For New Grads
1) Learn The Lingo. During school, there was no doubt a brand new vocabulary words. Having a travel therapy job is no different. There are terms like stipend, taxable hourly wage, and bill rate. It’s important you take time to learn the travel therapy lingo. This is an important top 10 travel therapy tips for new grads.
2) Identify What’s Important To You. We all have things that are most important to us. When you take a travel therapy job it’s important you know what’s important to you. Do you want to make the most money possible or live in an exciting city? Do you want to work in a prestigious facility or have an opportunity to work in the setting you prefer? There’s no wrong answer to these questions. It’s about finding what’s right for you.
3) Research Travel Companies. There is no shortage of travel therapy companies to work with. While travel therapy companies offer similar benefits, some do offer other benefits. At Host Healthcare, we offer unique benefits for our travel therapists like tuition reimbursement. One great industry source to identify travel therapy companies is to look at Highway Hypodermics.
4) Talk to Other Travel Therapists. Odds are you know someone who has worked as a travel therapist. From a past student, to a professor, to a former colleague. Find out what they liked about being a travel therapist. What were some of the things they wished they have known before taking a travel therapy assignment? Taking time to talk to others is certainly a top 10 travel therapy tips for new grads.
5) Align Yourself With A Strong Recruiter. Just like there is no shortage of travel therapy companies, there is also no shortage of recruiters. However, just like it’s important to research travel companies, it’s important to research strong recruiters. Again, there are great resources like Allied Travel Careers that publish recruiter reviews.
6) Find A Mentor. Having a mentor is important no matter which career you’re in. As a new travel therapist, you will most certainly have questions before, during, and after you assignment. At Host Healthcare, we have a mentorship program for our students and grads. This is an underrated top 10 travel therapy tips for new grads.
7) Have Goals. When you enter a career as a travel therapist, it is important to have personal and professional goals. Do you want to one-day lead a team or facility? Do you want to live in a city that shares your common hobbies? Having goals also allows your recruiter to assist you and help your goals become reality.
8) Have an Open Mind. We all have our wants and desires. However, travel therapy jobs are competitive depending on location, setting, and compensation. This goes back to points made earlier in this article. Know what’s important to you. Have goals. Find the right agency and recruiter. The more you have an idea of what you want working with who you want makes it easier to get what you want. However, know that you won’t always get everything you want. The more flexible you can be the better experience you can have as a traveler. Learn more about this very important secret to find your ideal travel therapy job.
9) Prepare Yourself Clinically. Many current students and recent graduates wonder what they can do to ensure a successful transition into a career as a traveling therapist. As a new grad, make sure your clinical skills are strong in the setting of your first assignment. Pursue live and online continuing education to address deficiencies.
10) Keep Up On Your Education. As a travel therapist, there is always a need to stay updated on the latest and greatest. One requirement is to stay updated on your CEUs. The good news is that some travel therapy agencies offer CEU tuition reimbursement. Host Healthcare offers free CEUs for all of our therapists. We are proud to offer this to therapy new grads. There are hundreds of courses to choose from to continue your education and professional development.
After reading this article, hopefully you now understand how to make a successful transition from student to professional travel therapist. These top 10 travel therapy tips for new grad are meant to help you succeed as a travel therapist.
Host Healthcare Travel Therapist
Host Healthcare offers an extensive list of travel therapist jobs. Call one of our friendly recruiters at (800) 585-1299. We are here to help you to get started.
