8 massage & fitness magazine
For some new grads, the motto seems to be “do your time” at a spa, franchise, or with some other employer. Sadly, the “do your time” phrase is often used to describe some of the subpar work cultures that licensed massage therapists (LMTs) find themselves employed in after graduation. Despite some of these subpar work cultures, many therapists stay on staff in the hopes of taking clients with them when they leave. The motto seems to be stay miserable long enough to get super busy with a thriving following, and when you’re ready to make the leap, you can go out on your own and make real money!
What that translates to is “go work for a corporate chain, do countless hours of turn and burn massage for experience, burn out, feel resentful, and then try to get every client you ever worked on to follow you to your private practice.” This never really works the way one might think. Actions like this ultimately burn bridges, put people at liability, and increase general frustration among employees and employers. If you know you aren’t someone who enjoys working in a team environment or for an employer, don’t seek employment. Also, if you know you might want to do a private practice someday, but still want to seek employment for the short term, that’s okay—just do it ethically and responsibly. Plan carefully and make ethically informed choices, so when you decide to make the leap, you’ll be fully prepared to start your private practice.
Like any other relationship, you will know right away if you want to work somewhere. If your gut says “NO,” honor that feeling and continue your search. Oftentimes, massage therapists accept positions where they are not valued or are improperly categorized as an “independent contractor” when they are actually an employee. However, some LMTs might not be able to find a better employment situation because they just aren’t that great at what they do and are unwilling to hear feedback to correct the quality of their care. There are hundreds of thousands of massage therapists in the US, and only a small percentage of those meet what I might call the “gold standard,” which at a minimum means practicing using updated/relevant research, doing regular self-care practices, and having a high level of professionalism, emotional intelligence, and boundaries.
Strive to meet the gold standard and listen to feedback given to you from clients and prospective employers about how you can improve. Doing so will only make you better at what you do. If you are closed off to criticism about your work, ask yourself, “Why?” If you are coming from a growth mindset, you have to stay open to feedback.
Move forward with employment because you’ve found a good fit with an employer, and you genuinely want to help people and get more hands-on experience. To make the most out of employment as a massage therapist, you should choose carefully where and who you will work for. Here is a checklist to keep you on track:
1. Create a professional resume and attach a cover letter.
If you need to, seek out a business coach or mentor to help you. In your cover letter, be sure to directly address the person with whom you would likely be interviewing or to the person that posted the job. Avoid any faith-based analogies in your resume or cover letter. For example, please don’t call yourself a “healer,” “light worker,” or “energy practitioner.” Tell the employer a bit about yourself in your cover letter but also tell them what you specifically can offer them that no other candidate can.
It boils down to: “Why should we hire you over every other person that is applying for this position? What makes YOU the best possible candidate?”
Tell them a short story of why you got into massage therapy. Be authentic and include any specific skills or values you have acquired along the way. Skills that I think are important when seeking out therapist candidates: professionalism, adherence to ethics, emotional intelligence, time management, quality of touch, and self-care.
2. Determine your actual availability.
Please be transparent with prospective employers about this. Don’t commit to doing things you know you won’t do or don’t desire to do. For example, if you don’t like working evenings or weekends, and in the interview, they ask you if you want to work Saturday and Sunday (but you know you can’t or won’t) don’t commit to it just to land the interview. You are creating an expectation and you will be held accountable. Be honest and speak from a place of integrity.
3. Research prospective employer(s).
Go online to verify that they are licensed in your area and read customer reviews. Look at the employer’s website thoroughly before the interview, check out their mission, values, menu of services, pricing, etc. Evaluate whether the values and image of the company align with your personal mission statement. Not that they need to match perfectly, but there should be a common connection. Look at the company’s menu of services and what they offer guests and make sure it’s something you feel comfortable with before you agree to interview.
I had the honor of interviewing Catie Morgan about hiring and resume writing for new therapists who are looking for employment. December 10, 2018