So you have finished school, passed the exam, and gotten your license to practice physical therapy. Now all you need is a job. Perhaps you are already working as a licensed physical therapist and you are looking to move to a different area, or you just want a new challenge. Networking with colleagues can be a great way to get started. You can ask people at conferences and friends from college if they know of any openings in your area.
College professors can be another great source of information. They often talk with past students and know of needs in different parts of the world. You can also ask them to keep an ear out for any new positions that come up. This can be a valuable asset to your job search.
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Frequently though after talking with people in your network, you need to look at other job-hunting methods as well. Like many other types of work, you can benefit from looking online for a new position. Some sites like PhysicalTherapyCrossing.com can make it easy for you to search for jobs around the world.
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Jill Looks for a Job
As Jill got closer to her graduation, she had to make some decisions about where she wanted to work. With no kids or current boyfriend she didn’t have much to tie her down. She decided that being a traveling physical therapist might be fun for a while.
The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea. Paul, a guy she knew in college, lived in Florida. It might be fun to see him again. She always enjoyed hanging out at the beach too.
After that, she could go skiing in Vail, Colorado while working at a hospital not too far away. She smiled as she thought that she might ask Paul to join her for a week. The possibilities were endless.
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What if you could go on one traveling vacation after another? A health care recruiter can help you get contracts in different parts of the world. This will save you a lot of time over having to hunt for jobs yourself.
Being a traveling PT gives you a great deal of flexibility. Instead of just a few employers in your area you suddenly have hundreds wanting highly qualified people like yourself.
Maybe you want to spend your winters in a warmer climate. Or maybe you want to go to a client that stays up-to-date with the latest technology. A job as a traveling PT will allow you to spend your winters in the mountains and your summers close to the beach.
These are all possible when you are open to the possibility of travel and the willingness to go where the work is.
Whether you decide to stay in one town or become a traveling PT, you increase your likelihood of getting a job when you network properly. Don’t wait until you are unemployed to start talking with friends and checking online job search sites. By then it might be too late. Keep your resume updated, and stay in touch with former professors and colleagues. You never know when the next great job opportunity will come along.