www.thebodyworker.com

With more people entering the field of massage looking for jobs, it is important to really take the time and learn how to find a job that will be able to sustain you and support you in your career in massage.  That starts with knowing what you need to thrive and holding out until you get it or create it in whatever job you decide to take.

So many people start out with the wrong idea about jobs in general.   People look for jobs and think that they need jobs for financial security.  There is no such thing.    In fact if you are wanting a job the chances of finding financial security are  Zero.   Financial security doesn’t come from a thing or place.  It comes from within you.  It is knowing that whatever you choose you will be able to feel secure and deal with whatever it is that comes up.

Since most massage therapists are self employed the concept of jobs in the massage profession is a fairly new idea.  When I first started 20 years ago there were no jobs in massage.   You could get sub-contractor positions at chiropractors or spas but that meant you were self employed.

The perfect massage job depends on you and what your needs are and what makes you feel most alive.  To discover what this is exactly may require that you take some jobs just to see what you like or don’t like.

Here are some things to consider:

• Do you want to work at a spa that will mainly be relaxation and deep tissue massage or do you want to work for a chiropractor doing injury work?
• Do you have the skills to create repeat massage clients by communicating with clients about their needs and how massage can help?
• What hours do you want?  Spas/franchises will most likely have weekend and evening hours.   Injury massage will be weekdays 9-5 or 6.
• How much do you need to make an hour to be able to live without having to live simply and have the things in life that are fun and rewarding?   While most massage therapist start out thinking that they need to or want to live simply it is also a deeply held unconscious belief that making money in the massage profession will make you look like you value money more than you value people  which is a really common unconscious core belief that can be changed.
• How many hours a week can you physically work without injuring yourself or ending up drained and tired?
• Can you get regular weekly massages yourself at these places for free?
• Do they offer peer supervision support groups and individual supervision (not the regular supervision of people just telling you what to do but clinical supervision which is more about helping you as a helper.)?  This is essential in the massage profession for a massage therapist to be an effective therapist and also be happy and have a very long rewarding career.  Burnout is one of the common reasons for leaving the profession and it can start with taking jobs that the employers lack respect for massage therapists.
• What will you do for them to build their business and create your own success?

Doing your research and figuring out what you need to make and what you want out of a job and what you can give to a job will help you in finding the right job for you.  It is possible to find high paying ($45 an hour and up) in the massage profession when you take the time to plan and create your own massage therapy job opportunity rather than just taking the first thing that comes up.  It does require thinking outside the box and being creative and believing in yourself and your skills.

I will have more information in my ebook that will be released hopefully this week “How to Find Your Ideal Massage Job” that will also come with a workbook guide to take you through the process of doing just that.

What does your perfect massage job look like?  How can you work to create that and hold out to find just that?

I found this great list of massage therapy job interview questions on www.benbenjamin.net

• What did you like about your massage school training?
• Was there anything you felt was lacking in your training or something you would like to have been different?
• Why did you choose massage therapy as your profession?
• What do you like about it?
• Do you get massage regularly yourself?
• What do you do to maintain your own health?
• How many clients do you typically see in a day?
• Is that a good number of people for you to see in a day?
• How long do you work on each person?
• Have you had or do you have a private practice?
• How many private clients do you see each week?
• Why did you leave your various jobs?
• Did you have any difficulty with the management at any of your other jobs? If so, can you describe that for me?
• Can you give me an example of an area in yourself that you think could use some improvement or further development?
• Were you ever fired? If so, why?
• Have you ever been in an uncomfortable situation with a client asking for something inappropriate? If yes, what did you do?
• Do you tend to make friends with your clients?
• What are the pros and cons of making friends with clients?
• If you got upset with me or any of the staff — for example, if you felt you had been spoken to disrespectfully — how might you handle that?
• Have you ever felt attracted to any of your clients? If so, what did you do with those feelings?
• Can you tell me about a time when you had difficulty with a client or an employer and how you handled it?
• How would you handle a client who arrived 20 minutes late for a 50-minute massage?
• Why do you want to work here?
• Did your school offer any classes pertaining to working?

I also have a list of massage therapy job interview questions on my website.

Then there are the obvious things like wear nice clothes, take your piercings out, don’t wear shorts and a tank top.  Also be prepared to do a massage as a part of your interview.

Go in knowing what you want from a job and what you need to make.  Tell them what you need to make an hour.  You can negotiate your salary but you will also need to give them some proof that you are worth it.  What will you do to help them build their buisiness?

I get email from people that keep me wondering what massage schools are teaching people or what kind of people are going to massage school.

The latest a plea for a job that was nothing more than this…

“help
I need a job.
massage tech. moving tawards licence looking for employer in Delaware. please contact me if you have anything availible for pt hours. ”

I also get random calls at the office – people leaving a message with a shaky voice asking if I am hiring. I don’t work in a place that hires anyone. I don’t hire anyone.

If you need a job this is not the way to find one. Just sending random emails to people on the other side of the continent and who do not even hire massage therapists is not going to get you anywhere. Making random calls asking for jobs when you don’t even know if people have jobs leaves me thinking that you are not really serious about finding a job.

If you really want a job in massage therapy start with doing informational interviews or asking around to find places that are hiring. Go into places and get a massage and see if you would really want to work there.

To find a job start researching companies that you might want to work for. What kind of company do you want to work for? What kind of atmosphere do you want to work in and what kinds of clients do you want to see? What places in your neighborhood are highly reputable businesses? What companies value massage therapists and pay them what they are worth? Who do you want to work for?

Often just starting out it is difficult to really know some of these things so it will mean trying a few places so that you can figure out just what you want. You can find more information in the job center at www.thebodyworker.com

Create a website for yourself that you can use as a resume. Write a resume. Write a cover letter that is customized for each potential employer. Tell them why you want to work for them and what you will do for them. Even if you are just starting out in your first job, you are already a valuable asset. Be eager to learn, willing to work all hours, be available, be friendly, learn to draw clients out so you can provide them with what they need.

Doing your research and finding out where you want to work allows you to choose who you want to work for.

Working as a massage employee in a Spa or other clinic doing massage and other spa therapies is no different than if you work for yourself except that you are not assuming the expenses of the overhead.

You still have to put your best efforts into giving a great massage and doing everything you can do to get that client to come back again and/or send in all of their friends and family members.  You have the unique challenge of having to work with clients who are new to you which requires that you do your best to do an intake with them and learn as much about them as you can so that you can provide what they need.

One of the first things to figure out when you are looking for a job is what exactly do you want to be doing and where?  What kind of environment do you want to be in?  One where the owner/manager does everything and dictates how you do massage or one where you can participate in the business and help it to grow and flourish?

Many massage therapists go into a job in massage therapy thinking that they won’t have to do anything – just show up and work on clients and make $60 per hour.  Well that $60 an hour the massage schools said you would be making really only applies to massage therapists who set up their own business.  Most massage jobs pay between $15-$45 per hour dependind on the setting.  Massage Envy -the massage franchise – pays about $15 per hour.  Working in a medical setting or high end spa setting you could probably make more like $35-$45 per hour.

When you go for an interview for a job, you really want to interview them too to see if you really want to work there.

The spa industry is getting a bad reptutation for providing poor working conditions or at least according to the massage therapists side of things.  Low pay, competition for appointments, long hours, having to do other non-massage work, having too many clients and not enough time in between sessions or not having enough sessions.

I have also heard the other side from spa or clinic owners and have also experienced the frustrations of taking on people to just sublease office space.  There are many massage therapists just out there looking for a free ride and think that they won’t have to do anything in exchange.  Many do not take their jobs seriously and take the attitude of not wanting to do things they are asked to do.

So when you are thinking about going to work as a massage therapist start thinking about what you can do to help make the business a success (which means you will be a success).  What can you do to bring in clients rather than depending on the owners to get you clients?  What can you do to get clients to come back more?  Do you talk to people about the benefits of getting regular massage?  Do you hand them your own flyer or business card when they walk out?