The demand for massage therapists is
increasing and massage therapy careers are said to be a promising future. Massage Schools and career websites make
massage careers out to be one of the best new careers in 2011.
Massage is being more accepted by people and the medical
profession. Massage is being used to work with conditions
such as fibromyalgia, back pain, carpal tunnel and many other
muscular problems as well as depression and anxiety. There
are also many spas and massage franchises being developed who
are providing the majority of massage sessions. You can
work at a resort, on a cruise ship or for chiropractors and
other health care professionals. You can also start your
own massage business and hire other massage therapists to work
for you! Any way you go - you can't go wrong especially if
you take the time to find out if a career in massage is a good
match for you.
So what's the catch?
Here's some of the things that massage
schools and employers won't tell you about:
Jobs in massage are fairly a new phenomenon with many owners
of spas and clinics wanting to get into the multi-billion dollar
industry. Many owners of massage businesses are not
massage therapists but are in it for the business. Many do
not understand what it takes to get and keep clients. It
is the massage therapist who really is responsible for getting
repeat clients which is the key to being a successful business.
Jobs are in general low paying. Entry level positions
start at $12-$15 an hour which is not much considering that most
massage therapists only work 25-30 hours at the very most
because of the physical demands of the job. You can find
or create higher paying jobs if you know how to promote yourself
and look for jobs that will allow you to flourish instead of
just get by. Once you have your massage license and get to
the point of looking for a job -you can read more about how to
find a job in my
Massage Job Guide on my other website -
www.massage-career-guides.com
Most people just
have the idea that it will be a relaxing career in which you get
to help people. That is really only part of it. A
massage therapist will learn anatomy, physiology and pathology
and learn basic massage skills and how to apply them in various
situations. Massage can be used to help relieve pain and
many diseases and conditions such as carpal tunnel,
fibromyalgia, back and neck pain and many more things like this.
You will be working on people who are in pain and in a semi-
state of undress (covered with sheets) which makes people feel
vulnerable. You will have to know how to deal with men who
get erections and mistake you for prostitutes as many areas
massage is not fully accepted as a health care profession.
The reality is that most massage therapists start their own businesses.
While there are more jobs out there now in spas, franchises, cruise ships and
medical offices most only pay about $15-$25 an hour and that is only when you
are doing a massage. If you don't have a client, you are usually paid
minimum wage and have other duties such as cleaning and organizing to do.
The average age of a massage therapist is 45. Massage school is geared
toward teaching adults. High School Graduates are better off going to
college for business and marketing and learning how to run a massage business.
There are some 2 year massage programs that would be better suited to a high
school student as it allows time to mature.
Massage schools are in the business of getting massage students to come to
their school. They are often making sales pitches to you so you have to go
into it knowing what it is that you want.
There are no prerequisites except to
graduate from high school but since the average age of massage therapists is 45,
massage is best as a second or third career. Massage schools are not
really equipped to teach younger people! Most have not caught up
with the career trends. The number of massage schools has
increased so dramatically to keep up with the demand for massage
therapists that many massage schools are just hiring their
graduates who may or may not be qualified to teach!
It takes some level of business, customer service skills and professionalism.
Massage has a way of bringing up deep emotional trauma in people and can cause
them to feel repressed feelings such as anger, rage and grief. Knowing how
to handle these instances requires being mature enough and self aware enough to
stay focused and maintain your boundaries in instances like this. It
doesn't always happen, but it is very possible.
Massage Schools offer basic training in
how to do massage. They don't necessarily make you into a
massage therapist or teach you how to get a good job or
start your own business.
Even though all of this makes a career in
massage look bleak- it can be a different way! These
challenges can be overcome and you can go on to be a very
successful massage therapist making $60k+ a year with your own
business or making $45 an hour as an employee!
When you read the
Massage Career Guide
- you will find out what a career in massage is really like and
will find out if a career is right for you! When you know what
you are getting into and know how to choose the massage school
that is best for you, your chances for success will increase
dramatically. You won't have to be one of the 50,000 or so
that leave the massage profession every year. You will
learn why those people didn't make it and what you can do to
stay out of that statistic!
Once you get your massage license and
start looking for a job, you will want to read the Massage Job
Guide which will help you in finding and creating your Dream
Massage Job! You can have it all when you know what you
will be up against! You can start with a low paying job or
jump right ahead to a mid-level massage job right from the
start. (Entry level jobs start at $12.) The
Massage Job Guide is available to help you do just that! It
isn't really about getting the right resume or cover letter.
"Writing a resume and trying to fit in more
than everyone else fits in is a shortcut to getting an
average job where you are expected to do average work. So I
said, “Prove it. Don’t have a resume, have references, and
have a body of work that speaks for itself.” Seth Godin
To get a higher paying dream job in massage you need a plan and
a course of action. You need to keep taking action until
you achieve the results you want - a $30 an hour? a 40 an hour
job? Why not? You can learn more in the
Massage Job Guide (link goes to my other website.)
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