How To Find Your Perfect Travel Job
by DebtFreeEmma | Jan 21, 2018
How To Find Your Perfect Travel Job
A travel therapist career is a great option for anyone who wants to travel and explore while you work. However, finding the right travel therapy position for you is extremely important and one of the most key steps in a traveler’s success. In fact, it is important for your happiness, peace of mind, growth of your career, and financial success.
Travel Therapy Locations:
Where you work is up to you. Where ever there are need for therapists, there are also usually need for traveling therapists as well.
Here are some things to think about when choosing your ideal travel location:
-Where would you LIKE to live. Do you like nature, cities, small towns?
-Where are some places you have never been but would love to visit?
-Where are places that you have family and friends near by?
It is important to choose locations that appeal to your various needs. As a new traveler, I suggest traveling near family and friends, as they can be great resources as you begin this new career path.
You can also choose travel therapy locations based on low cost of living compared to high wages. This will help maximize your travel pay and help keep the most cash in your pocket at the end of the day!
Travel Therapy Assignment Duration:
Many travel therapy positions are 13 weeks, but agencies can offer short, long and even permanent or contract positions. I encourage therapists to choose assignments at least 13 weeks in length for better stability and job consistency but you can negotiate this with your recruiter.
You also want to know what is the likely hood that the assignment will be renewed or canceled. What are the terms of the contract cancellations? Will the assignment be forced to give you 2 weeks notice so that you can start looking for other positions without sacrificing pay?
Travel Therapy Salary
It is important to make are earning what you deserve as a therapist. Certain states, cities, and settings may provide better pay options than others. For example, acute care often reimburses the best for workers. California and New York often pay the highest salaries for travelers due to the high cost of living. You can discuss with your recruiter what high paying positions they currently have and weight if that assignment is personally right for you!
You ask if there will be any incentives such as sign on bonuses or contract extension bonuses.
Work Schedule
As a traveler, it is important to know what hours you will be expected to work. Will you be required to work weekends and holidays? Are you able to make up missed shifts if this occurs? And most importantly are there GUARANTEED HOURS?
Guaranteed hours are where the assignment guarantees that if you are not needed to work for a set number of hours, normally 40 hours or 35 hours, then they will still pay you as if you worked those hours. This is extremely valuable, as it reduces much of the risk of being a traveler. Traveler’s are often the first ones to get called off shift, as they are the most expensive, and newest employee’s. As a result, with out guarantee pay, your total compensation could vary drastically from what you were originally quoted!
Work Expectations
It is important that any assignment you take, have fair work expectations. You should clairify the type of patients you will be working with and your daily expected duties. It is important to find out the patient case load expectations as well.
You should also ask what the expectations will be for day one, week one, and there after. A good assignment should be willing to train you at least for 1 day to ensure that you are safe working in the facility and using their equipment. For new graduates, it may be important to ensure that you receive increased training before you begin to carry a full case load. In addition, new graduates should ask about mentorship if needed, and who would be their primary person to contact if there were work questions during the assignment.
Benefits
Benefits are less assignment specific and are more company specific but I will mention them here as well. You should make a list of all benefits you and your family MUST have and make sure you are recieving these during your travel assignment. This could include:
-
Malpractice insurance
-
Health/life/disability insurance
-
Vacation, sick leave, maternity leave
-
Pension and profit sharing
-
Continuing education
-
Licenses reimbursement
-
Travel and entertainment expenses
Summary:
Finding the best travel assignment location, most stable assignment, highest paying assignment, and one with fair work expectations are the keys to succeeding as a traveling therapist and ensuring you find your perfect traveling position.
