“Should I travel as a new grad?” is one of the most asked questions I receive when talking to students. Choosing a
travel job versus a full time position is truly based on what your goals are or what motivates you. When you identify those factors, making a decision becomes fairly easy. I’ll address a few of the common motivators that can influence the ‘to travel or not to travel’ question in this and the next couple of blogs.
First and foremost, let’s discuss one glaring concern by all new graduates, “Will I receive the proper mentorship if I travel?” Great question and absolutely a valid one to address! My answer is a resounding yes with a big emphasis on IF you have a great relationship with your recruiter. Your recruiter should be able to identify your needs and relay them to your potential employer. Quite frankly, not all matches are perfect and it’s our job to make sure that both the therapist and the facility are happy. Ensuring this fit is an essential role by the recruiter whether the new graduate chooses to travel or to take a full-time position.
Another option for ensuring proper mentorship is to extend the length of stay. Typically a travel assignment is 13 weeks in duration but asking for a longer stint such as 18 weeks may be more beneficial to the new graduate as well as the healthcare facility. For SLPs, the situation is a little more difficult if you are completing a CFY.
Keri Janousek, Branch Manager for the Speech division at Aureus Medical, recommends asking your recruiter if the client would be open to a 9 month commitment. “This will help remove both the need to find another CF Supervisor and securing another contract in order to meet the hourly requirement to complete your Clinical Fellowship.”
Bottom line, travelling as a new graduate is definitely an option, but make sure the company you work for has your best interest in mind.
A second common motivator in deciding to travel is location (i.e. close to home, being near a beach, etc.) Several new graduates like the idea of travelling but when asked where they want to go, they pick their hometown. Well, that can be a great decision, if where you are from is in demand for a therapist. However, if you are a therapist wanting to be in a town where there is a university or two in the surrounding area, then your luck of travelling or finding a full time job will decrease due to saturation. As they say in real estate, location…location…location. Getting a degree in a high demand field doesn’t mean that it’s high demand in the location you want to be in.
Deciding whether to travel or take a full time job in your area of interest really depends on the industry need coupled with how flexible you are. If you want to stay put and not be far from home, direct hire is an obvious choice. Local travel is too, but you have to make sure the area can support it. If the world is your oyster, then travelling is a great way to find a location where you want to be, especially since more companies are choosing to do a temp to hire option. It can also be a viable choice while waiting for a position to open in the area you want to be. Keep in mind, whether for travel or direct hire, the amount of need varies based on setting so be flexible if location is your top priority. Do your homework, or better yet, ask your recruiter to find out what the job market is like in your area of interest. Recruiters are the subject matter experts on the job search so use their expertise to your advantage.
Stay tuned for my next blog: Pay and Setting as Motivators
Sun Hui (Sunny) Snook graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from Truman State University and received a Master’s in Human Services from Bellevue University. She has been in the healthcare staffing field for 11 years, first working with nurses before moving to a nationwide work strategies consultant where her key responsibilities were to coach staffers and hospital managers on effective staffing. In 2009, Sunny started with Aureus Medical as an Account Manager in the Rehab Therapy division, working with both clients and prospective employees. Most recently, she moved to Student Outreach Coordinator. Prior to working in healthcare staffing, she served as an addictions therapist and residential treatment coordinator for five years.
Sunny Snook / 800.456.5857 ext 6578 / ssnook@aureusmedical.com
I was a new grad in 2009 and I received a phone call from Sun Hui. She called to talk to me about travel jobs with Aureus and she is a great person to talk to that I was interested in the opportunity immediately. Thanks to her and the staff at Aureus I was able to get my foot in the door as a new grad. With that travel job, I landed a full time perm job with the same company in a different location. These experiences led me to bigger career opportunities, recently as an OT director. I currently am wanting to travel again and look at different locations in Florida. Sun Hui does not work in the Florida area but she was still able to help me with recruiters who were able to help me. I will be starting my new travel position next month. Aureus will be the only travel company I work with past, present, and future
Very interesting read, subscribed.