What will make you happy in your next assignment?

When you make the decision to embark on a career of travel nursing, there are a lot of things you’ll want to take into consideration. As a recruiter, it’s important for me to know what factors will be most important to you as you look for new positions. There are occasions where you may miss out on a great opportunity because we haven’t clearly identified what your deal-breakers are and what you’re willing to budge on. The reason(s) you are traveling can help your recruiter help you find the perfect contract. Below are four of the most common factors I think you should consider when deciding what will be most important to you in your job search:

Location
Are you someone who craves a change in scenery? Or, are you someone who is set on finding a location near home? Adventure can be found anywhere. Knowing how important location is to you will not only help me identify where to look for jobs for you, but it can also help me make suggestions that you may not have thought of yourself. If you want to be close to home, that’s easy enough. If you want to be in a big city, there are tons of large cities with fun activities that don’t typically come to mind. Are you set on going to NYC or San Francisco? Or, are you open to hearing other ideas? Deciding how much you can budge on location can be a big factor in finding your dream assignment. If location is your most important factor, my advice is to be more flexible with your pay package.

Pay
Do you have student loans or a car payment you’re trying to take care of? Do you have a family and a mortgage back at home that you need to support? Knowing how important pay is to you can help us identify locations and positions that will be the most beneficial for your needs. If pay is your most important reason for traveling, I would suggest being very open to hearing about new locations that can get you what you’re looking for. It’s also helpful for your recruiter to know what you’ve been making in your staff position and what you’d like to make. We can break things down for you, so you can make an educated decision about whether or not traveling is the best decision for your lifestyle.

Facility
Have you only worked in Level I Trauma your whole career? Or, has the majority of your experience been in Critical Access facilities? We want to know where your career goals are headed and we want to help you get there. Are you looking for a Teaching Facility? Do you prefer a slower-paced unit? Deciding what type of facility is most important to you can help us identify which options will allow you to be the most successful in your career. If you’re most focused on which hospital you go to, you’ll want to be flexible in other areas so we can get you where you want to go. Keep in mind that we won’t send you to a Trauma 1 facility if you’ve never had the experience. We want you to succeed. We will work our way up slowly.

Agency
Do you need an agency with someone on-call at all hours? Are you concerned with having an agency find your housing? It’s always important to pick an agency that is the right fit for you. Let your recruiter know what you need and expect from them and their agency. I encourage you to take into consideration how much customer service you anticipate needing. Think about what benefits are most important to you and what other perks might help you decide on the best agency for you. Make sure you ask any questions you have and that you get the answers you desire before deciding to move forward. If the agency you work for is the most important factor in your travel experience, you’re likely to see everything else fall in line eventually.

While there are many other things that come to mind, I think the above four factors are what I hear most often when visiting with nurses. I encourage you to rank these aspects of traveling and relay that information to your recruiter, who can guide you in the right direction and suggest opportunities that may lead you to an amazing travel position! Good luck!

Brooke Alstrom joined Aureus Medical Group in May 2013. She works as a Team Lead in the Nursing Recruitment division.  In her free time, Brooke enjoys spending time with family, friends, and her dog, trying new restaurants, going to concerts and other events, completing DIY projects, and traveling.