Life After Licensure :)

[Ann O]

I thought I'd post a bit here about how things have developed since my graduation, seeing as I've been haunting the student forum for something like two years now. Maybe it'll help the soon-to-be-here know a bit about what to expect. I graduated in May, got licensed in July, moved across the state in September, and just started a new job this week. Maybe I'm a little slower to start than others, but I wanted to start my new career in an environment that supported me, not just take any old job.

So here's how things went for me after I got my license.

I went through a LOT of craigslist ads, and eliminated ... most.

I eliminated the places where they do nails (I can't stand the chemical smell). The places that pay $12-14 for a one-hour massage "depending on experience. (Do I want to be earning $14 for a massage in 5 years when I'm "experienced? No.) The places that don't care whether you are licensed or not. The places that only wanted someone on-call. The all-male salons looking for female massage therapists and had the requirement that you send a full-body photo of yourself with your resume. And of course the places looking for people with experience and skills I just don't have yet.

There were a lot of those. But that's okay.

I ended up calling a few places, and going in to visit three.

One was a chair massage business. They paid $5 for each 15 minute massage, with a minimum guarantee of $50 for a 6 hour shift. So if you got no clients in six hours, you made $50. If you got 5 clients, still $50. 10 clients, $50. But $55 for 11 clients, $60 for 12. They offered employee status, but no flexibility in scheduling, no holidays off, no increased pay with experience.

It was an interesting interview, but I turned it down.

One was a room rent, in my hometown. $200 a month to rent a big room in a massage business that has two other therapists working for it. The business is on one of the town's main streets, with lots of pedestrian traffic and small businesses around. The owner is overwhelmed with clients right now, and would be happy to refer overflow to me. She doesn't want an employee that she needs to mentor or deal with, just a friendly neighbor.

It's a very exciting prospect to me, but I'm still unsure of my ability to actually run a business on my own. I'm still considering it.

One was a massage business in another, even smaller small town. The owner is a massage therapist who is unable to practice due to arthritis, and has had to broaden her business horizons in order to pay the bills, so she's brought on several independent contractors. The contract frightened me at first, but she was happy to adapt it when I brought up my concerns. She doesn't make all the same business decisions I would, but she's still got a lot more knowledge than I do. She knows that I'm new to the field, and is happy to provide mentoring and support.

This is where I work now. I had my first two clients today.

I'm starting out just three days a week, no more than 3 clients a day. I'm surprised at how steep the learning curve is anyway. I've learned how to change sheets, take a payment, book an appointment, and get an intake form ready in 15 minutes. Unless there's a credit card involved. I'm still slowly learning how to run the dang credit card thing, subtract a discount, and add a tip. And now I remember that you have to manually make sure that sales tax is not added to the tip. Who knew? I've had one easy client who says he'll be requesting me in the future (yay!), and one client who almost certainly won't be (I'm not her regular therapist). I forgot to offer either of them water, although it's the policy here. Oops! I've learned how to book an appointment, and who has seniority, and who offers what specialties. And I've learned how to give my well-honed Stern Teacher Look at the kids on their scooters who like to wipe the "M" and the "age" off of the whiteboard sign out front so that it spells "ass."

I'm so glad my background in education is coming in handy. :roll:

I knew that working would be a lot different from school, and it truly is. But the neatest thing about it is that every business is also totally different from every other one. In school, we all learned a lot of the same things. The same muscles, the same Swedish techniques. There were differences, of course, but it was all pretty familiar territory. Now, my old classmates and I are learning really different lessons. One is learning the ins and outs of working in a chiropractic setting and dealing with health insurance and worker's compensation. Another is learning about having employees. Another about functioning in a high-end salon. Another about the unique issues that arise from having a home office.

And I can run a credit card machine. And deal with a client who is accustomed to another therapist who has grown naturally into accommodating her preferences and anticipating her needs before she even has to ask. And negotiate a contract into something I can feel good about. And laugh about it all afterwards.

First days are exhausting, but also exciting. And I made a little money, which feels good too. My advice: don't get excited about not needing to learn a ton of information in a short amount of time after you graduate. Get excited that you get to learn even more information in an even shorter amount of time.

And finally getting paid for what you've spent $10,000 on learning to do? Let me just say it: it feels SO GOOD. :razz:

Hope to see all you students on the flip side with me soon!

Kat

 

[charles_soler]

Life After Licensure

Thanks for letting us know.

 

[Pompal 09.]

Unfolding

Impressed by your measured approach to finding a place and way that is complimentary.
Thanks for taking the time to share how things unfolded after licensure.
"What you are reaching out for is reaching out for you".

 

[carnation]

Life After Licensure

Kat, I've been impressed by your posts here already, even while you were a student. I think this one is the best yet-- because it shows not only that you are a very level-headed person with no expectations other than that "life happens and this is what's happening to me; now I'll figure out how to roll with the flow and move on", but also that you care very much about others you don't even know. With an attitude like yours, you will go far. Congratulations on the new job-- may it surpass your wildest hopes and dreams!