I’ve been checking out job ads for Toronto for the past month or so. Frustratingly, I have seen very few ads that make me want to apply to the clinic to work. It isn’t that there aren’t any ads; there are dozens of them! Craigslist, Kijiji, and the OMTA boards have multiple new entries for Toronto every week. Yet, so few of them seem like a good fit for me and my practice.
I’m no longer a new graduate and I feel I have some good skills to bring to the table. I went to a good massage school and finished near the top of my class, graduating with honours. I have taken extra courses in hot stone therapy, reiki, and structural myofascial therapy/structural integration. I have experience with rehabilitation after MVAs, and have handled all aspects of those cases (paperwork, billing, etc). On the administrative side, I helped open the last clinic I worked at in Ottawa. While I admit I did not do much of the ground work myself, I was there through the entire process. I am well aware of what it takes to open your own clinic, physically and financially. I have never had a receptionist and have had to handle that myself. I have a lot of experience with marketing and have good ideas on what works and what does not. I had nearly a full-time practice back in Ottawa, with a great client retention rate.
I think I have some great skills to bring to the table. So why is it that when I look around, I’m underwhelmed by most of the job ads?
Ultimately, here’s the issue: most of you are not hiring an RMT as an employee. An employee would mean you pay them an hourly wage or a salary (which they receive regardless of how many massages they do in a day!), handle tax deductions for them, and provide guaranteed vacation time, maternity leave, and so on. If you are not offering that, then what you are doing is entering into a business transaction with your RMTs. They are going to be providing a service out of your clinic, within certain boundaries as set out by your contract with them. You are not their ‘boss’ in the traditional sense of the word. You are essentially their landlord.
Therefore, when writing up your ads advertising clinic space for rent or on a percentage split basis, please keep in mind that I will be interviewing you as much as you will be interviewing me. I want to make sure what you are offering is a good business opportunity for me. I want to make sure that the clinic is somewhere I will be proud of working, somewhere that I will feel good about treating clients.
I know what I bring to the table. I know that I am a good therapist with good hands. Make your ad stand out by showing me what you bring. There are lots of clinics looking to bring in new RMTs. What makes your clinic different? Posting an ad that simply says ‘clinic looking for RMT, competitive split, please call!’ is not going to interest me. I know you do not have a strict word limit for your ad, so please, take the time and write something so I know a bit about who you are!
And one small pet peeve: most people who are looking for work don’t have access to a fax machine unless they pay for it. Allow people to apply via email. It just makes sense in 2008, you know?
Here’s hoping tomorrow’s job postings are more promising.
