Not AT: Interview Tips for Massage Therapists

February 23, 2008

I just read this on a site I'll be interviewing with next week and

thought it would be useful for any new or job-hunting bodyworkers and

massage therapists. :-)

Ta,

Stacey

" I don't know anything about your company and I wear sandals to my

interview

I have decided to add a new catagory for the professional massage

therapists out there to create an online discussion about our

profession and how it can progress further. The first topic on my mind

is the interview process. At our clinics we are constantly trying to

find/attract talented massage therapists who have a passion for giving

professional, highly skilled massage therapy and applying 100%

customer satisfaction. Due to this fact we are constantly hiring and

have therapists coming to interview frequently. I thought I may just

give a couple of tips to massage therapists who go to interview

anywhere. These ideas could be applied for any position.

1. Dress Professionally: If you look at my bio picture it is a picture

of me in a suit and tie. Although this is not my day to day wear it is

a direct reflection of how serious I take the position of being the

leader/coach of my team. Professional is clean, and neat. If you are a

female massage therapist I cannot emphasize enough the importance of

dressing above the bar in term of professionalism. The dirty little

fact is that this profession is tainted with a history of

prostitution. In fact, to this day the licensing in San Diego is still

regulated by the Police Department. This is the same place where

" exotic dancers " , and escorts go to recieve their permitting. (This is

for another posting)

My point here is that is so important that you present yourself in a

way that would immeditaly emliminate any questions about your

professionalism. If you do not bring this to the interview then you

definately will not bring this to the job. So, 1. no shorts 2. No

blouses that draw any attention to the chest 3. No heavy perfumes(your

nose may not agree with the interviewer's nose 4. No Sandals(of

course) 5. No T-Shirts

2. Arrive Early but not too early: I would say 5-7 minutes before the

interview is a good amount of time to indicate to the interviewer that

you know how to be on time, but you do have other things going on in

your life and to take 20 min extra would be too much. These extra

minutes will give you some time to settle in, think about potential

interview questions and peruse the printed materials.

3. Know thy company like the manager/owner does. If you are asked what

you know about the company and your answer is " not that much " , your

chances of getting the job are slim to none. Review the website, study

the website, and know the website.

4. Stay on time in the Practical: If the place you are interviewing is

busy then they do not have time to have you go over. If the place is

not busy you probably do not want to work there

5. Do not ask about compensation: I have had therapists who have been

practicing a while ask with an indignant tone and before we even set

up an interview how much they will be compensated. You have not been

offered the position yet, you will not be told how much compensation

is. I think this stems from massage therapsist who have been

practicing a while, but continue to struggle to build a clientle. They

feel that there worth is greater than what a company can pay because

they are used to charging and making the entire amount. But what any

seasoned massage therapist will tell you is that it takes a lot of

work to build a clientle and there is no guarentee.

I would say that the most important thing is to find a facility that

is alligned with your vision as a massage therapist and as long as you

love giving massage the money will follow. If you have your own

practice and you go through hiring feel free to add commentsgive

feedback. Or if you are a new massage therapist that is getting out

there and trying to decide whether to work for someone, have your own

practice, or run a facility share your comments as well.

Until the next entry,

Be Well "

February 23, 2008

Stacey,

Good luck with the whole thing. Also know that because you are a

massage therapist you will unfortunately get requests for things that

are not legal. At that point you have to stop the massage.

(Unfortunately this is why I quit being a massage therapist full time

and let my license go. The ratio of men hitting on me to the guys who

were there for a massage were like 2/1...) Fortunately you're in a

place where the Massage therapist is the norm.. Not the 'masseuse'

Bless you woman. ( slowly, but surely... people will get the Idea

that some place named something other than body rub is actually a legit

place, where one should not ask for " total stress relief " and mean..

something other than what a Massage therapist would give...

Jennifer

Stacey wrote:

> I just read this on a site I'll be interviewing with next week and

> thought it would be useful for any new or job-hunting bodyworkers and

> massage therapists. :-)

>

> Ta,

> Stacey

>

> " I don't know anything about your company and I wear sandals to my

> interview

>

> I have decided to add a new catagory for the professional massage

> therapists out there to create an online discussion about our

> profession and how it can progress further. The first topic on my mind

> is the interview process. At our clinics we are constantly trying to

> find/attract talented massage therapists who have a passion for giving

> professional, highly skilled massage therapy and applying 100%

> customer satisfaction. Due to this fact we are constantly hiring and

> have therapists coming to interview frequently. I thought I may just

> give a couple of tips to massage therapists who go to interview

> anywhere. These ideas could be applied for any position.

>

> 1. Dress Professionally: If you look at my bio picture it is a picture

> of me in a suit and tie. Although this is not my day to day wear it is

> a direct reflection of how serious I take the position of being the

> leader/coach of my team. Professional is clean, and neat. If you are a

> female massage therapist I cannot emphasize enough the importance of

> dressing above the bar in term of professionalism. The dirty little

> fact is that this profession is tainted with a history of

> prostitution. In fact, to this day the licensing in San Diego is still

> regulated by the Police Department. This is the same place where

> " exotic dancers " , and escorts go to recieve their permitting. (This is

> for another posting)

>

> My point here is that is so important that you present yourself in a

> way that would immeditaly emliminate any questions about your

> professionalism. If you do not bring this to the interview then you

> definately will not bring this to the job. So, 1. no shorts 2. No

> blouses that draw any attention to the chest 3. No heavy perfumes(your

> nose may not agree with the interviewer's nose 4. No Sandals(of

> course) 5. No T-Shirts

>

> 2. Arrive Early but not too early: I would say 5-7 minutes before the

> interview is a good amount of time to indicate to the interviewer that

> you know how to be on time, but you do have other things going on in

> your life and to take 20 min extra would be too much. These extra

> minutes will give you some time to settle in, think about potential

> interview questions and peruse the printed materials.

>

> 3. Know thy company like the manager/owner does. If you are asked what

> you know about the company and your answer is " not that much " , your

> chances of getting the job are slim to none. Review the website, study

> the website, and know the website.

>

> 4. Stay on time in the Practical: If the place you are interviewing is

> busy then they do not have time to have you go over. If the place is

> not busy you probably do not want to work there

>

> 5. Do not ask about compensation: I have had therapists who have been

> practicing a while ask with an indignant tone and before we even set

> up an interview how much they will be compensated. You have not been

> offered the position yet, you will not be told how much compensation

> is. I think this stems from massage therapsist who have been

> practicing a while, but continue to struggle to build a clientle. They

> feel that there worth is greater than what a company can pay because

> they are used to charging and making the entire amount. But what any

> seasoned massage therapist will tell you is that it takes a lot of

> work to build a clientle and there is no guarentee.

>

> I would say that the most important thing is to find a facility that

> is alligned with your vision as a massage therapist and as long as you

> love giving massage the money will follow. If you have your own

> practice and you go through hiring feel free to add commentsgive

> feedback. Or if you are a new massage therapist that is getting out

> there and trying to decide whether to work for someone, have your own

> practice, or run a facility share your comments as well.

>

> Until the next entry,

>

> Be Well "

>

February 23, 2008

Thanks, Jennifer! That's good food for thought for all MT's.

I'm not actually into bodywork or an MT, I'm going in for an

administrative position in a professional massage therapy clinic...

I've just got a background with MT's and such, so I hope I'm a good

fit with them. :-)

Happy Saturday!

Ta,

Stacey

> Good luck with the whole thing. Also know that because you are a

> massage therapist you will unfortunately get requests for things that

> are not legal. At that point you have to stop the massage.

> (Unfortunately this is why I quit being a massage therapist full time

> and let my license go. The ratio of men hitting on me to the guys who

> were there for a massage were like 2/1...) Fortunately you're in a

> place where the Massage therapist is the norm.. Not the 'masseuse'

> Bless you woman. ( slowly, but surely... people will get the Idea

> that some place named something other than body rub is actually a

legit

> place, where one should not ask for " total stress relief " and mean..

> something other than what a Massage therapist would give...

>

> Jennifer

February 23, 2008

Then you can help to head that crudola off at the past. And let the

client know ahead of time. That if the massage therapist feels

uncomfortable they have the option to stop the massage because they

could lose their liscense.. And the business could too..

Jennifer (an ounce of proactivity can be worth a pound of cure.)

Stacey wrote:

> Thanks, Jennifer! That's good food for thought for all MT's.

> I'm not actually into bodywork or an MT, I'm going in for an

> administrative position in a professional massage therapy clinic...

> I've just got a background with MT's and such, so I hope I'm a good

> fit with them. :-)

>

> Happy Saturday!

>

> Ta,

> Stacey

>

>> Good luck with the whole thing. Also know that because you are a

>> massage therapist you will unfortunately get requests for things that

>> are not legal. At that point you have to stop the massage.

>> (Unfortunately this is why I quit being a massage therapist full time

>> and let my license go. The ratio of men hitting on me to the guys who

>> were there for a massage were like 2/1...) Fortunately you're in a

>> place where the Massage therapist is the norm.. Not the 'masseuse'

>> Bless you woman. ( slowly, but surely... people will get the Idea

>> that some place named something other than body rub is actually a

>>

> legit

>

>> place, where one should not ask for " total stress relief " and mean..

>> something other than what a Massage therapist would give...

>>

>> Jennifer

>

February 23, 2008

Hi Jennifer,

I have been aromatherapy massage therapist for nearly 12 years and have only

had one idiot come to me who thought he looked gorgeous naked and did not

need to have towels on him. I found out that another therapist had sent him

to me as she was a bit leery about him. I was not impressed and told her so.

He was out the door quick as look at you!

When I set up my practice, which is under our house, so I can be here alone,

I listened to some rules that a very good friend had used for many years as

a massage therapist ( as opposed to a masseur)

I always wear no makeup apart from a slight smudge of lipstick, no

jewellery, no perfume, and no nail polish.. My diplomas are clearly

displayed on the wall, as is my currency certificate from NZROHA, the

organisation of aromatherapists in New Zealand. I have no photographs or

personal effects in the clinic and I take extensive case studies with each

new client. I wear a polo shirt with my logo on it and I do wear ¾ shorts.

The look is totally professional as far as I am concerned and I do not

expect any off colour clients and have not had any problems apart from the

idiot that woman sent me.

Cheers

Jeanine

ATFE2 [ATFE2 ]On Behalf Of

Jennifer Janek-Markey

Sunday, 24 February 2008 11:40 a.m.

ATFE2

Re: [ATFE2] Not AT: Interview Tips for Massage Therapists

Stacey,

Good luck with the whole thing. Also know that because you are a

massage therapist you will unfortunately get requests for things that

are not legal. At that point you have to stop the massage.

(Unfortunately this is why I quit being a massage therapist full time

and let my license go. The ratio of men hitting on me to the guys who

were there for a massage were like 2/1...) Fortunately you're in a

place where the Massage therapist is the norm.. Not the 'masseuse'

Bless you woman. ( slowly, but surely... people will get the Idea

that some place named something other than body rub is actually a legit

place, where one should not ask for " total stress relief " and mean..

something other than what a Massage therapist would give...

February 24, 2008

Jeanine,

Thank goodness for that... It didn't matter what I was wearing

invariably I got hit on more than not so that's why I quit. I guess it

was just the time and place of it..

Jennifer

David & Jeanine Moss wrote:

> Hi Jennifer,

>

> I have been aromatherapy massage therapist for nearly 12 years and have only

> had one idiot come to me who thought he looked gorgeous naked and did not

> need to have towels on him. I found out that another therapist had sent him

> to me as she was a bit leery about him. I was not impressed and told her so.

> He was out the door quick as look at you!

>

> When I set up my practice, which is under our house, so I can be here alone,

> I listened to some rules that a very good friend had used for many years as

> a massage therapist ( as opposed to a masseur)

>

> I always wear no makeup apart from a slight smudge of lipstick, no

> jewellery, no perfume, and no nail polish.. My diplomas are clearly

> displayed on the wall, as is my currency certificate from NZROHA, the

> organisation of aromatherapists in New Zealand. I have no photographs or

> personal effects in the clinic and I take extensive case studies with each

> new client. I wear a polo shirt with my logo on it and I do wear ¾ shorts.

>

> The look is totally professional as far as I am concerned and I do not

> expect any off colour clients and have not had any problems apart from the

> idiot that woman sent me.

>

> Cheers

> Jeanine

>

> ATFE2 [ATFE2 ]On Behalf Of

> Jennifer Janek-Markey

> Sunday, 24 February 2008 11:40 a.m.

> ATFE2

> Re: [ATFE2] Not AT: Interview Tips for Massage Therapists

>

> Stacey,