Getting the Most from Your Rehab Travel Career

How to Get Recruiters to Work Hard for You

As every seasoned physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech language pathology traveler knows, having a great recruiter can make all the difference in the world when it comes to advancing your career. A great recruiter knows the business like the back of their hand, has a keen sense of where the best opportunities lie, and combines that with a deep understanding of what's important to you to build a new assignment that is even better than the last.

But there's more to a great recruiter. Once you've worked with a few, the differences between good and great become much clearer. The best recruiters love what they do. They have great people skills. They're patient, yet they know when to apply pressure to help get what you want. They also know when a little finesse is better than making hard demands. More importantly, the best recruiters in the business do something that few others are truly willing to do - they work their tails off for their travelers.

Finding the Best of the Best

The staffing business is all about relationships, and your recruiter should work to build a strong bond with you from the start. You can learn a lot by listening to the questions that recruiters ask you. Are they interested in what's important to you or are they hurrying through the call to try to get to whether or not you'd take an assignment? Are they looking beyond your resume to uncover your goals and dreams? Every recruiter wants to place you on an assignment, but the best recruiters know that a strong relationship is the foundation for a long term working relationship, and they won't rush this part of the process.

From Recruiter to Personal Career Agent

Too Good to Be True? From the outside, any other traveler's assignment can look better than yours. We've all heard the stories of a friend's coworker's sister's cousin getting $50 per hour plus paid housing plus a $2000 completion bonus and a private jet. But it doesn't make it true. Even if it is, it's probably exaggerated, or it happened to 1 of 1,000 therapists. We work in this business every day, and the best recruiters know the real story. Ask your recruiter for honest, accurate feedback about pay rates in your area of the country.

1. Be honest about what's most important.
   It's important for your recruiter to know how you prioritize pay, location, and setting. If money is most important, we'll share jobs with you that are not in the location or setting you want, if that's where the best money is. If location is number one on your list, you'll see jobs of various pay rates in order to get you to the spot you're seeking.

2. Share a Little, Get a Lot
   The best recruiters want to know a lot about you. They know the names of your spouse or significant other, your children and even your pets. They remember your favorites and surprise you with 'a little something' from time to time. Send a photo - it sets you apart from other travelers and reminds us who we're working for.

3. Full Disclosure
   If your recruiter submits you to a client and you're already interviewing there with another travel company, it doesn't help anyone. We want to know where to spend our time. That's the only reason we ask. We're not trying to steal your job or keep you from talking with other recruiters. The more forthcoming you are about your search, the better we can help you.

4. Don't Go MIA
   Rehab travel is a small world. Your reputation is important, with clients AND with recruiters. So many travelers go MIA (missing in action) in the middle of an interview process. Even if you find a job elsewhere, give your recruiter the courtesy of a phone call. We'll still work with you in 13 weeks when you're looking for a new contract.

5. Do What You Say You'll Do
   The best recruiters work harder for travelers they respect. We treat you the way you'd like to be treated. Send your resume when you say you will, return our calls within 24 hours, take the interview with the client when he/she calls, and call your recruiter back immediately following that client interview.

6. Be Straightforward
   You won't be the first therapist to decline an opportunity, but do provide your recruiter with feedback quickly. Be straightforward. If you don't want an assignment, say NO not MAYBE.

   Coolest Thank You: One traveler picked up a small gift for his recruiter at every assignment throughout the year & sent it at Christmas. A t-shirt from a large university, a dream-catcher from an Indian reservation, etc. This recruiter won the informal 'bragging rights' competition for who gets the most/best thank you's, and hasn't stopped working for this traveler ever since.

7. Be Nice
   Sometimes the most important things are those that we learned at a very young age. If you yell at the payroll clerk, the credentialer or housing coordinator, your recruiter hears about it. We're not always perfect, and we too raise our voices sometimes, but if you treat people well, they'll bend over backwards for you.

8. Fulfill Your Contract
   Sometimes bad things happen. If a client terminates your assignment early, and if your recruiter asks you to fulfill your contract, there are reasons for it:
   • Your reputation
   • The recruiter's reputation
   • Time to find a new assignment
   • Ability to keep you on benefits

   Your recruiter has your best interest at heart, even if it means a temporary glitch. Give a little; seek a win-win situation for everyone. Your recruiter and the client will reward your commitment and flexibility.

9. Send a Referral
   This is how we make a living & feed our families, and a referral is the ultimate 'Thank You'. Good people know good people. If you're happy with the service provided by the recruiter, or if you developed a good rapport, send people our way. Give out your recruiter's name and email address. You instantly become a "rock star" in their office, and if you refer lots of people, your wallet gets a little fatter too.

In all, the most important thing to remember in order to get your recruiter to work hard for you is to realize that s/he doesn't make money if you don't find a job that meets your needs. We know you will go elsewhere from time to time, but the best recruiters work tirelessly so you won't ever have to. The more money you make, the more great assignments we can find for you, the better we do as well. We want to find the perfect job for you. We're on your team.

MDI Medical has earned The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of ApprovalTM. Certification recognizes MDI Medical's dedication to providing rehab therapists that are qualified to provide safe, high-quality care to patients.