5 Qualities of a Great Travel Therapist

When you approach a staffing firm for your ideal travel therapy assignment, it’s helpful to understand the dynamics going on between you and the recruiter. This conversation is about sizing up the other side to determine whether you’re a good fit for the firm’s needs and vice versa. Recruiters generally have a checklist of what makes an ideal candidate no matter what the position is or where the assignment is.

Here are some areas that the recruiter considers when hiring travel therapists:

1. Open-mindedness
   Travel therapy is all about the travel. Recruiters try to determine just how flexible a candidate is as far as location. Ideally, the location in which the travel therapist had in mind to work is some place that the recruiter has a job request. Of course your staffing agency would try their best to get you the location of your choice. But some places are more competitive than others. The more flexible you are with your desired location the easier and faster you’ll get placed.
2. Work Experience
   Like most careers, having experience will get a candidate hired more quickly. New grads are more difficult to place. Any recruiter will tell you that the best way to find a job in your desired location is to first get an assignment or two under your belt. In other words, again, the more flexible a traveler is in terms of preferred location the easier it’ll be for the recruiter to place them and the quicker the traveler gains experience.
3. Realistic Expectations
   Remember that recruiters are the travel healthcare professional’s ally. They do their best to make sure that you’re earning the best possible pay for your work. That said, recruiters prefer working with people who have realistic expectations especially in the area of compensation. The ideal candidate understands that their pay depends on a number of factors: location, setting, and experience. For your part, it’d be best if you do your own research on competitive rates to determine whether you’re getting paid the right amount.
4. Communication
   In order for recruiters and travel therapists to develop a strong working relationship, communication is key. Recruiters generally like candidates who respond quickly either through phone, text or e-mail. There are instances when a recruiter might require a quick answer from a candidate right away. For instance, if a job that’s perfect for the candidate pops up, the recruiter needs to be able to get in touch with the traveler immediately. Candidates who take their time in responding often lose out on opportunities.
5. Loyalty
   Recruiters understand the value of working with multiple staffing firms on the part of travel therapists. However, life would be so much easier for both the recruiter and the traveler if there is exclusivity. Staffing firms might be working to place the same jobs and a therapist might get called up for the same job repeatedly. Working with just one staffing firm is just easier and less chaotic.