As a traveling therapist, on average you will be changing jobs every ~13 weeks. That means around every ~3 months you’ll have to interview for your next contract. And sometimes you’ll be doing multiple interviews for different jobs at each of these interviewing timeframes. I know what you’re thinking. YES, THAT’S A LOT OF INTERVIEWS!! But that’s all part of being a traveler! You must be comfortable and confident in your interviewing skills so you can secure that dream travel job. That’s why I’ve compiled some helpful interview tips that have aided me in securing some incredible job opportunities during my time as a traveler.
TRAVEL JOB INTERVIEW PREVIEW
Before giving you interview tips for travel jobs, I wanted to cover what a typical travel job interview and the process of setting up the interview look like.
PHONE INTERVIEWS
First of all, every travel job interview I’ve had has been over the phone. Surprisingly with the growing popularity of video meetings like Zoom, this has never been utilized during a travel job interview. At least not yet in my experience.
For me, these phone interviews can last anywhere from 5 minutes to 30 minutes. It truly depends on the interviewer, the time they have, and what all they’d like to know about you outside of what your resume tells them.
PICK A TIME THAT WILL WORK
Usually, when the time comes to start interviewing, my recruiter asks for the best times that an interviewer may call me. Most interviewers let your recruiter know that they may be reaching out for an interview first, but there’s a chance that certain interviewers may call you during your previously specified time without letting your recruiter know they’re interested. This has seldom happened to me, but it could happen. So make sure you’re being honest when you give your available interview times so you don’t miss a call and miss your chance at a potential job!
I always try to select times either before or after work or during my lunch hour. I always make sure that during the times I request I’m always nearby a quiet and private area with minimal to no distractions. I’ve had to take interviews while driving and find a spot to pull off and that interview didn’t go nearly as well as those that were done in a nice, quiet, private room.
WHAT ALL DO YOU NEED?
Truly all you REALLY need is yourself and your phone to accomplish the interview. However, I try to have my laptop available and open to my checklist of typical questions I ask the interviewer during the interview. The checklist is discussed (and downloadable) below! So, having a place to comfortably have a laptop open is preferable.
Also, there’s been cases where I have difficulty hearing my interviewer over the phone or on speaker. Thus, I typically try to at least have a pair of headphones with a functioning speaker on hand if this occasion may arise. I actually prefer starting with the headphones on and switching to just my phone, if needed. This gives my hands a bit more freedom to scroll through my checklist and make notes about the job, as needed.
GENERAL INTERVIEW TIPS
30-second Elevator Pitch
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received when I was in PT school was to have a 30-second elevator pitch queued up for any moment you may need it. Imagine, you step into an elevator with the rehab director for YOUR ABSOLUTE DREAM JOB. You’re aware there’s an opening for the position and they are actively looking for candidates. You cannot pass up this opportunity to make your first and lasting impression. You have 30 seconds to make your pitch before they get off the elevator. What do you say???
Not only is this useful JUST IN CASE this insane scenario were to play out, but also to dial up what you feel like are the best highlights of yourself for a general job interview. In nearly every job interview I’ve had I’ve been asked, “Okay, first just tell me a bit about yourself.”
Again, your real answer may be a bit longer than 30 seconds, but this is a chance to quickly make your pitch about what makes you special. I try to include something personal about myself, such as, where I am from, where I went to school, that I’m married, travel in an RV, love the outdoors and hiking, etc. Then, I tread into humbly “bragging” about myself and highlighting the features about myself professionally that makes me stand out, such as certain areas I specialize in, extra certifications I have, etc. This leads me to my next big interview tip.
BE YOU!
Some of the best advice I can give anyone on a job interview is to just be yourself! Seems obvious and redundant, but seriously…RELAX AND BE YOURSELF. The interview is the first and potentially only impression you may get to make, so how do you want the interviewer to perceive you?
For me, I want my interviewer to know that I’m spirited and energetic, confident in my abilities, and adaptable/coachable. Everyone’s their own person and has different strengths. Thus, prior to an interview, do some true self-reflection on what you bring to the table for a job and try to embody and project those qualities during the interview.
The interviewer has already read through your resume and if you’ve made it to an interview you’re likely qualified enough to get the job. Now it’s just a matter of holding a conversation, thinking on your toes, and answering any questions they may have about you or your experience. You may not have the perfect answer for every question, but as long as you’re HONEST and attempt to answer all questions to the best of your ability, the interviewer will notice the effort.
I’ve been fortunate to have the chance to ask my interviewers later on down the road some things they are looking for during interviews. A very common consensus is truly just whether you’re a good person and whether your personality would fit with the current team. I actually once had an interviewer say “I don’t know, I really just wanted to make sure you were a cool guy.”
The interviewers have already read your resume and know your credentials. That’s how you got the interview. So you must show them a side of yourself and your personality that can’t be displayed on your resume.
BE PREPARED FOR GENERAL CLICHE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
I have not ALWAYS been asked these general “cliché” interview questions, but a majority of the time I have been. Thus, it’s good to have somewhat of a framework of how you’d answer these questions.
Interview questions to be prepared for:
- “Name me a time you had to deal with a difficult patient and how you handled that situation?”
- “Why do you deserve this job over someone else with more experience/more qualified?”
- “What’s your biggest strength and weakness?”
BE PREPARED WITH YOUR OWN QUESTIONS!
Not only are they interviewing you, but it’s also an opportunity for you to conduct your own interview process. It’s just as important for you to be prepared with questions to learn as much as you possibly can about a job prior to accepting the position. Also, the more questions you ask about a job, the more you will be perceived as interested in this position, which may impact the interviewer’s likelihood of offering you the position.
Having as much info about the job as possible will allow you to make a true assessment of whether it’s a good fit for you. Furthermore, when weighing your options between multiple locations/jobs a few key details that are important to you may help make your decision. But you won’t know these details unless you ASK!! Below I’ve broken down some common questions I ask during an interview.
QUESTIONS TO ASK DURING THE INTERVIEW
If given the opportunity, I always start with an open-ended question to allow them to naturally answer many of your questions, such as, “What will an average day look like for me at this job?”
Caseload and schedule type questions:
- What is the average caseload?
- # of evals, # of treatments per day
- How much time do I have for an eval? Treatment?
- What is the general patient population I’ll be treating? (Ortho, neuro, post-op, etc., age range?)
- What is the schedule?
- M-F? Option for working 4 10’s? Weekends? Holidays?
- How many hours per week and are these guaranteed hours? Is Overtime allowed?
At this stage of my travel career, I will never accept a job without guaranteed hrs, the closer to a full 40hrs guaranteed the better!
Orientation questions
- What type of training/orientation is provided?
- Is there a ramp-up period? What does this look like?
Facility questions
- What does the team look like? # therapists, assistants, aides?
- How many of each will I be supervising?
- What equipment is available at the facility for therapy?
- What is the facility size/number of beds? (for acute/inpatient)
- What is the average length of stay (for inpatients)?
EMR/Documentation Questions
- What EMR do you use?
- Will I have my own computer or tablet? Desktop?
- Will someone be able to train me on the documentation system or is there online training?
- Is documentation performed at the point of service or is time allotted for documentation?
Miscellaneous
- What is the dress code?
- What are the productivity standards?
- What is the director/supervisor’s profession?
- Is there any mentorship available?
- Are there any places nearby for lunch? Or cafeteria? Any discount for employees?
- What’s the area like? Are there fun things to do? Restaurants? Hiking?
- I try to look up the surrounding area on Google Maps to have a basic understanding of what’s around the area prior to the interview
- I typically do not discuss pay during the interview since they often make the official pay offer following the interview based on experience level and geographic area and setting norms
- *I always end with- “What else can I tell you about myself? Or “Is there anything else I can tell you about myself to help secure this position?”
To make things easier on you, click below to download either a printable Word and/or PDF Job Interview Question Checklist!
GOOD LUCK!! YOU’VE GOT THIS!!
Like I said before, as a traveler you will get well-versed in the job interview process. Armed with these tips, you will feel more prepared, come off as more confident and competent, and more likely to secure that travel job you’re looking for!
If you have any questions about the job interview process that were not answered in this post, please feel free to reach out and Contact Us. Or if you have any tips of your own to add to the list please comment below!