The Importance of Your First Contract
Are you thinking about making the leap to travel therapy, or have already begun the process? Your first contract shapes your views of travel therapy and can mold your travel therapy career. The thought of your first travel contract can be a scary, daunting one, we know, but it doesn’t have to be. We hope with some of our suggestions below, curated from our own mistakes, triumphs and hiccups you can make the leap to a successful travel career.
Your Recruiter
Finding the right recruiter for you is the single most important decision you’ll make in your first assignment. They’ll be the ones fighting on your behalf and they are your guiding eyes into travel therapy. We made mistakes with this originally and found ourselves in sticky situations with recruiters we simply.. didn’t vibe with. We ended up breaking apart from that recruiter before we even signed an official contract and were forced to start from the beginning because we had put all our eggs into one basket.
Flash forward, we begin working with another recruiter who finds us direct jobs and was with us every step of the way, answered all our questions honestly, and had a direct and consistent relationship with the job we were filling. She answered her phone night and day when we had pressing or not-so-pressing questions alike. She guided us through the leap, and we are forever grateful. Since that first contract, we have taken multiple contracts with this recruiter and have no regrets. She is one of our preferred recruiters (a very short list we compiled for you from years of traveling and speaking with dozens of recruiters and companies).
Our First Contract
I’ll be totally honest here- our first contract was a smashing success. We loved them, they loved us and we extended to be there over 7 months when we originally were only intending for 4. Our first day we showed up and a PT working there who used to be a traveler said “this is an amazing first contract, and possibly the best travel contract you’ll find”. It really set the tone for our success with this contract. That doesn’t mean we haven’t made mistakes or had to terminate contracts since, so we understand the good and the bad assignments.
Prior to traveling, I was solely a pediatric OT. I had worked in a school and outpatient pediatric settings since passing my NBCOT in 2019. The thought of an unfamiliar setting made me feel uneasy and nervous, and working with adults was truly the furthest thing from my mind as I went through school. So, for my first assignment, I decided to take what I considered a “smaller leap” and work in home health- a setting I had completed a level II fieldwork in, and had watched Tyler work in for years. I knew his stories of patients, I recalled my 12 weeks as a student in this setting, and I knew that the idea of assisting patients in their most natural environments was something I believed in.
If you’re scared to take the leap to a new setting consider this:
There are plenty of travel jobs in just about every setting- you can start with whatever you’re most comfortable in
If you want to make a small change, try a setting you completed fieldwork in
Choose a setting that has other therapists around- supportive ones at that!
Try to find direct jobs with your recruiter. These often have previous therapists that have traveled there that you can speak with, and the recruiter typically has a stronger relationship with this job to advocate on your behalf
It might be easy to see dollar signs and sign the highest paying contract that is presented to you. As we know, the financial gain is large reason people travel (hi, it’s me!). However, I’d urge for your first contract that you try and truly find the job that you feel you are well aligned with, and will be supported at. Our first contract interviewers gave us their email and phone numbers and were available for additional questions following our interview, which we really appreciated. They followed up with us and let us know the team was excited to meet us and even helped us secure housing in the area after we signed our contracts. In our interactions, you could tell they were genuinely excited to have us, not just a body with a license, on their team. All in all, it’s so easy to follow the money, and high paying jobs will always be available to you as a traveler, but your first contract which sets the tone for you, won’t be.
Your first contract will give you many things. There’s a lot of learning that can be done not only in the 13 weeks of contract, but in the preparation prior. Learning the intricate details of travel can be overwhelming, but don’t let this overshadow the importance of your first interview and contract. Often when you arrive on contract you are filling a position in a high need facility or area, and will be expected to be able to hit the ground running. This will teach you confidence, will test your boundaries and teach you how to be a better advocate for yourself and your patients. You’ll start to develop a feel for what environments areas and settings you work best in (ex: large trauma centers in big cities vs small outpatient or home health clinics in rural areas) and who you were meant to serve. You’ll always come out a better clinician than when you started. Most importantly, you’ll learn from and be impacted by patients, no matter what you choose.
Overall, your first contract is arguably your most important contract. Choose wisely, and if it isn’t a good fit, please don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself. There is always another job out there waiting for you to fall in love with.
PSA- I can’t end this blog without a shoutout. Our first assignment boss was seriously the best and most supportive human being (We were on our first assignment AND planning our wedding with bachelor/bachelorette parties, bridal showers, dress fittings all the way across the country, we caught COVID (You name it and we tested the boundary). She still keeps up with us and frequently likes or comments on my videos so April if you’re reading this, thank you. We wouldn’t be here as successful travel therapists, without you. Truly to the entire team- give your love, and tell Seth he was right. It was an amazing travel contract we will never forget.
