In this episode of Travel Therapy Career Cast, Onward Healthcare’s Senior Recruitment Manager gives excellent advice and insight regarding the travel therapist interview process.
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Hillary: Welcome, everyone, to the fourth episode of the Travel Therapy Career Cast. I’m your host, Hilary O’Keefe and, once again, we are in Wilton, Connecticut at the Onward Healthcare headquarters where I am speaking with Barbara Johnson., senior recruitment manager for Onward Healthcare.
How are you today, Barbara?
Barbara: Doing well. Thank you.
Hillary: Very good. In our last episode, we covered what it’s like to work with a travel therapy recruiter to find a job. Today, we are going to discuss the best ways to ace your interview once you and your recruiter find a great opportunity for you to pursue. So, before we get into the interview techniques and tips for success, let’s talk about what our listeners should expect. Are most travel therapy interviews conducted over the phone?
Barbara: Yes, actually they are. The reason for that is, well, due to the very nature of travel, due to location differences. Say there’s a therapist that wants a job in California who lives in New York City; clearly, they’re not going to have the time to travel out like a permanent position. These are desperate needs; they need somebody right away and they need somebody to start soon so they do it over the phone.
Hillary: So, you can’t be jumping all over the country for these?
Barbara: No, you can’t.
Hillary: How does the phone interview get setup? Is this something that is completely on your end or do the travel therapists need to initiate the process?
Barbara: It does vary. Some facilities prefer setting the actual times themselves and sometimes we get call-in information, where the therapist can actually call the managers or directors to speak with them at their leisure, when they have a moment to do so.
Hillary: So, when the interview process starts, is there a phone screen first, or does it cut right to the chase and get into the real interview?
Barbara Yes. Actually, the real interview starts right away. You just have to be prepared beforehand to ask questions, answer questions, things of that nature. You want to be ready to get the name and the number of the manager who calls you as well as an email address for follow up just in case you get disconnected or something like that. So, everything needs to be -- get ready to go because when it happens, it’s going to happen.
Hillary: This is also an opportunity for the travel therapist to interview the interviewer, so to speak, right?
Barbara: Yes. Think about is as a chance for you to interview your potential employer. Just as much as they’re seeing if you’re a good fit, you’re checking to see if they’re a fit for you. You don’t want to go somewhere that isn’t going to work out.
Hillary: Very important.
Barbara: So, you want to ask about the culture, the organization, patient population, what the expectations are? Now is a great time to ask about all of those things; get the information upfront.
Hillary: Let’s go back and talk about before the call even starts, how do I want to prepare myself and, of course, my immediate environment to ensure a really successful call?
Barbara Well, first and foremost, you want to make sure that your voicemail message is appropriate and professional, just in case you miss the call. There are a lot of nifty things out now with the callback songs and things like that. You might want to stay clear from some of the songs.
Hillary: Not the best impression.
Barbara: No, correct. First and foremost, make sure your voicemail is appropriate and professional. Make sure you have uninterrupted quiet for at least ten to fifteen minutes. That way, you’re not distracted. You can answer the questions appropriately. You can engage in the conversation. Remember that managers are people, too, and they understand that things happen; calls can be cut loose, things like that. But, just do everything that you can to avoid those situations. Make sure you have a pen and paper handy – a working pen and paper handy.
Hillary: Oh, yes.
Barbara: As well as some water just in case you get a little bit of a catch in your throat. You don’t want to start coughing, choking. Have that available for yourself as well.
Hillary: Speaking of 10-15 minutes of uninterrupted time, how long do these calls usually last?
Barbara: We’ve had 5 minutes but I would say 10-20 minutes is an appropriate time for this. You have a lot of these managers are actually treating managers which means they take care of patients as well. So, they’re going to be calling you when they get a moment to call and talk with you. That doesn’t mean you should feel rushed but it isn’t in a certain frame of time.
Hillary: Are there standard questions that the travel therapist should be prepared to answer during the interview?
Barbara: Yes, absolutely, their clinical experience, of course, talking about what they’ve done in the past, what they’re looking forward to doing in the future as well, what their plans and goals are, what’s important to them.
Start date is very important because, like I said, with travel, they need somebody to come cover patients for immediate needs. So, they need to know when they can come, when are they going to be able to show up.
Have you traveled before? Sometimes therapists are asked this by the facilities because they just want to know if they’re comfortable with the idea of travel.
Your experience with different charting and billing systems. There are a lot of different computer systems out there. So, you might need to be able to answer questions about that.
Hillary: Very good. Now you mentioned immediate needs. So, let’s talk about competition for a minute. How much competition is there for a typical travel therapy opening and what kind of tips and advice do you recommend for me, if I’m interviewing, as a great way to standout from the rest of the competition?
Barbara: It is very competitive. There are a lot of people that are interested in travel. The money is great. Being able to see different locations, it’s very exciting. So, there is a lot of competition. However, if you’re very professional, you’re clear, you’re concise, and you follow the tips that we’ve already discussed, that is a way for you to standout. No callback songs, professional voicemails, asking questions as well, interviewing the interviewer, if you will, and a ‘thank you’ email. That’s why we ask for the email.
Hillary: Very important.
Barbara: Follow up with the DoR. By DoR, I mean Director of Rehab. Follow up with managers who talk with you. Send them a ‘thank you’ letter, thank them for their time. Their time is very valuable, and if they recognize that you see that, they’re more likely to call you back.
Hillary: Once the call is over, what is the next step I should take if I really, really want that job?
Barbara: Express your interest before the call is over. At the end of the call, express your interest. Tell them, “I’m very interested in this position.” Show your enthusiasm. Let them know that if they do decide to move forward and offer you the position that you are willing to take it because that’s very important. They want to make sure that you’re on board.
Hillary: Is that something that you wait to do until the call is over or is that something you want to inject into the conversation while you’re on the call?
Barbara: At the end of the call.
Hillary: At the end of the call.
Barbara: I would wait until the interview is over because this will show that you have actually an informed decision. If you call right away and say, “Yes, give me the job,” they haven’t even told you about the job, so it might be a little bit odd.
Hillary: Right.
Barbara: But, you know, discuss the location and the facility. You can tell them you’re interested in the location, “I really want to go to this location. I’d love to hear more about your facility,” and then take the interview.
Hillary: It makes more sense.
Barbara: And then, after that, let them know you really want the job.
Hillary: Is there anything that we didn’t cover so far that you want to make sure the listeners know about?
Barbara: No, I don’t think so. It’s just a matter of taking out and not interrupting. That’s actually kind of a big deal.
Hillary: That sounds like good for any interview, actually. Don’t interrupt.
Barbara: Yes. Don’t interrupt. Let them finish what they’re saying. But, other than that, no. If you just follow these simple tips and simple steps, it works out very well.
Hillary: Great. These are excellent points about making a good impression and being prepared, interviewing the interviewer. Thank you so much for talking to me about this today. Are there any hot jobs?
Barbara: Actually, there are. There are several hot jobs right now. I’d say the hottest jobs right now in the country we have an occupational therapy position in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Get out of the snow, if you will, for this time of the year.
Hillary: There you go.
Barbara: St. Petersburg, Florida for a physical therapist. Same thing.
Hillary: Not bad.
Barbara: Hang out by the beach while everyone else is freezing, or you can go to Newport, Vermont, go skiing.
Hillary: There you go.
Barbara: You have some different options right now.
Hillary: Great. Thanks so much for talking with me today for the Travel Therapy Career Cast, Barb.
Barbara: Wonderful. Thanks for having me.
Thank you for tuning into Travel Therapy Career Cast. For more information on beginning an exciting career as a travel therapist, you should visit Onward Healthcare at www.OnwardHealthcare.com or call 1-800-278-0332 to speak with one of our experienced recruiters.
You should also follow Onward Healthcare on Twitter at Twitter.com/OnwardHealth and fan them on Facebook at Facebook.com/TravelNursing.
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