Resources for Landing the Job: How do I Market Myself after Massage Therapy School?

Opportunities abound for certified massage therapists in fitness clubs, doctors’ offices, massage clinics, and in hotels and upscale spa retreats. Unlike other kinds of schools, massage therapy schools often provide job placement guidance services for students. This means that new massage therapists rarely have to pour over online job boards, bang on doors, or go to networking events. Landing a job is relatively simple.

Employers contact massage training programs to hire students and recent graduates. Your program, depending on which one you choose, will then provide you with employers’ contact information through a hard copy list of job openings, a bulletin board, or online career centers. Many schools even prefer to take an individual approach and assist their students on a case-by-case method.

“We provide lifetime job placement services for all our students,” said Raquel Rodriguez, senior admissions representative at the National Holistic Institute in Emeryville. “So our students’ primary source for networking is ‘us’.” For example, the National Holistic Institute just placed someone in a CMT position in Costa Rica, but as Ms. Rodriguez is quick to mention, students at the National Holistic Institute go “absolutely everywhere.”

At smaller schools without a career services department, there are still plenty of ways for students to approach the job search independently. . Talk to your peers, family, and friends about your career goals and don’t be too shy to ask for contacts and job leads. Make a list of your top five employers and write them a friendly letter of introduction with details about your experience.

The American Bodywork and Massage Professionals has also published a helpful booklet Thinking About Career Options , which is solid resource to consider.