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Posted on: October 16, 2013

“The early bird catches the worm.”

As a universal truth, the above-quoted truism holds equal truth for massage therapy as it does to all other endeavors. Prevailing conditions of cutthroat competition and economic turbulence in today's job market make gaining a competitive edge by getting a good head start crucial to any quest for career success.

Despite this, another adage that advises, "If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there" also holds major sway. As such, the following list reveals the best steps to take in the proper order to stay the course for your entire trip by avoiding detours along the way.

• Identification

Make a list of your desired job title(s), work setting(s), geographical locations, and salary range(s). Consistently apply all its indicated criteria by focusing solely on eligible options. That way, you won't waste precious time and energy on unworkable options.

• Preparation

Next, equip yourself with all the necessary tools to pave your path and conquer barriers before they even appear. The American Massage Therapy Association (“AMTA”) website has a “Career Guidance” page at http://www.amtamassage.org/career_guidance/type/4.

It is a “must view” and veritable treasure trove of valuable content such as resume writing, employer selection, a Career Options Overview, and an online Massage Therapist Career Path Assessment.

• Exploitation

In job hunting contexts, “exploitation” has positive productive connotations that merely mean fully availing yourself of every possible job lead source. Neighbors, former high school classmates, massage therapy instructors, fellow members of organizations and/or associations like churches, and civic groups all have great potential.

AMTA's Job Bank website at http://www.amtamassage.org/pages/jobbank/default.aspx is another good resource. Zip code entry on the home page is all it takes for instant review of massage therapy job openings within a 100-mile radius. You may also sign up for automated job posting alerts and/or post your resume via the site.

• Cultivation

Amidst exhaustive efforts to exploit exiting resources, do not forget to create and locate new ones. “Networking” is the name of this game. Take advantage of opportunities to participate in school functions, attend local AMTA chapter meetings, and strategic volunteer work at potential future employers.

If you follow the foregoing formula, you cannot go wrong. Take its blended approach by integrating a broad range of ingredients intp your overall plan of attack. It is the only way to fly clouds above the rest into – and within – the sunny skies of massage therapy success.

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