I have heard about the burnout being after about 5 to 6 years, although you honestly have to realize that some people just decide its either:
-not for them
-didn't like it
-did not take care of themselves -had a bad attitude about it
-changed careers..etc
that being said, I think that yes, there are some fields were women get more work, like the spas and massage centers(massage envy/zen massage/elements therapeutic etc) but there are places for men to shine like sports massage, clinical/chiropractic settings,chair massage,house call clients.
You have to be realistic and know it takes time at first to get your name out there and folks to know you. And yes some places prefer experienced, yet if you look around there are places that take new therapists so it goes both ways.
In all honesty, i believe anyone in pretty much any field starting out has difficulty of some sort in this economy...
that being said, i would be dishonest to say i did not have challenges not having much experience. All i can say is that im learning in this field as a massage therapist, you have to find your niche,and you have to be persistent and look around for work.
There is work out there, it took me some time to find a part time job and now im gaining experience and hoping that in the near future i will have the experience to get into this field full time.
Ive found lots of clinical job postings locally, so id recommend a chiropractor clinic/pip clinic/chair massage as good avenues for a male lmt. Ive found success in spanish speaking clinics which require a bilingual therapist myself being of latino descent and bilingual.
So yes, it was a challenge at first, yet i think i made it more of a challenge than it honestly was by worrying about my being a man in this field it caused me lack of confidence in myself for some time.
Dec 30, 2009 Rating
re by: Cy
I'll try to be more specific....
Are most places willing to hire new graduates?
Do most places prefer to hire men over women? or women over men?
If working at an establishment, what's the starting pay for a new hire? $15? $35 per hour?
What's a realistic monthly earning for a full time position? 3K? 4K?
How frequent do you encounter some form of harassment?
What is the most frustrating part about being a massage therapist?
I want to make sure it's worth the time and money for me to do this. I want to have realistic expectations about wage and job prospect.
Oh and Benefits are definitely desirable....
Thanks!
Dec 30, 2009 Rating
Legit Question by: Sean
OK Cy,
Your question(s) is legit for sure.
However, to get a good answer(s), you'll need to define what you mean.
What do you define as a decent paying job? Looks like you are thinking about working in California. What is decent paying in my home state of Florida, may not be decent in California. Give us some numbers and what type of job position you are thinking about (FT, PT or Independent Contractor). Some people just want money. Others want a mix of money and benefits.
Next: Define what you mean by "easy or difficult it will be for a new graduate to find...."
Are you talking time-wise for a job search, or how tough an interview might go with a potential female employer?
Give us some specs, and I'm sure you will get a few good answers.
