Before you can start working as a massage therapist, you have to perform a massage interview to get the job, and interviewing for a massage position is quite different than most other interview processes. For many massage therapists, the first job they hold directly out of massage school is for a chiropractor, or a spa / salon owner instead of working as an independent contractor, and it's important to know what to ask in order to accept the right position. Understanding if you will work as an employee or an independent contractor - especially when a massage therapist is beginning his or her practice - is helpful when deciding where to work.

Why You Need a Resume and Cover Letter When Interviewing for a Massage Position

While you will not be sitting at a desk or crunching numbers, you do need to prepare a resume and cover letter for your anticipated massage interview. Even though it is a non-traditional environment, your employer will want to see that you are a professional massage therapist who can represent himself or herself adequately, and a well-written cover letter can show that you have good communication skills - an invaluable asset when working with a diverse set of clients. Be sure to include information about your school, your modalities, and your intended certifications - the more a potential employer knows about you and your specific interests, the more you will stand apart from the rest of the crowd and the higher the likelihood that you will soon be interviewing for the massage position.

Coming in for a Massage Interview

When you receive a call to come in for an interview, prepare to actually give a massage. This might surprise some applicants, but you are interviewing for a massage position, and your employer wants to know what you can do and what your style is like. Because you want to be comfortable while giving the massage, be sure to wear an appropriate outfit for both a massage and an in-person interview. Often, clean, long black yoga pants and a collared shirt will do just fine. Unlike most interviews where applicants are expected to wear slacks and a button-down shirt, your potential employer will expect a massage therapist to be dressed for the test massage. Just to be sure, when you schedule the massage interview, ask over the phone what would be appropriate attire. Additionally, it is always a good idea to arrive at the massage interview fully prepared – a massage therapist should bring supplies to the interview such as sheets, and lotion or oil. While the interviewer will likely have these supplies on hand, it is always a good idea to be in control of the session by being fully prepared.

When interviewing for a massage position, depending on the size of the business, a human resources person or the owner will likely be the first person to sit down with you for a few moments and talk with you about your education and experience. During the massage interview, be prepared to talk about what you learned in school, what your strongest and weakest modalities are, what you envision for yourself as a massage therapist, and about your previous experience with clients. Then you will give a test massage, either an abbreviated (30 minutes or less) or standard (one hour) massage, showing your abilities to give Swedish and deep tissue massage. Interviewing for a massage position sometimes, but not often, involves you being asked to display competence in additional modalities that you have listed on your resume such as hot stone therapy, or sports massage.

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