Saturday, April 14, 2012

Summer/Fall jobs and "dancing in the Twilight Zone"



Many of you are asking about work for the upcoming school year and for the summer. This time of year is a recruiter's "Twilight Zone".  The schools are working on budgets, waiting to see who will turn in a resignation and who will return next year, trying to find district hires and trying like the dickens not to use a contract service!  We see this happen every year; and typically, if you are already working in a school system and are interested in returning as a contractor, you will usually be asked to return, but they won't commit until nearer to the end of the school year, and sometimes not even until close to the start of the new year.

New grads are especially anxious and, unfortunately, the story for you is similar to the one above.  We do get, and already have, some positions for the upcoming school year, but limitations for your placement will also add the need for a supervisor if you are an SLP, so sometimes our first orders will be for SLP/ccc.  New grad OT's don't have the issue of a required supervisor, but are usually more comfortable in a situation where there is team  with which to collaborate.  Most of the positions that are already in for schools are either in very large districts that can anticipate their upcoming needs or in those "out of the way" locations that always have trouble finding help. 

I addressed the "SLP grads looking for work in a medical setting" issue and how difficult that can be through a contract service in: http://specialeddishin.blogspot.com/2011/01/speech-language-pathology-as-career.html
For those of you who ARE interested in a medical setting, I need to let you know how that "dance" works.  Most skilled nursing facilities, hospitals and clinics submit their needs to several contract services (and by "several" I mean over 100...really), and whichever service finds the "right fit" first wins!  Most of these facilities do not want to consider a candidate any more than a month away from their start date.  So, if your last day of work is mid-June, they will not want to see your resume until mid-May.  An "already licensed in that state" status would put you ahead of the line.

Summer work is rare for SLP's...maybe a little more abundant for OT's. Your flexibility in settings, locations and times opens more windows of opportunity than someone who is available for only 6 weeks, only in an outpatient setting and only 10 miles from their home....;-}!  And, think about it; the SLP's working in schools are all cut loose about the same time looking for summer work.  Make sense?  And then, of course, if you're interested in moving to another state for a position, licensure is always an issue.  We'll help you with that if we can, and as always, will reimburse you for that expense if you take a placement through our service in that state.

I hope this wasn't all-bad-news-all-the-time, but just want to give you an honest view from what I see from my side of the desk!  Anyway, feel free to call me (866-874-7390) with your requests, concerns or questions and I will address them as well as I am able.
Hope you are all looking forward to the end of the school year or your upcoming graduation and that it isn't too crazy for you!