What is a "traveler"?

Questions about "traveling jobs"

Q.    Which fields most commonly are requested as "travelers"?

A.      Generally, most requests are for therapists; occupational, physical and speech.  However, in school settings, I have had requests for sign language interpreters, deaf educators, educational diagnosticians, psychologists,  and a few special ed teachers (usually requesting a specific certification such as visually impaired (VI), learning disabilities (LD) or orientation & mobility (O & M).  The demand for bilingual professionals is very much on the increase.

Q.    What is is the difference between a "traveler" and a "contractor"?

      A.    A “contractor” is usually someone who lives under 50 miles of a client, but is paid hourly  through a staffing service.   A “traveler,” is also paid hourly, but lives out of the area and temporarily moves near the location of the assignment for the duration of the contract.  This scenario will usually qualify him/her for tax-free housing and per diems to offset the expenses associated with living out of town while maintaining a residence back home.   Contractors, because they are near enough to commute from their home, do not have these additional expenses and would not be eligible for the tax-free per diem or housing.

   

Q.    Why would being a traveler or contractor be advantageous as compared to a permanent job?

A.    Travel or Contract placement can be preferable for a therapist/special ed professional in several situations.  For one, pay is usually higher when working through a contract service.  If you are traveling in a state or city away from your permanent address, your take-home pay will be greater because of your eligibility for tax-free monies in your pay package.  Traveling/contracting is also ideal if you are looking to explore new areas of the country for a while.
   

Advantages of permanent placement could include opportunities for professional advancement – a permanent employee will generally be offered promotions, choice of locations and  caseloads ahead of a contractor.   Also, benefits may be better (but not necessarily so) in a permanent environment.  Generally school districts have excellent benefits; and although the pay is much lower for district employees vs. contracting, candidates with a family may find that the better benefits package outweighs the lower annual salary.

Q.    What types of contract/travel assignments are available and how long is a typical contract?

A.    Most are with school districts, private therapy companies, skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, outpatient clinics.  My company has also initiated a new division (Vocovision), which offers teletherapy for speech and some sign language situations.  They are working on a model to include some aspects of Occupational Therapy in the near future.  Most school districts are looking for a full school-year commitment, but sometimes will have needs for a shorter duration to cover maternity leaves, unexpected hikes in caseloads or an unexpected resignation.  Hospitals and clinics are often looking for maternity leaves or coverage while they search for a permanent candidate.  Those assignments are generally 13 weeks, but always have the potential to extend. 
  

Q.    Will I be able to find an assignment anywhere in the exact area that I want?

A.    We certainly try to accommodate your location requirements, but can't always find the exact location with your desired setting and schedule.  Many large metropolitan cities will not consider travelers from out of state because of their large PRN pools locally.  Also states that have several universities with programs of your expertise generally don't need the assistance of an outside service, as the new grads are knocking on their front door!  If you are open to working one or two hours outside the major city of your choice, your chances of landing an assignment close to where you want to be will improve drastically.   No matter, your recruiter will always try to find you an assignment regardless of the market conditions. 

Q.    How do I decide on an assignment?

A.    Once your recruiter has found a client interested in your background, a telephone interview will be set up and conducted.  If you and the client continue to be interested, you let your recruiter know and you'll be on your way!

Q.    What procedure follow after I sign a contract for an assignment?

A.    Your recruiter will help you fill out prescreening forms, and guide you through the enrollment/credentialing process.  You will receive a contract and be instructed on where and how to get your fingerprints done and any tests that need to be taken (CPR, TB, etc.)  You will become an employee of the staffing service and will be issued a W-2 each January for tax purposes.  That staffing service will conduct a background check, drug screen and FBI fingerprint check on you.

Q.    Will there be any assistance in obtaining licenses and certifications?

A.    Your recruiter can provide you with links to sites with updated licensure/certification  information and there is assistance on our website (www.soliant.com).   Each state has different rules, regulations and costs involved in licensure.  Most require transcripts for new grads and verification of licensure from other states where you currently or previously hold  a license, as well as verification from your national professional licensing organization (FSBPT, ASHA, NBCOT) that you have passed the national board exam in your discipline.  Licensure is sometimes available by reciprocity (but is rare) if you have been licensed for a certain number of years in another state.

     Q.    Will I be offered a benefit package and what might those include?

A.    Most staffing services offer a benefit package, as you will be an employee as long as you are working your contract. Most will offer a medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance.  My company also extends benefits for school contractors over the summer if you commit to a contract for the following school year.  In addition, reimbursement for moving costs, licensure reimbursement, CEU allowances, as well as a matching 401K, weekly paychecks and direct deposit are also available. 

Q.    Does a staffing company cover air fare and/or rental cars?

A.     There are some circumstances where air fare and/or a rental car may be a part of your pay package, but that is rare.  Generally, it is recommended that you drive to your assignment so you have your own car to use during the assignment.  The cost of your trip to the assignment will be reimbursed by the employer after the start of the assignment up to a designated cap based on the length of the assignment. 

Q.    Will the staffing company set up and pay for housing?

A.    Most staffing services will include tax-free compensation for you and encourage you to find your own housing.  This means you will receive a weekly portion of your pay (tax free) that is to be used for your housing.  Most travelers regard this as a better system to that of providing housing because you can choose how much to spend and where to live rather than having us decide for you.  However, if you prefer, we do have a housing department that can set up your housing for you.

Q.    What is tax-free “per diem” and who is eligible?

A.    Tax-Free per diem is an allowance defined by the IRS as money that can be paid to you (tax-free) to cover living expenses incurred during the assignment. Candidates living away from their permanent residence (defined as where you are currently paying rent or mortgage) are eligible for per diem.  Your permanent residence must be a minimum of 50 miles away from your assignment.  The spirit of this allowance is to eliminate duplicate taxation of any expenses affiliated with work that would not be necessary were you living at home.

Q.    What type of compensation package should I expect?

A.    Compensation is quite competitive.   Exact pay will differ based on location and the bill rate we negotiate with the client.  It is always a good idea to discuss this with your recruiter on the front end of your relationship so as to not waste your time, the clients' or the recruiter.  There are some pay expectations that cannot be met no matter how great one's negotiating expertise! You will know exactly what rate is being offered before you are asked to commit to the client.

Q.    How are taxes handled?

A.    Contractors are W-2 employees and taxes are withheld from each paycheck based on exemptions selected during the enrollment period.   If you are eligible to be a "traveler", your tax bracket will be considerably less than a permanent employee because your per diem is not taxed and is not required to be reported to the IRS.

Q.    What type of support is provided if I have a clinical or administrative problem?

A.    This is where your choice of recruiters becomes crucial.  You will want to work with someone who is conscientious, follows up and follows through, returns your phone calls and works with you when a problem arises. 

I'll write more on choosing a compatible recruiter in the near future. 

Speech Language Pathology as a career

If you are considering a career as a Speech Language Pathologist, let me be the first to congratulate and encourage you!  You have chosen a profession that is very much respected, in great demand and is very rewarding.

I would, though, like to share some of the feedback that I, as a recruiter,  have heard about a few pitfalls that occur as you follow the path to reach that ultimate goal.

1.  Universities fail to tell you that your bachelor's degree in Speech Pathology will reap you very few opportunities in the field.  I take at least one call each month with an unemployed,  frustrated SLPA on the other end.

2.  Your graduating class could have 200+ walking with you to receive that paper representing your four very hard years of work.  However, your university's master's program is accepting only 25 of you! 

3.  Some master's programs require that you have a job as an SLPA as a prerequisite to acceptance, but very few facilities/schools will hire SLPA's.  (Which comes first the chicken or the egg?!!!!)

4.  After you have been accepted and completed your master's program, you then must find employment that provides a bona fide supervisor for your nine months of a clinical fellowship year.  This usually isn't an issue if you are working in a school setting.  However, if you are dead-set on a medical setting, you will find that very few facilities are willing to hire a new grad.  Some are lacking the proper supervision, some don't have time to mentor a new grad, as they are tied to productivity levels, and some won't risk a new grad handling swallowing issues.  Your university also doesn't give you a "head's up" about this snag.

5.  If you do find a medical facility (especially if it is a skilled nursing facility), you may find that your assigned supervisor is difficult to keep up with and you may find yourself having to hunt him or her down to get the proper documentation to submit to ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association).  The supervisor will have their own caseload and are sometimes in a different location from your work site.

Having said all of that, I can tell you that once you finish jumping through all the hoops, you are golden!  The job market is plush and you will be compensated fairly, be it as a permanent employee or as a contract or traveling therapist.

Sign Language Interpreters

It seems that I get a fair amount of interest in the profession of sign language interpreting.  I am even giving it some thought as a good second career when I get closer (and that time is nipping at my heels) to retirement.  Some of the advantages that I have gathered are:

1.  Once I hit age 62, my community college allows me free tuition.
2.  It is something that won't require a great deal of physical exertion.
3.  It would allow for a very flexible schedule.
4.  The possibilities seem to be endless for varied avenues to use such a skill (medical field, plays, churches, cruises, meetings, legal venues; it seems to be endless).
5.  I'll be able to talk about people and they won't know what I'm saying...;-}  How cool is that?!

There is a great deal of variance as to levels of training, certifications, venues of employment and the pay scale in the different categories.  A bit of a deterrent for me is that beginning in 2012, to qualify for certification status, one must have a bachelors's degree, which I don't.  There's a good bit of info on deafness.about.com.