Well, it's here; the time of the year when the Special Ed Directors look at their roster and know that they are still coming up short for SLP's and OT's. We've even seen a few full time PT spots for schools so far this year. If you fit into one of those categories, you can be assured of employment. HOWEVER......if you want to be 10 miles from your home, ask for $75 an hour and only want to work with elementary students, your choices go down considerably!
I spoke with a hiring manager in Iowa this afternoon who told me that his state is overrun with Speech Pathologists because the funding is tight and all they could do was lay off people and increase the caseloads for those remaining; Texas has run out of federal stimulus funds and many districts are letting go all their contract therapists and offering early retirements to their veteran employees; North Carolina has held out until almost the last minute and is hinting that they may need Occupational and....just maybe.....SLP's. They have also mandated that we reduce our bill rate by as much as $5.00 per hour.
What does all this mean for you job seekers? Well, you may have to expand your location preference; if it works for your life-style, you may want to consider a travel position (see my January, 2011 post). It may mean that you won't have a commitment for employment until after schools are already in session. It might even mean that you need to compromise a little on your salary requirements. Argh, the pain is hitting all of us!
We in the recruiting business have danced this dance for several years, knowing that the schools will eventually be in so much pain that they will get approval from the "holders of the purse strings" and call us for help. BUT...in the meanwhile....all of you are getting nervous about finding work. Take heart and know that the jobs will come; it's just taking a little longer this year.
