Resume Help - Going for 1st Massage Job/Career Change

[farzin33far]

Hey there fellow therapists. Help me!

I am 46, and newly board certified and state licensed. This is a major career change for me as all previous jobs were retail management or administrative/customer service positions. I have no working experience in massage. I know HOW to build a resume and have a good last career one but completely freaked about HOW to re-create it into my new massage resume.

My buisness course in school was worthless and the Business Mastery book has one page about resumes that is equally as helpful-not. I have no idea what a massage therapist resume should even look like.

What should I include, what should I leave out about my past work history. How can I make me massage therapist resume scream PICK ME even though I have no working experience??? My goal is to find anyplace that will hire me with decent treatment in order to figure out long term goals. I just wanna get started somewhere.

Can anyone take pity on me and perhaps send me a copy of their resume so I can take a peek? I already did an archive search and found lots of help with cover letters, but no sample resumes for my situation.

Thanks in advance for any advice. It is very much appreciated.

 

[Pompal 09.]

Scarlett,
I will try to provide you with some info.
Although I don't know that my resumes for massage therapy have ever gotten me a job... LOL
We were required to do a skills resume at the end of massage therapy school, in our business class, so that we could use it to find employment.
Most people looking for a massage therapist are going to read your resume and right away notice that you don't have a whole lot of experience in the massage industry if you have recently graduated.
What you need to do therefore, is show them how your previous job skills can be beneficial to you now as a massage therapist. Describe the MT skills you used in school clinic and how that will benefit them or their patients/clients. It can also be further tailored to spa or medical type work depending on your preference.

Here are a few threads that may help:

Resume - career change:
http://www.massageplanet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=635

Massage School - Business Class:
http://www.massageplanet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=340

Resumes:
http://www.massageplanet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=652

I'd also suggest having a few people look it over for typos and other errors before printing it up.

 

[Arizona Knight Wolf]

Resume Help - Going for 1st Massage Job/Career Change

I have no working experience in massage.

While you don't have any working experience in massage, you do have valuable work experience. People hiring therapists look for the same qualities as any other employer. They are looking at things like stability (do you stay at one job for a long time or move around frequently) leadership, can work well with others, etc......... They will look at your education, not just massage school but do you have a well-rounded education.

If your school had any type of intership or student clinic, make sure you list that at the top of the employment section on your resume. It may not have been a paying job, but it is work experience.

I have no idea what a massage therapist resume should even look like.

It looks like any other resume. Well written, no typos or mis-spellings, concise, easy to read.

Most people hiring therapists get more from the interview process (which may include you giving them a sample massage) than from the resume. The resume will simply give them the basics.

Good luck!
Angie

 

[Kasey]

I agree that employers will be quite impressed with your skills already developed in your "former life" and that you will do just fine building your updated resume. One thing that I am sure to include in my resume is a "relevant course work" section. This will display the specific classes you took in massage school that will benefit your new employer. Also, most employers will ask for a demo massage - - then your skills will truly shine! Good luck!