How to Choose the Right Travel Physical Therapy Recruiter: A Blueprint
Navigating the world of travel therapy jobs, recruiters, and agencies can be an exciting, yet daunting experience.
The job search is completely different from the staff PT job search. It’s not as simple as finding a job in your preferred setting at a clinic/hospital with a good reputation in a city you’re already familiar with.
During the travel therapy job search, you’ll be working with 2-3 recruiters (if you’re doing it right 😉) from different travel therapy agencies to land a contract that meets your specific wants and needs.
Each of your recruiters will have access to hundreds of jobs, most of which you’ll know next to nothing about, aside from:
the city/state
the setting (e.g. outpatient vs inpatient vs home health)
an estimated weekly pay-rate
Your experience and success in the travel PT world largely depends on finding the right travel therapy recruiter who understands your unique needs, preferences, and career aspirations.
So… how do you select the right travel physical therapy recruiter?
I know – you’ve googled it already and you’re completely overwhelmed just looking at all the travel therapy agencies/companies out there!
This detailed guide is here to help you tune out the noise and get started with the right travel PT recruiter from the get-go!
Cheesin’ next to some of my favorite Travel Therapy Recruiters at Traveler’s Conference — a conference for healthcare travelers held in Vegas each September.
Why Finding a Great Travel Therapy Recruiter is Essential
The role of a travel therapy recruiter is more than just connecting you with the right job opportunities.
They’re responsible for helping you land your dream job, but they’re also your go-to person during your travel therapy contracts.
If sh*t hits the fan (with your caseload expectations, management, unethical situations), your recruiter is your main point of contact. Are they going to have your back? You better hope so!
Why having a great travel therapy recruiter matters:
1. Personalized job search & guidance
Your travel therapy recruiter will provide job lists personalized to your career goals, preferences, and needs.
This is why we recommend working with a recruiter who will get to know you on a personal level.
When I let my recruiters know that I’m searching for a job, they know exactly what I’m looking for, because they know ME.
My recruiters know that I’m primarily interested in:
Hospital outpatient jobs (with 1-on-1 care only) or inpatient rehab jobs
$2,000+ weekly take-home pay
Travel PT contracts on the West Coast or Colorado
Contracts that are <2 hours away from a “fun” activity (e.g. the ocean, mountains, a vibey city, National Park, etc.)
Since they know me and my preferences so well, we don’t waste a bunch of time playing phone tag. And they don’t send me random jobs like throwing darts at a wall (IYKYK 😮💨).
PRO TIP: Ask your recruiter to send you job lists that fit your criteria (e.g. jobs in a certain setting/state) on a weekly to bi-weekly basis. They should be able to easily filter for jobs that fit this criteria, then you can sift through the jobs at your leisure. Tell them you will hit them up when something catches your eye on their list vs. having to play the phone tag game over & over.
2. Greater access to popular, hard-to-get job opportunities
If you have a responsive travel therapy recruiter who knows you well, you’ll have a much better chance of landing those popular, highly-sought after travel therapy jobs (e.g. San Diego, Denver, and Austin).
My recruiters know to hit me up THE MOMENT any travel PT jobs in Denver, CO or San Diego, CA or surrounding areas pop up.
It’s super important to get submitted to these sought-after jobs ASAP so you’re one of the first resumes across the hiring manager’s desk. A job in a niche setting or a dope location is going to have tons of resumes submitted as soon as it’s posted. If you wait too long to be submitted, chances are you’re going to miss out.
So, make sure your recruiter is aware if your goal is to land one of these unicorn travel therapy jobs! Timing is everything!
PRO TIP: If you’re all-in on landing a job in an awesome city, you can give your recruiter permission to “blind submit” you (submit without asking your permission) to increase your chances of being one of the first candidates submitted. ALSO IMPORTANT: This is the only circumstance where your recruiter should ever submit you to a travel therapy job without your explicit permission.
3. Trust that you’re getting the maximum possible pay
Remember, everything is negotiable! But that doesn’t mean you always get what you want.
The best travel therapy recruiters will give you the maximum take-home pay from the get-go… but it’s hard to know this without knowing the bill rate (the dollar amount the facility is paying the travel agency per hour to staff you). This is why it’s so important to work with a recruiter you trust.
My recruiters will let me know when they’re bottomed out on their margin (AKA their “cut” — the % of the money they’re “keeping” from the bill rate). Keep in mind this they have to keep a margin to make their staffing agency and themselves money! This is their source of income too, so be respectful!
If you’re confused about pay breakdown, ask them to explain the numbers to you – the honorable ones won’t be offended. And if they’re telling the truth, they probably won’t be defensive.
Your recruiter will work with you, but alsdo know there’s not always more money to go around. Don’t be that entitled traveler who demands more money when there’s no more money to be given – you’ll only burn bridges this way.
Wading in the water in Krka National Park in Crotia. This was a 2-week Eurotrip we took prior to my first perm PT job — and where I officially caught the travel bug. We only lasted <1 year in a perm position before we started our travel physical therapy journey back in 2018.
How to Find the Best Travel Therapy Recruiter for You: A Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Identify Your Specific Needs
Before reaching out to travel therapy agencies/recruiters, write down your specific needs and preferences, such as:
Preferred job locations (states, cities, regions)
Your favorite settings (e.g. outpatient, schools, acute care)
Desired pay range and benefits to meet your goals (e.g. I want to make $1,800 minimum)
These are what I call “The Big Three” in travel therapy.
PRO TIP: Be prepared to be flexible as a traveler. Identify the order of importance for The Big Three from 1-3 (e.g. 1. Location. 2. Pay. 3. Setting). If there aren’t jobs that meet your criteria (e.g. it’s the setting and location you want but pay isn’t where you’d like it to be), you might have to accept that the jobs in that area/setting are lower paying… and either accept that fact or open your job search up to new areas/settings so that can fulfill your pay expectations.
Step 2: Research Travel Therapy Companies
Research various travel therapy companies to understand their benefits, focus areas, contract availability and overall reputation. Explore their websites and Facebook groups like this one (using the search feature, search the agency name and get the tea ☕️) to learn more about the agencies.
Consider companies that specialize in your discipline/setting or have extensive contracts available in your preferred locations.
Ask these questions before you give them all your information so you don’t have a profile open with a million different recruiters.
PRO TIP: I recommend working with 2-3 travel therapy agencies/recruiters to maximize job access and pay transparency. Work with one bigger agency (think AMN) as they tend to have access to most of the jobs throughout the U.S. and with 1-2 medium-smaller agencies as they tend to pay more than the bigger agencies.
Step 3: Ask Your Mentors and Friends About Their Favorite Recruiters
Asking your friends or mentors who their favorite recruiters are (and specifically why) is the most dependable way to land a good recruiter. This is how I landed good recruiters from the start and how I’ve continued to find good recruiters throughout my last 5+ years of travel.
Be aware that your friends will most likely receive a package $500+ referral bonus when you work with a recruiter they referred you to. So it’s important to ask WHY they love the specific recruiter so you can be sure they actually meet your needs, vs. your friend just trying to cash out a bonus. :)
I now have a great team of recruiters that I can contract at any point throughout the year to help me land amazing jobs throughout the U.S. The travel world is extremely small, so I’ve even met many of my favorite recruiters in person.
I’m happy to connect you with my most trustworthy recruiter recommendations to make sure you start your travel journey on the right foot.
Step 4: Interview Potential Recruiters
When selecting a travel therapy recruiter, interview each potential recruiter and consider these essential qualities:
Responsiveness: How quickly do they respond to your questions? If they have you waiting more than a couple of hours to respond to a question during work hours, chances are they’re going to drop the ball at some point.
Experience: How well do they understand the industry? They should be able to answer any and all FAQs about the industry, such as tax-homes, pay breakdowns, and a general understanding of the travel physical therapy settings (i.e. if they don’t know what a tax-home is, RUN).
Adaptability: Do they communicate in your preferred style (e.g., text, email, calls), or do they continue to interact with you in a way that you don’t prefer? Do they continue to send you jobs in random states when you’re only interested in specific areas? Are they open to including essential line items in your contract, like a 40-hour guarantee or cancellation clauses?
Transparency: Ask them questions that show that you value transparency from the start. Things like “Are you okay with me working with multiple recruiters?”, “You will never submit me to a job without my explicit permission, correct?”, and “Will you explain this pay breakdown for me?”
Did they pass the vibe check? I know, this sounds funny. But you should value the power of your intuition. Does the recruiter feel like they’ll have your back if shit hits the fan? Do they get defensive when you ask questions, or do they have a calm, respectful and confident demeanor when you’re asking questions? This will tell you a lot.
There’s no perfect science to this, but I’ve found that my intuition paired with the right questions is truly the best guide. When I talk to a recruiter on the phone, I can tell if I vibe with them pretty quickly. If it feels forced, it’s probably not going to work out in the long-term. There are plenty of fish in this travel therapy sea, so move on to the next recruiter!
My best recruiter experiences have come from working with recruiters that feel like my friend at the end of the day — and all of my recruiters I’ve met in person have become my real-life friends!
Step 5: Evaluate Contract Availability Based on Your Needs & Goals
Explicitly ask your travel therapy recruiter if they have access to contracts in your preferred locations, settings, and pay range.
If they try to get you to fill out a profile first, dig your heels in and respectfully ask to see a job list first.
You don’t want to go through all the trouble of submitting your job history, credentials, education, etc. only to find out they don’t have the jobs you want.
Step 6: Assess Your Recruiter’s Performance Regularly
Unfortunately, some travel therapy recruiters will expect your “loyalty” once you accept your first travel PT job with them. Don’t let them guilt trip you!
Remember to be upfront — from the beginning — that you’ll be working with 2-3 travel therapy agencies to avoid having an awkward discussion later on.
You’re out here to do what’s best for you and meet your goals just as they are.
If your recruiter is acting jaded because you aren’t “loyal” or underperforming (e.g. taking too long to respond to texts/calls during a job search, not fighting for you during contracts), move onto the next recruiter.
But remember, the travel therapy world is a small one, so break up with them in a respectful way! Kindness is king here.
Hanging out near Mammoth Lakes in our 1st DIY self-built campervan, Beverly Ann the Van. We’re now living in our 2nd DIY campervan as I take travel PT jobs throughout the U.S. Vanlife is an extremely affordable way to live which allows me to work just 6-9 months per year. Work-life balance and freedom are some of our biggest priorities in life!
Conclusion - Finding Your Ideal Travel Therapy Recruiter: A Blueprint
Navigating the world of travel therapy jobs, recruiters, and agencies can be an exciting yet daunting experience.
Finding the right travel therapy recruiter is the most important first step in starting your travel therapy career successfully.
To make this journey smoother, consider the following steps:
Why Finding a Great Travel Therapy Recruiter is Essential:
Personalized job search & guidance: Choose a recruiter who understands your career goals, needs, and preferences as well as your preferred form of communication so you’re not constantly playing phone tag.
Greater access to popular, hard-to-get job opportunities: Responsive and engaged recruiters help you secure highly sought-after positions (think Denver, San Diego, Austin).
Trust that you’re getting the maximum possible pay: A reliable recruiter will aim to maximize your income and be transparent with you about pay breakdowns.
How to Find the Perfect Travel Therapy Recruiter for You: A Step-by-Step Guide:
Step 1: Identify Your Specific Needs Before reaching out to recruiters, define your needs, including preferred locations, settings, and pay range. Rank these “big 3” in order from 1-3 in order of importance so they understand what your priorities are (e.g. 1. location. 2. pay. 3. setting).
Step 2: Research Travel Therapy Companies Research companies specializing in your discipline/setting and with contract availability in your desired locations.
Step 3: Ask Your Mentors/Friends Who Their Favorite Recruiters Are Personal recommendations from friends and mentors is a great way to land trustworthy recruiters.
Step 4: Interview Potential Recruiters Assess potential recruiters for responsiveness, industry knowledge, adaptability, and transparency. And most importantly – did they pass the vibe check?! 😉 Trust your intuition on this one. ✨
Step 5: Evaluate Contract Availability Based on Your Needs & Goals Ensure the recruiter has access to contracts that align with your preferences before investing too much time in the process.
Step 6: Assess Your Recruiter’s Performance Regularly Don't feel obligated to stick with one recruiter. If they underperform or you find a better match, move on respectfully. Also, work with 2-3 travel therapy recruiters from the get-go to maximize job access & pay transparency.
By following these recommendations, you are well-equipped to find a travel therapy recruiter who will help you find great jobs, support you throughout your assignments, and help you grow in your career.
And remember, don’t stress about it too much! Just because you take your first travel physical therapy contract with one recruiter doesn’t mean you’re stuck with them forever. If it doesn’t end up working out, you can respectfully “break up” with them and move on to another recruiter who better meets your needs.
So, are you feeling ready to embark on your travel therapy journey?!
Fill out our recruiter recommendation form today, and let us match you with our best travel therapy recruiters so you’re in good hands from the get-go
