Career Mistakes By PT New Grads

Being a physiotherapy new graduate is not just difficult but can be overwhelming. When you are just starting out, it is easy to get confused with so many options for the future. Very few know exactly what they want to do. But most of us are still figuring things out. In this article today we will be discussing the common career mistakes made by physiotherapy new graduates. Honest disclaimer: I am guilty of making some of them. 

#1 Not taking enough real-world experience before pursuing a master’s. 

Many physiotherapy new graduates will start preparing for Master’s entrance exams during their internship. While there is nothing wrong with that, this preparation shouldn’t be the only thing you are doing. I see an internship as a golden period to get some real-world experience. 

If you can not commit to working in the evening after college hours, you can consider taking a physiotherapy gap year. In your gap year, you can plan and get work experience. Additionally, you can thoroughly research the post-graduate programs you intend to take. 

I started working in a private outpatient clinic in my fourth year, I continued working there for almost one and half years till I started my master’s. It was a perfect way to get out in the real-world work scenario and get my feet wet in the game. 

If I have to start over, the only thing I would do differently now is to get experience in 3-4 different clinics in that one and half years span. 

How to avoid this mistake: 

• Make a list of physiotherapy clinics in your area. 
• Pick the top 3 based on the things such as your interest, specialty, and mentors. For more guidance read my article on physiotherapy observership.
• Personally apply for work/ observership in those clinics. 
• Start out slow, maybe a couple of days a week for 2-3 hours after college. Add more hours as your schedule allows.

#2 Spending a lot of money on not so credible courses

We just seem to be floating the ocean of physiotherapy education courses. Every day someone new seems to push a webinar/course/mentorship/observership program down our throat. While some of that is actually useful, other courses are sold with the sole intention of making money. 

I have attended some of the workshops that offered very little for the money I paid, certificates provided were not recognized. The whole thing felt like a scam, a waste of my time and money. 

Don’t jump on a bandwagon of doing workshops just because everyone around you is doing it. What you learn in physiotherapy college is more than enough to get you started. Work on the basics first. Brush up on biomechanics, pathomechanics, clinical reasoning, and fundamentals of physiotherapy treatment!

How to avoid this mistake:

When signing up for any workshop/ webinar/ course consider the following: 

• Who is the faculty and how credible are they?
• What will you learn?
• Is it applicable to you?
• Are the certificates offered recognized Internationally?

#3 Not spending time writing resume and cover letter

When I made my first resume, I did not know what to write. I copied my friend’s resume, which she had copied from somebody else! We just edited the information to include our name and experience. After sending out a couple of resumes, I realized I had forgotten to add my contact information! 

We are never taught how to write a formal resume in college. When we look up online, we see resume templates made by websites such as Indeed, and Glassdoor. The people who made those templates are likely to be unaware of what physiotherapy entails and the unique requirements of physiotherapy job applicants. As seasoned clinicians, we know one size fits all approach never works for everyone. Hence, we can not blindly use the same templates for our resumes. 

If you want to land a job in the corporate world or any big clinical institution, it is empirical to spend time writing a resume that reflects your potential and credentials. 

How to avoid this mistake: 

Thankfully, I have done the legwork for you! I took out the chaos in the resume-making process.

Hence, I created a simple step-by-step guide to build your physiotherapy resume.

Fill out the form below and I will email it to you. 

But that’s not it!! I will also include a bonus! When you fill out the form below you will get my step-by-step guide plus a free physiotherapy resume template! This template is customized for physiotherapists. It is made by a physiotherapist, for physiotherapists. 

#4 Not networking enough

“Great things in business are never done by one person. They are done by a team of people” ~ Steve Jobs

If you want to go far, you can not go Solo. You need a team of people to guide you and help you on your way. You will find yourself struggling alone if you don’t collaborate with others. Instead of looking at your peers as your competition, you can look at them as your support system. When you come together, with the combined forces, you can create something bigger. 

I definitely did this mistake in the past! Back in my college days, I used to shy away from social circumstances. Talking to people I do not know still makes me uncomfortable but I go ahead and do that! Getting out of my comfort zone has helped me and PT Career Paths grow! 

How to avoid this mistake 

• Get on LinkedIn 
• Get out of your comfort zone to take efforts to introduce yourself and start a conversation.
• Be genuinely willing to help people. 
• Don’t burn the bridges as you go, stay in touch with the people you met in the past 

#5 Not having an online presence 

In the era where the internet has become one of the basic needs, having an online presence as a physiotherapist is crucial. I have seen many physiotherapy graduates who have a strong academic background yet limited success. 

While on the other hand, there are many others, who barely survived their exams, and are building online empires. Having an online presence opens multiple opportunities for you to grow personally and professionally. 

All you have to do is select a platform of your choice and stay consistent with posting content. Easier said than done though!

How to avoid this mistake

• Start slow, slowly push yourself out of your comfort zone
• Stay consistent 
• I recently wrote a whole article about having an online presence as a physiotherapist, read it here. 

#6 Not thinking long term about their career

I see a very small percentage of new grads thinking about how they want their life to be 5 years down the lane. Just because everybody around you is pursuing a master’s doesn’t mean you should go for it too! Or just because everyone around you wants to complete higher education in physiotherapy abroad, you should do that too!

You don’t want to start something new, only to realize you are not cut out for this later. It is okay to change your mind. But, when you can, give a thought about if it is worth your time and energy. 

How to avoid this mistake

• Seek clarity, set aside some time, and think about how you want your life to be in the next 5 years. 
• Ask if what you are seeking aligns with your long term life goals 
• Reach out to me if you want more guidance about your career

#7 Not spending enough time on professional and personal development 

Professional development: I know I said do not spend a ton of money on random courses and workshops. I still stand by that. But you can invest your time in small moments of professional development at your workplace simply by asking questions. Sit with your colleagues and discuss recent advances, treatment approaches, or revise biomechanics. 

Personal development: This is just as important as professional development. Investing in personal development helps you reach your full potential. You get just enough courage and motivation to push yourself to take action. When you take action, your confidence gets a boost!

Engaging in personal development makes you self-aware of your strengths and weaknesses. 

How to avoid this mistake

Professional development: 

• Set aside time for professional discussion at your workplace
• Ask Questions
•  I do believe there are some courses out there that are worth your time and money! Research the ones that spark your interest. 
• Check out MedBridge 

MedBridge offers a huge online library of physiotherapy webinars (Including live ones) from international instructors covering multiple specialties and settings.

• 50+ new courses are added monthly to keep you up to date on current techniques and strategies.
• Case-based quizzes with clinical reasoning behind every answer to ensure knowledge retention.
• Patient demos and case studies in every course to reinforce the practical application of evidence-based skills.

You can learn from experienced international industry leaders from the comfort of your home. Online courses can be completed at your own pace while with live webinars you get to interact and ask questions to your instructors. 

You can save $175 on their 1-year subscription with my MedBridge discount code. Make sure to apply my code ‘PTCAREERPATHS‘ at checkout to get the full discount on your MedBridge subscription.

Personal Development: 

• Check out the ‘self-help’ section in a bookstore and pick a title you like. ‘Self-help’! I know that sounds cliche, but if you apply what you learn in those books, you transform into a better version of yourself. 
• If you don’t like to read, check out various YouTubers who create content around productivity and personal development. Some of my favorites are Brendon Buchard, Ali Abdal, Matt D’avella. 
• If you travel check out their podcasts or consider buying an audiobook! 

I am ready to launch my career, where can I find more help? 

Well, I am here to help you every step of the way. From making a resume, and cover letter to interview prep and salary negotiations. Sign up for my one-on-one consultations for more guidance!