Get Noticed with a Remarkable Resume

by Cherie Sohnen-Moe

The purpose of a resume is to get you a job interview. Rarely is anyone hired solely on the basis of a resume. Indeed, most employers use resumes for the initial screening of job applicants. A resume that inspires a potential employer to interview you is one that conveys your talents and clearly demonstrates your ability to produce results that align with the particular company’s goals. This is why it’s so important to research your potential employers.

Make certain you know to whom you are writing: learn about the company’s history, its mission, needs and problems; determine the ways your skills can contribute to the company’s success; and finally, ascertain the name and title of the person in charge of hiring (which isn’t always the personnel administrator).

Your cover letter is an integral part of your resume packet. This is where you build rapport. Keep your tone friendly and use terminology that’s appropriate to your field. Open your letter with something you find interesting about the company and describe how you can be of direct benefit to the company. Close your letter by requesting an interview.

In the massage field, your resume may be very different from traditional ones, where the focus is demonstrating results, and that may be difficult for you to do. It’s important to think of your resume not in terms of a biography, but as a prospectus for your future.

The two major types of resumes are chronological and functional (see below). A chronological resume is used when you want to emphasize a good work history that is directly related to your desired job. A functional resume is used when you want to emphasize your talents, abilities and potential—not your work history. In most instances, massage therapists use more of a functional resume or sometimes just a targeted personal letter. ‘

A resume is a useful tool for promotion, even if you own your own business. If nothing else, the process of developing your resume clarifies your strengths and reinforces your self-esteem.

Anyone who practices massage therapy recognizes at some point there’s an energetic component to massage. The best massage therapists learn to understand how energy affects their clients.

Huna, the ancient Hawaiian science of consciousness and energy healing, teaches people how to get in touch with their mana (life-force energy) and how to harness this energy. We do this by connecting with our higher consciousness, which allows us to tap into energy.

Most massage therapists who come to my trainings have experienced clients become emotional during a massage. When this happens, they have hit more than just a cramp or a tight muscle. Skillful deep-tissue massage can trigger an emotional response by touching upon a negative emotion stored within the physical body. I call these stored negative emotions “black bags.”

Here are some basic tips for massage therapists to help their clients release their black bags:

• Be attuned to the ways the mind affects the physical body. Pay attention to your clients’ reactions during massage as well as their comments about their mental and physical health.
• Encourage the client to share. When a client expresses emotions during a massage, stop and ask the client what they are feeling and experiencing.
• Offer to assist the client in resolving the problem. If the client responds positively, he or she may want to share more about the origins of their feelings.
• Ask the client to envision releasing the negative energy they have stored in their body. As you continue the massage, ask the client to communicate the emotions they are experiencing.
• Be aware: When a trapped negative emotion is released, the body may have an almost instantaneous response. Clients may express this release through tears, laughter or words of relief.

Understanding how to flow energy involves training in the four basic forms of energy—air, fire, water and earth—and how they are manifested in us. Massage therapists who take the time to study these energies will find rewards in the ways they can help their clients heal in body, mind and spirit.

Source: FutureLMT

As part of your journey toward entering the rewarding world of massage therapy, you’ve probably wondered what it takes to become a successful massage therapist. While there are many steps needed to accomplish this, some of the most essential ones relate to creating and maintaining a professional image.

After more than 18 years as a massage therapist, educator, business owner and coach, I’ve learned a few secrets for this first step to success. Read them and see where you might have room to grow.

Understand professionalism

Besides acting ethically and following applicable licensing laws, it is essential for a professional massage therapist to be friendly, courteous and honest, as well as skilled in the art of communication. Therapists need to be able to anticipate, understand and respond to clients’ needs and requests on and off the table. Additionally, remembering clients’ preferences, likes and dislikes of temperature, pressure, scents and sounds shows that a therapist is committed to service and details.

It is also our responsibility to educate and guide clients about relevant self-care as well as particular treatments or products that will help them achieve their desired goals. This includes knowing what is and is not allowed in our scope of practice and referring to other professionals as needed.

Other qualities that create a professional image and identity include being flexible, focused, caring and persistent as well as thoughtful, organized, prompt and polite. In general, therapists who are able to create a demand for the services and healthy practices they provide are much more than talented technicians—they are well-rounded individuals who are always striving to be better, seeking to learn more and embracing the opportunities available to them.

The first impression

Everything that touches clients or prospective clients and helps them make the decision to do business with you, or not, is part of your marketing. These touches, or impressions, start the second someone visits your website, picks up your business card, walks in your office or meets you in person. As such, it is vital to consider exactly how you are touchingthem before they even get on your table.

Some things to review:

• How easy your website is to find, read and navigate
• The safety, location and accessibility of your office
• Your social media profiles, pages, pictures and posts
• How neat or cluttered your treatment room and waiting area are
• Your own grooming, attire and appearance
• Your outgoing message, e-mail address and e-mail signature
• How long it takes you to respond to incoming messages, texts or e-mails

As you review each of these areas, ask yourself if you would be proud or embarrassed if any or all of these were seen or experienced by your mother, grandmother, child or boss. Consider each area from your perspective as a patient in another medical professional’s office. Would you trust a physician or chiropractor who dressed the way you do? Learn to think through the discerning eyes of your potential clients and prepare each area of your business accordingly.

If you’re not sure where to begin, take a deep breath and commit to receiving outside feedback about the impression you make, from your clients, classmates, teachers or friends. Ask them for positive feedback about what they like most about any of the areas above and what one improvement they would suggest. Catalog their answers and determine where you can take one or two immediate action steps toward improving your professional image.

Creating a professional image as a massage therapist takes care, attention to detail and a commitment to showing the best of yourself and the profession to the world. Start by examining the aforementioned areas and look for new ways to share the best of yourself and massage through your practice. Like the rest of us, you are an amazing work in progress.

Source: FutureLMT