Preparing for a Massage Job Interview - What every massage therapist should know and ask.

Before you can start working as a massage therapist, you will need to interview to get the job, and interviewing for a massage position is very different than most other interviews. For many massage therapists, the first job they take right out of massage school is with a chiropractor or spa/salon owner instead of working as an independent contractor, and it's important to know what to ask in order to take the right job. Knowing whether you'll be working as an employee or an independent contractor - especially if a massage therapist is starting out in their practice - is helpful in deciding where you want to work.

Why you need a resume and cover letter when applying for a massage therapist job

Even though you won't be sitting at a desk or crunching numbers, you need to prepare a resume and cover letter for your anticipated interview. Even if it's a non-traditional setting, your employer will want to see that you're a professional massage therapist who can represent yourself appropriately, and a well-written cover letter can show that you have good communication skills - an invaluable asset when working with a variety of clients. The more a potential employer knows about you and your specific interests, the more you will stand out from the crowd, and the more likely you are to be invited to interview for a massage position soon.

Interview for a massage job

If you are invited for an interview, prepare to actually give a massage. This may surprise some applicants, but you are applying for a massage job, and your employer wants to know what you can do and what your style is. Since you want to feel comfortable giving a massage, you should dress appropriately for both the massage and the in-person interview. Often, clean, long black yoga pants and a collared shirt will suffice. Unlike most job interviews where applicants are expected to wear slacks and a button-down shirt, your potential employer will expect a massage therapist to be dressed appropriately for the test massage. To be sure, you should call when arranging the interview to find out what attire would be appropriate. Also, it is always a good idea to come to the interview well prepared - a massage therapist should bring materials such as sheets, lotion or oil to the interview. Even if the interviewer is likely to have these utensils on hand, it's always a good idea to take charge of the session yourself by being well prepared.

If you are applying for a job as a massage therapist, depending on the size of the company, a member of the HR department or the owner will likely sit down with you first to talk about your education and experience. During the interview, be prepared to talk about what you learned in school, what your strengths and weaknesses are, what you envision for yourself as a massage therapist, and what your previous experience has been with clients. Then perform a test massage, either a short massage (30 minutes or less) or a standard massage (one hour), demonstrating your skills in Swedish and deep tissue massage. When interviewing for a massage therapist position, you will sometimes, but not often, be asked to demonstrate competency in additional modalities that you have listed on your resume, such as hot stone therapy or sports massage.