Just graduated from PT school? Why not make your first PT job your best job?

Here are 8 tips to help you find a great PT job post graduation:

1. Do your research. Look at the company’s website, read reviews, and learn about the treatment model before submitting a resume and cover letter. Your outreach should be specific and make you stand out from other applicants. 
2. If you are asked in for an interview, make sure you allow for time in the interview to learn specifics about the clinic and the people that work there. 
3. Consider the injuries you are interested in seeing, and be sure to ask the interviewer to see if this aligns with their typical patient care. 
4. Interview in a lot of different places. Comparing and contrasting different PT companies can help you find the right one. 
5. Ask your friends and family where their favorite or best PT experience has been. 
6. If you are asked to return for another interview and/or if you are offered the job, ask to shadow in the clinic and see how the clinicians work together and what the overall feel of the company is. 
7. Search for a clinic or company that has values and morals that align with your patient care. Searching on company websites and asking the manager or interviewer about the company values, how many patients make up a full caseload, and what the productivity standards are may help to determine company values and standards.
8. Be sure to ask how long most clinicians have worked in this job to get an idea of clinician burnout and overall employee satisfaction. 
9. You are a new PT and may want or need some guidance in the first year or so. Interview companies on their ability to provide mentorship and what transitioning into a new job looks like for a new grad in that particular setting. 

Being a PT is amongst the most rewarding career choices, and finding the right fit to grow your career in is fundamental. If you are a new grad or a PT looking for a change and Avant looks like a great future home for you, please email us your resume and cover letter to info@avantphysicaltherapy.com. 

After completing her Doctorate in Physical Therapy at one of the most prestigious PT schools in the nation, Adrienne Snider, PT, DPT followed all the advice she offered in this blog to find her perfect fit at Avant. You can find Adrienne at the clinic treating a wide range of orthopedic injuries, weight training after work with the Avant PT workout crew, and outside the clinic hiking, dancing, cooking/baking new recipes, exploring new restaurants and breweries, and adventuring in the mountains with her boyfriend and their two spirited dogs, Simon and Maya.