Most, close to all, are seemingly happy with just ANY job when they qualify.

They tell me they want to do this job, or that job, some in the NHS, some in private practice and some in sport…

Yet…

Most, close to all, will never attain these jobs.

In 5 or 10 years- time these same therapists will be telling other New Grad’s to follow the same route they did, like most therapists do.

Telling New Grad’s to ‘gain experience,’ or ‘it’s very difficult to get that [insert job here] role’ or that ‘those jobs’ are reserved for therapists 10-15 years qualified.

So how is it that some New Grad’s ignore this advice and take a different path and can fly up the promotion ladder faster than anyone thought possible?

It’s because they know the exact steps and skillsets, they need to accelerate their learning and career as a New Grad Physio.

You might think rapid career progress as a New Grad Physio is rare, but it’s not.

Just this week one of the members of my New Grad Physio Membership gained a full-time sports job at one of the biggest football clubs in the North of England, little over a year after graduating.

Upon qualifying he worked in the NHS, before transitioning into private practice alongside a championship academy football role.

He’s now made a BIG career step by progressing to his current role, a full-time role in football, a job many would say that is above his level of ‘experience’ and ‘pay grade.’

Want to learn how this can happen…

…Then keep reading.

You Don’t Need A 5-10 Year Plan

One of the biggest career mistakes New Grad’s make is that they lack ambition.

They are told, and they believe, that those ‘Dream Jobs’ are reserved for other therapists, those that have the ‘experience’ or ‘qualifications’ or sometimes roles are given to therapists because of ‘who they know and not what they know.’

If you think this, you are wrong.

If you are ambitious, enthusiastic to learn and motivated to achieve a certain job, regardless of the area of therapy, then you just need to know HOW to put yourself in the best position possible to progress towards that role.

If you don’t know HOW to do this, you can work as hard as you want, you can gain as much ‘experience’ as you want, but that ‘Dream Job’ may never happen for you.

The First Step

The first step is to acknowledge that you do NOT have to follow the traditional path, near enough ever other New Grad Physio follows.

You need to be driven to do what YOU want to do, not what someone else wants to do and especially not what everyone else is going to do.

I recently read a quote somewhere that said…

‘If everyone else is going in one direction, go in the other direction’

I can’t remember where I heard this or even if I have recalled it right but, it sums up what is happening right now to students and New Grad’s just like you.

One you acknowledge that there are opportunities for you, then you can start to drive towards YOUR specific career goals and not the goals somebody else told you to follow.

The Next Step

The next step, and the most important step, is finding out HOW to accelerate your career.
Do you need to work hard?

…YES.

Do you need to put the time and effort in?

…100%

Do you need to know the specific skillsets needed to accelerate your career journey?
…Without question.

Sounds easy, find out what you need to do, do it and the rest is history.

But it’s not so easy.

Because, there is no ‘cookie cutter’ approach or method to achieve this.

Each and every career path will be different and New Grads, just like you, need specific, individual support at each and every stage of your career journey.

I have had several mentors help me over the last 10 years.

They have all helped in different ways and were all valuable at specific points of my career journey.

Whilst their help and support was often very different, there was one thing they ALL had in common.

The advice and support they were giving me they had SUBSTANCE.

They were giving me advice on things that they had ‘lived,’ that they had been through themselves (hence why I asked for their support on these topics) and therefore they were in the best position to offer me support.

You may sometimes think that one of your peers is a great person to ask for support, but sometimes, and the majority of the time when it comes to career guidance, they are not, because they are in the same position as you.

They have NOT overcome the challenge or problem you are seeking help for, so how are they going to help you?

What I needed as a New Grad is the same as what you need right now.

Somebody that is 2-3 steps ahead of you, someone that has overcome the same challenges you are facing right now.

Not only will this help you progress your therapy career, it will help you progress your therapy career, to get the job you really want and achieve this, faster than anyone thought possible…

Thanks for reading

Andy

I release a NEW episode each and every Thursday, giving you even more actionable content to help you become a more competent, confident and competitive New Grad Physio.

If you would like to hear more career advice you’ll love this recent podcast in which I reveal other great tips to help you accelerate your career as a New Grad Physio.

You can listen to it here.