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Healing Touch – How to Become a Massage Therapist

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Healing Touch – How to Become a Massage Therapist

Soreness relieved, knots untangled, and tension eased. A professional massage can be healing. While it might seem like a luxury, it isn t. A good massage can improve the immune system, promote digestion, and reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety. It is a good healthcare investment.

A massage therapist engages a sense that you may not always appreciate-touch. It is critical in promoting a sense of connection and relieving cardiovascular stress.

Working as a massage therapist can be very rewarding. The job is in high demand, and it attracts a competitive salary. You can use non-invasive methods to manage pain and relieve stress. Here are a few tips for becoming a massage therapist.

  1. Get Massage Therapy Training

Every state has different training and education requirements for massage therapists. Find an approved and accredited training program and start learning. Usually, it covers training in massage therapy and application, medical terminology, physiology, and anatomy.

Massage therapy programs cover both clinical and academic work. With full-time attendance, you can complete the course in six months. However, part-time students need more time.

The programs prepare you for licensure and board certification exams. They empower you with the skills and knowledge you need to treat clients. While plenty of institutions offer therapeutic massage tech courses, some may not be state-approved. Do some research before settling for one.

If you plan on opening a private practice, marketing, and business management courses would be helpful as well.

  1. Attain Industry Experience

Your training program will likely require you to complete 330-1,000 hours of clinical training. Most states demand specific hours of professional experience before sitting for the licensing exam.

You should pursue an internship or work with your school s massage clinic. These experiences give you a chance to practice massage therapy with the supervision of a licensed massage therapist.

The experiences empower you to come up with customized therapy plans, report client progress and offer specific massage techniques.

  1. Pass State Licensure Exams

The licensure requirements for massage therapists depend on your state. However, most states rely on the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBLEx) to determine if you qualify for licensure

It is a multiple-choice exam with 100 questions. The questions become increasingly complex, and you must complete the test in two hours. It covers the following topics:

Kinesiology

This subject focuses on muscle motions, components, attachments, and motions. It tests your ability to offer muscle monitoring therapy and correct imbalances.

Anatomy and Physiology

This subject is mostly about body systems. It covers their function and structure. Anatomy and physiology also includes physical and biochemical interactions between different components and factors in the body.

Pathology

This section tests your understanding of massage contraindications, diseases, and areas of caution. It also tests your ability to treat special populations.

Client Assessment

This subject tests your ability to assess your clients. This includes conducting the initial assessments, creating relevant treatment plans, and reassessing them.

Benefits

In this section, you are tested on various massage modalities potential physical and psychological rewards.

Practice Guidelines

Here, you are tested on the use of suitable products and equipment. The subject also focuses on maintaining hygiene and using proper draping techniques.

Ethics

This part of the exam focuses on legal and ethical behavior. It is about upholding industry standards to provide safe and effective treatment while maintaining professional boundaries.

You pass the MBLEx exam if you score at least 630. You can retake the exam after 30 days if you don t pass.

  1. Get Certified

Consider getting certification after taking your licensure exam. Specialty certifications are voluntary, and they make you more competitive in the job market. They allow you to become an expert in specific massage types.

Voluntary certification lets potential clients and employers see your dedication to growth. They ultimately improve your earning potential.

  1. Update Your License

It is essential to keep your license updated. Most licensing organizations require you to keep taking education courses in state-approved institutions. You may also need to get liability insurance.

If you plan on becoming a massage therapist, you are in for a treat. The job is gratifying, and you can attain your license quickly. With voluntary certification, you can focus on an area like oncology or sports massage.

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LinkedIn Cheat Sheet: 5 Tips For A Professional Profile
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LinkedIn Cheat Sheet: 5 Tips For A Professional Profile

Who has time to research LinkedIn? We know you have a busy life, and sometimes there’s just not enough time in the day to scan through articles to get the information you need. That’s why we created the LinkedIn Cheat Sheet! We pulled the best tips, tricks, and advice from our archives and put them all in one place just for you.

Here are five solid LinkedIn tips from our experts:

1. Change The Visibility Of Your LinkedIn Activity

Before you start “tinkering” with your LinkedIn profile (or hiring a professional to enhance your profile), please take a minute to do the following:

  • From the drop-down menu under your name on the right side of the Home page, choose Settings & Privacy.
  • On the left-hand side of the Settings & Privacy page is a column with a section titled “Visibility.”
  • Click on this section and scroll down to “Visibility of your LinkedIn activity.”
  • Turn off any visibility options for the activity you’d like to hide

When you are finished tinkering, go back and turn on the visibility of your activity, if you so choose. It’s that simple!

(Original article: “Pay Attention To Your LinkedIn Settings“)

2. Endorse Your Connections

Man updates his LinkedIn profile

Every Monday, take 10 minutes out of your morning to pay it forward by endorsing 10 people in your LinkedIn network. Imagine how you would feel if in your inbox on a Monday (aka the day of the week when even the most cheerful people struggle to get going), you found endorsements of your skill sets from your peers.

(Original article: “Quick Tip: Monday Is The Day For LinkedIn Endorsements“)

3. Get Recommendations… Lots Of ‘Em

Woman on laptop updating her LinkedIn profile

Recommendations are essential to you. Seek them proactively and seek them passively. Proactive recommendation seeking involves reaching out and asking someone to recommend you. Passive recommendation seeking involves recommending someone, at which point LinkedIn asks them to recommend you back. The latter is actually a bit more effective.

(Original article: “10 Things To Immediately Do On LinkedIn“)

4. Choose An Appropriate Photo

Professional logs in to LinkedIn

The following 11 tips will help you pick the right photo for your LinkedIn, Gmail, and other online accounts:

  • Don’t use an old photo. There are few things worse than meeting someone for the first time and not recognizing them because the profile photo is from 10 years ago (or longer)!
  • Use a photo of YOU in your profile—not an object.
  • Smile! Your face should radiate warmth and approachability.
  • Photos should be professionally done, if possible (but no glamour shots).
  • Wear your most complementary color. Bright colors can attract attention, but avoid patterns.
  • Don’t have other people in your photos (and don’t crop other people out of your shot—there should not be any errant body parts in your online photo!).
  • Make sure the background in the photo isn’t distracting.
  • Relax. Look directly at the camera.
  • Take multiple shots and ask people for their opinion on which one makes you seem most “approachable.”

Tips for men: Wear a dark blue or black dress shirt. No t-shirts, Hawaiian shirts, or busy/crazy patterns.

Tips for women: Wear something you feel comfortable in. No t-shirts or big/busy patterns. Soft, dark v-necks look great. Black always works; avoid white.

(Original article: “11 Tips For Choosing Your LinkedIn Photo“)

5. Give Your Professional Headline A Boost

Man optimizes his LinkedIn profile

Use the “|” (vertical bar) to divide your text and create visual breaks.

Example: Which of the following is easier to read?

Project Manager Specializing in Business Research and Analysis for Major Corporations

OR

Project Manager | Research & Analysis Specialist | Fortune 1000 Business Experience

Obviously, the second one is easier to read and comprehend because of the formatting. The vertical lines separate the data and enable the reader to comprehend what you do better (bonus points if you list hard skills in your headline, separated by the vertical bar, to better optimize your profile so it gets found by recruiters).

(Original article: “LinkedIn Quick Tip: Tweaking Your Professional Headline“)

We know how difficult it can be to optimize your LinkedIn profile the right way. We hope our LinkedIn Cheat Sheet helps you create a professional and well-optimized LinkedIn profile that stands out to recruiters and hiring managers. If you’re still struggling to update your LinkedIn profile, we can help.

We’d love it if you joined our FREE community. It’s a private, online platform where workers, just like you, are coming together to learn and grow into powerful Workplace Renegades. More importantly, we have tons of resources inside our community that can help you update your LinkedIn profile—the right way.

It’s time to find work that makes you feel happy, satisfied, and fulfilled. Join our FREE community today to finally become an empowered business-of-one!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.


4 Signs Your Interview Isn’t Going Well (And How To Fix It!)
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4 Signs Your Interview Isn’t Going Well (And How To Fix It!)

Scoring a job interview can be hard work, so you don’t want to waste the opportunity. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, sometimes the interview can go off track and before you know it, things didn’t go as well as you had hoped.

It doesn’t have to be this way! Sometimes there are subtle signs during the job interview that things aren’t going well that you can pick up in time to potentially turn things around.

Here are some of the signs you should look for…

The Interviewer Doesn’t Try To Sell You On The Company

A human resources manager presents some facts about the company during a job interview/meeting

Have you ever heard the expression, “An interview is about you trying to get to know the company just as much as they’re trying to get to know you”? It’s true. You should be evaluating the company as they’re evaluating your experience and skills.

But, if you’re doing this and the interviewer isn’t working hard to sell you on the company’s good traits, it’s probably not a good sign.

Companies want their chosen candidate to accept the job offer, so for their top picks, they’ll typically try to mention job perks, company culture, opportunities for growth, and other positives.

You’re Only Asked Easy Questions

This may seem counterintuitive. After all, if the company likes you, why would they ask you challenging questions? But interviewers ask tough questions to candidates they’re considering because they want to see how they think on their feet and will react to tough job situations.

If they aren’t actually considering you, they’ll stick with the easiest questions to answer.

The Interview Never Gets Personal

A job seeker answers questions during an interview

When interviewers are interested in a candidate, they will attempt to get to know them on a deeper level than questions like “What are your strengths?” can accomplish. They will often engage in chit-chat to make sure you’d be a good culture fit and to make sure your personality will mesh well with other team members.

If questions stay surface-level, there aren’t follow-up questions based on your answers, and the interviewer is cut and dried instead of diving into more personal questions, you’re probably not a top candidate.

There’s No Mention Of Next Steps

A recruiter goes over the next steps with a job candidate during a job interview

Typically, at some point in the second half of the interview, the hiring manager will bring up salary expectations, references, or follow-up interviews. Even if they don’t do this, they’ll at least tell you at what point you should hear back about moving forward with your candidacy, or the estimated time by which they’re trying to fill the position.

But if an interview ends without a discussion about what the next steps in the process are, it probably means there won’t be any.

3 Ways To Turn Your Interview Around

Young professional has a positive response to an interview question

So, what can you do if you start seeing some of these signs throughout the interview? There’s a chance that you may not be able to turn it around if the interviewer has already made up their mind—but there are a few tactics you can employ to give yourself the best shot.

Stay positive – Remember that there’s a good chance the interviewer is having a busy day, has a million other things on their mind, or just doesn’t have a very friendly or engaging personality. By projecting confidence and positivity, you have a chance to turn around their first impression.

Ask great questions – This approach has two potential benefits. One is that you can ask the interviewer outright if they think you’d be a good fit for the role—that way, if they bring up a specific concern they have with you or your experience, you have the chance to address it. Second, many recruiters and interviewers find that the type of questions a candidate asks says a lot about them. By asking insightful, thought-provoking questions, you may be able to increase the interviewer’s positive perception of you.

Think of it as practice – Even if you feel pretty confident that you won’t get the job based on these signs, you can at least view the interview as good practice for a job that’s a better fit for you. Try your best, and make a mental note of what you can improve next time.

Interviews are difficult, and no one likes knowing that their conversation isn’t going as well as they’d like. But by employing these tactics, you can have a better sense of what your interviewer is thinking and attempt to course-correct to get the job.

Need more help with your job search?

Join our community to learn how to land a job and UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

This article was originally published at an earlier date.

Quest For Top Talent And The Neurodiversity Superpower
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Quest For Top Talent And The Neurodiversity Superpower

I attended a cybersecurity conference and there were sessions about zero trust, securing generative AI, and emerging threats. And then there was a very atypical keynote session called “Understanding and Managing Neurodivergent Staff” (presented by @Rick Doten). It was one of those “you don’t know what you don’t know” presentations.

I learned that there is a wide spectrum of neurodiversity, and ADHD, autism, and dyslexia are a few of the conditions. Generally speaking, neurodivergent individuals interpret, experience, and socialize with the world differently. They typically approach problem-solving and critical thinking in innovative ways producing creative insights and solutions. You may know neurodivergent individuals and not realize that they are neurodiverse. Or individuals may be undiagnosed and not realize that they are neurodiverse.

Neurodivergent Skill Sets

Neurodiversity concept

If everyone thinks differently anyway, how do you know if someone may be neurodivergent? Some examples of the skill set neurodivergent individuals may have are:

  • High level of attention to detail – noticing errors and inconsistencies that others might overlook;
  • Strong analytical and problem solving – being able to problem solve quickly with creative solutions without any previous knowledge or experience (aka fluid reasoning);
  • Strong pattern recognition – tasks involving pattern analysis and drawing inferences;
  • Determination and persistence in overcoming challenges;
  • Hyperfocus on specific tasks – completing tasks with resolute attention;
  • Creative thinking and innovation – coming up with fresh perspectives and out-of-the-box solutions; and
  • Honesty and ethical behavior.

Neurodivergent individuals aren’t limited to these skill sets. Their abilities will vary based on their interests and strengths. As part of their personal development, find out what’s important to them. You should be encouraging and having open conversations with each team member anyway.

Individuals with these skill sets are a great fit for jobs that require meticulous work or breaking down complex problems and systematically analyzing them. Depending on their interests and strengths, some roles and careers that could be a great fit are accountants, administrative assistants, graphic designers, librarians, or pharmacists.

Neurodivergent individuals have a deep passion for specialized knowledge and have a natural aptitude for technical skills such as math, programming, and scientific research. This means they may naturally gravitate towards the IT and security fields. Some roles and careers that could be a great fit are statisticians, data analysts, IT support specialists, quality assurance testers, and ethical hackers (Red Team).

Leveraging Neurodiversity Superpowers

Neurodiversity concept

Pause the next time you look at a job description (JD) either as a job seeker or as a hiring manager. A person may not be an obvious choice superficially but may be an excellent fit and a superstar! Some common job description skill sets that may align with the strengths of neurodivergent individuals are:

JD Skill Set & Strength Descriptors

  • Attention to Detail – Meticulous, precision, accuracy, thoroughness
  • Analytical Thinking – Analytical skills, problem-solving, data analysis
  • Pattern Recognition – Identify trends, discern details detecting subtle patterns
  • Persistence – Persistence, resilience, dedication
  • Creativity – Creative problem solvers, innovators
  • Honesty and Integrity – Confidentiality, customer service

Compare the job description with the specific skills and interests of the individuals. Hopefully, your application process allows individuals to highlight their relevant skills and experiences during the application and interview processes.

If you have the right role for the right person, neurodiversity could be an advantage. Offer reasonable accommodations to enable neurodivergent individuals to thrive. This could include flexibility in work hours/environment, a quiet/sensory-friendly workplace, communication preferences for expectations, as well as structured feedback.

For example, neurodivergent individuals may range from non-communicative to overly communicative. There are several tools and technologies (such as noise-canceling headphones, fidget toys, and task/time management apps) to facilitate communication, organization, and well-being for both personal and work life. If you demonstrate an inclusive work environment, research shows that neurodivergent employees may have lower turnover rates, which can reduce recruitment and training costs for the organization.

Having a diverse team with diverse perspectives makes the team stronger. Each person, whether neurodiverse or not, is unique and brings something different to the table. Appreciate those different perspectives and encourage and be supportive of each person.

For more information on understanding that neurodiversity is a superpower, follow me on LinkedIn!