Jimmy McKay, PT, DPT: Had a chance to sit down with a few colleagues from FOX Rehabilitation. Both who work with physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech language pathologists who might be coming on board with the practice. Talked with Kristie McCaffrey and Vince Gaffigan about what you should look for if you’re thinking about relocating for your career. We look into multiple facets. Some of which I didn’t even think about before this webinar. And keep in mind this is just the first 10 minutes of it. You got more than a half hour after this available for you for free right now if you want to take a listen. Just head to FOXRehab.org and click on fresh FOX content for this and other webinars.
This is FOXcast SLP. A podcast for clinicians made by clinicians. It’s brought to you by FOX Rehabilitation. Find out more at FOXRehab.org.
Jimmy McKay, PT, DPT: Welcome to FOX Rehabilitation headquarters in Cherry Hill New Jersey. I’ll be your host for today’s webinar. We’re focusing on relocation. My name is Jimmy McKay. Let me introduce my colleagues to my arrival to ladies first. Christy introduce yourself briefly and what you get to do here is great.
Kristie McCaffery: My name’s Christy McCaffrey. I’m the manager of the recruitment department here at FOX Rehabilitation. I manage a team of 10 clinical care specialists and I really just helps to ensure that all the all the physical therapists occupational therapists and speech languate pathologists we come in contact with from their original phone from the first time we talk to them throughout our onboarding process to orientation here is a positive experience.
Jimmy: On screen to your left and my right is Vince. Vince say hi and let him know what you get to do here.
Vince Gavigan: Good afternoon everybody. Thanks for joining us over your lunch. Jimmy mentioned on Vince Gavigan and I’m the manager of our emerging professionals and university relations team. So what that means is I help manage our practice initiatives for anything related to students to newly graduated professionals. A lot of that entails me being at conferences, career fairs. So seeing this topic about relocation is one that gets brought up a lot in my setting. So looking forward to chat about that a little bit further with you guys.
Jimmy: Overall these two individuals sitting with each day are people who hear the questions that you’re probably thinking you have or they may be preventing you from thinking about relocating in your career. Whether you’re a PT an OT or an SLP. Those are great jobs to have if you want to do what you want to do where you want to do it but there are some things that you’re thinking might stand in our way. These guys have heard those questions have walked people through the process. Whether it be new the graduate professionals or are still a student thinking about it on the clinicians who’ve been practicing for a long long time. If you’d like more information we’ll have your email addresses at the end of the webinar as well as you can text your way in. It’s pretty much how I communicate with most people these days. Text FOX 9 7 2 1 1 That’s Text FOX 9 7 2 1 1. So where to start off. Who’s going to kind of throw some topics out there and I want just your your natural reaction. What do you normally respond with when newly graduated professional students or clinicians ask these questions to you. Let’s start with we’re talking about relocation geographical variables that’s got to come into play what people are looking for. What do you say when those come up?
Vince: Two probably the big things that I end up discussing are in relation to climate right. When you’re looking at an opportunity to relocate. Dollar signs could really be exciting to draw you somewhere. But seasonality are you type in the individual who likes warm weather cold weather. So you really want to play that into your ultimate decision making whether or not long term it’s a place that you really want to live. And then secondly I mean I think from my own personal experience I live in Philadelphia so where you’re gonna be relocating what does that look like geographically to other major cities? Ease of access to other places Philly in particular. You know you’re two hours from D.C. two hours from New York two hours from the shore. So those are things like you don’t necessarily think about onset. But an extended period of time when you’re looking to relocate I think are really valuable.
Kristie: Yeah and I would add to that cost of living cost of living is really important to consider as you’re you know getting enticed to go to certain areas what you know researching what is the cost of living there? What is apartments? What are houses? And what what does that look like? If you have children. What what did the school districts like there? You know we want to make sure that you researched all of that as well as if you have a significant other that will be relocating with you. Do they have the opportunities? What’s the industry like there where you’re going to win or are jobs available for them there? And there are tons of resources out there on you know Google it and tons of resources.
Jimmy: Do you recommend anything particular you brought up cost of living or is that is the pay comparable in that area. Are there any sites that you guys see do a really pretty good job since FOX has a footprint that encompasses 16 states. There’s some variability there. Any sites that do it better than others?
Vince: The Bureau of Labor Statistics I think is usually a really solid go to definitely gives you you know the information coming in.
Jimmy: Yeah. Excellent. So big picture there big take home is whether you’re coming out of school and you see job and dollar signs as you mentioned do your homework. And do your due diligence because you want this to be a really good fit for you as well as the employer.
Vince: Yeah sure absolutely.
Jimmy: All right. Next topic I’ll bring up financial incentives you did mention those those dollar signs when you’re looking at positions those things typically can lead the way in terms of attention grabbing what should you pay attention to there?
Vince: As an individual you need to really consider what are your total relocation costs looking like. And I think that different organizations will offer different sort of packages whether it’s a long term commitment which can vary what you’re. Be getting paid out but nonetheless again part of it is doing your homework and getting a better understanding of moving costs. What it’s gonna take for a gas perspective getting to and from so when you’re looking at that it’s always a great piece of leverage when you’re looking to relocate as to whether or not an organization offer something along those lines.
Kristie: Yeah I think you know oftentimes you’ll hear side that says right that we’ll kind of try to entice you to new locations and if they’re not offering you on like it’s OK to ask you know about that too. And really looking at raises to what does that look like? Right. So they might offer you a huge salary up front but is that going to be the same salary in two, five years from now? You know so like with our new grads weavers we have a pretty structured incentive for them if they do decide to relocate. We have those incentives. Nice increases for them at year one and year two.
Jimmy: Asking those questions perfectly okay?
Kristie: Oh yeah. Absolutely yeah.
Vince: And I think the big thing too is don’t get caught up or tricked by big numbers. Right. A lot of places will offer a lot of money to go to a particular place again. You really want to know exactly where you’re going. That’s not always a good thing that they’re offering you a lot to go. Yeah exactly.
Kristie: Yeah actually. What’s your commitment there to that’s something certainly usually with big sign on bonuses comes with a commitment. Yeah. So just make sure to read all you know looking at all that fine print.
Jimmy: Yeah it does feel fine to be treated like a like a star wide receiver though right. I just know for sure that’s gonna be a big question.
Kristie: Yeah the new guard are now even as a new grad but if it’s you know you don’t have a lot holding you down. I think it’s a great time to be like I mean check out somewhere else to live it can be exciting to.
Jimmy: We’re talking about looking into the future in terms of costs on and as rate raises what will be coming leads us to our next topic future outlook of the organization the practice or the place that you’re actually going to be spending a decent amount on the place that you’re moving for. The future outlook of that company that’s terribly important.
Vince: Yeah for sure which is definitely a conversation if you’re starting any part of the interview process whether it’s you know from our universe relations side or if you’re having conversations with recruiters or someone local who is a clinician. I think it’s kind of two fold right and not knowing the future is important but what’s the stability beyond that as well. For instance in my own position being with FOX started with the practice about two and a half years ago was in nine states now we’re in 17. But beyond that you know it’s important like I had those other conversations even internally. What’s the future outlook of of the company I mean the past is great it makes you feel good structured sound but there’s also an aggressive outlook for the future growth as well and getting specifics is stuff that you can hold any organization or practice accountable to. Absolutely. So understanding you know what are there is a matter of geographically are you going in the more states or what’s the specific intent in this new region that you have. Are there obstacles you see anything it’s kind of holding you up from any potential future growth. I think those are all real valid questions.
Kristie: Absolutely. And even looking you know and they’re fair questions asked during the interview and looking at the stability of the company right. How long have they been around. I think is really important to consider and yeah where do you know where does the where does the company see growth to 5 10 years from now? And what are those opportunities for you to grow? We had it actually when I first started with FOX three years ago, I shadowed with a new grad clinician in New Jersey and he just is now. He got the opportunity to move to Indiana and he’s a regional director. That’s a new state that we got into recently. So really asking those questions and and having those concrete examples too. You know is one thing just to be able to say yeah well we’ll provide growth for you but really asking for specific examples I think is really important in checking that out and knowing all about that is important.
Jimmy: Summing up both of your answers there for for outlook of the company is asking multiple people the story of this organization is, you know this is completely you know looking at with FOX. I bet you if we asked you know one hundred different FOX colleagues they could all tell you the story of the practice and I bet you they all know a feeling about the future and they’ll tell you a similar story in terms of how they feel and what the outlook is they’re all singing the same tune. That’s a good thing to look for in an organization.
Kristie: Absolutely. Yeah. Looking at you know the people that are in the management positions did they start within that practice right. Some practice you know some company is a really big with promoting from within. Some might not be it’s really important I think if growth and getting into those leadership positions are important to you to look at where those leaders came from are they people that were started with the company or are they people that they’re hiring from outside and obviously this growth is important to you you really want to look for a company that hires from within and give you those opportunities.
Jimmy: Great point. Yeah you alluded to opportunities for growth within the company asking if someone promotes within that’s very very important. Also getting getting more specific to what life is like right now you’re looking if I decide to work with this within this practice what are things going to look like. What’s my day feel like. So really a support system leadership structure. Nice trying to ask about really granular operational day to day things. That’s got to be really important. This is this is going to be your every minute to minute exist right.
Vince: Yeah yeah for sure and I think speaking just purely for newly graduate professionals or if you’re a student kind of going through your curriculum and starting to get exposure with clinical experience is asking that question. It doesn’t matter what setting for mentorship coming out of school. Some people feel extremely confident. Some people feel totally overwhelmed. Doesn’t matter because day one is always going to be a surprise. Right. So you want to make sure that an organization that you’re gonna be working for has a structured mentor program in place and really understand the details of what that is. Because mentorship or mentor program can be a cliché it can be a very wide term. So definitely you can ask no questions asked questions about you know Are there requirements for my mentor. What is it that enables them to become someone in that position. What’s the timeline of being in The Mentor Program. What are the objectives that are going to get out of this. FOX has something very similar to that. But I think that you know those are really important things regardless of setting for a newly graduated professional to consider.
Jimmy: Now keep in mind this is just the first few minutes of a free webinar we did a few months back. You can listen to it in its entirety for free right now. Just head to FOXRehab.org and click on fresh FOX content under webinars. Hey thanks for listening today. I’m physical therapist Dr. Jimmy McKay.
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