Interview at Spa, please advise!

[curious1]

Hello! I haven't been on Healthy pages for a while, so hello to you all!

I've just been for an interview for a spa therapist job at a very prestigious Spa and I was wondering what you guys thought about this? I would have to work 39 hours, one weekend off a month, plus tied into a contract for 18 months. Due to all the training and courses they send you on, I would have to pay £4,000 if I left before the 18 months is up!

I was wondering if anyone has had experience of working as a spa therapist, is it likely you'll be injured? It seems silly to injure yourself when you haven't even really started!

I am a qualified massage Therapist and Aromatherapist, but haven't been qualified for very long ( only one year as a massage therapist). I'm finding it to be a catch 22 situation that clinics want at least two years experience and at least 3 therapies yet how are you meant to get experience if you can't get a job?!

Is it best to combine working part time in a normal job and then working in a clinic part time as well?

I find healthy pages soooo useful and it makes me feel a little less alone out there, because once you leave college there isn't really a support network of other therapists for you to tap into unless friends on your course are successfully working as therapists ( none of mine are yet!)

Looking forward to hearing from you!

best wishes
Peaceful

 

[springlillycrystal]

Dear Peaceful,

I have worked in a London Spa back in 1997 for 6 months just after I qualified as an Aromatherapist. I continued to work full time as a Secretary and evenings were spent working privately. I would ask if there are any p/t placements available and if you could fore go any extra training to concentrate on massage and aromatherapy only or perhaps if the contract could be for 6 months without any further training. After all, did you ask to be trainined in other skills or disciplines!! Stand your ground with them. They know they have the upper hand as you can't get work elsewhere due to lack of experience.

Once you have the experience getting other placements won't be such an issue. This is a big problem for newly qualified therapists. There are now more Complementary Practitioners and cross trained Beauty Threapists than ever!!

Best of luck. Sue

 

[Kim V]

Hello there.
I have no Spa experience, but do have a response to your post. 18 months will pass anyway, and will pass quickly,

If you take the job, you will have experience and will know more than you do now, plus wil have the extra kudos of a prestigious spa on your CV should you choose to move on.

39 hours does seem a long week, but some of it will be spent off site. A guranteed income and clients provided for you is a a bonus.

The company will have to adhere to strict health & safey regualtions, so injury is not a strong likelihood, and having to pay a fee if you leave early is standard practice in lots of corporate organisations that invest in staff training.



good luck
tigress

 

[ricynchoini]

ooooo Sorry! Tigress, I am not sure that any company cares about what happens to your hands etc when you do this job! They will have absolutely no worries or obligtaion about it at all. Sorry....

This is my little input.

You need to ask them how many clients you will have a day. If they are one after the other with few breaks, think carefully as your hands will suffer badly. What therapies will you be doing? If you are getting training you might be taking a break by doing more gentle stuff but if it is all massage and reflexology, that's another matter.

I do know how hard it is, we all find it difficult to get going, but I wouldn't ask for two years experience, I would give you a try out and see how good you were and take it from there. I also managed to get work without having two years experience, it is possible - use your natural charm, offer them a treatment and hopefully that will work!

Also talk to the other therapists there and see what they think of it. Book yourself in for a treatment and pump them for info....hope that helps.

 

[hseqyufwijtiunela]

Hi Peaceful,

Must say I'm concerned about the amount of massage work you may be expected to do at this place. As Candie has already mentioned, it can do untold damage. You are not going to be in control of the situation at all, are you.
The fact that they want to tie you in for 18 months is also rather scary to me. It may be beneficial if you can find out what the staff turnover rate has been in the past (ask other employees), they may well be using people until they are wrecked, then letting them go.
Massage is a tough game and in a spa you are more likely to get clients with large muscles and good physiques who want deep pressure and those big muscles don't half take it out of you(I know as I work in an establishment occasionally which provides gents cut throat shaves, barbering and massage)
Didn't want to say Gentlemans Rooms, in case you got the wrong idea......definitely no extras here.

Be sure before you commit
Honeybee[sm=sandrine.gif]

 

[Uncenceannoto]

oops! sorry.

 

[JtR]

Just to add...have spoken to therapists before in a similar situation and they have told me that they have worked back to back on clients. The most I have done in a day (massage) is about 7, a mix of full body and back massage and I was so tired at the end that I couldn't lift my knife and fork up to my mouth to eat my dinner - but I was self-employed and not in a spa.

I have been through the whole 'hurting hands' thing and it is like that at first as you build up. I don't seem to suffer so badly these days but do need to get osteopathic treatment, acupuncture and massages to undo the damage on a regular basis. This is the reality of it. I pace myself a bit more now, but I take my own bookings so I can do that. Personally I prefer not to do more than four massages a day and if I can I do a mix of reflexology and massage. Reflexology seems like a picnic compared to massage and I love it if I get to sit down for a few clients on the run, but that also has an effect on your hands, arms and shoulders (and back if you don't sit correctly).

Important things are your own posture when doing treatments and making sure that you get regular treatments for yourself.

 

[@wrestler@]

HI Peaceful

I know I went for a job when I first qualified in Massage at the spas local to me in the Midlands, however they would not employ me on a full time basis just doing massage as they said that it would be too much on me.

I therefore worked during the day and did my own private work on a saturday and a couple of nights to give me some experience and get more qualifications so that I could do a variety of work throughout the day.

Calmspirits

 

[Mando]

Dear Everyone

Thank you for all your replies, it is fantastic to have so many therapists willing to share their thoughts and experiences! The questions you raised were very thoughtful and good ones, and certainly ones I would ask if I ever applied for a job in a spa again.

I have had a long think about this opportunity and I have decided to turn it down.

Although I have not been qualified for 2 years, I don't want to damage my body now, when I am only just beginning. And although it will look good on my CV I think it is more important that I am able to work for 10 - 20 years rather than have a glorious but shortlived, exploited and gruelling experience!

I will try and build up slowly and work part time in an office job and part time in a clinic, baby steps rather than throwing myself in with the sharks!

Hugs to you all,
Peaceful

[sm=rollaugh.gif]

 

[TerribleTaylor]

Yipeeee

Good luck. Something much better will turn up soon.