Consider Massage Therapy Careers -- Six Reasons Why You Should Become A Massage Therapist
Your Massage Career
Here are six good reasons to consider one of many massage therapy careers available to you.
First of all, I wanted a change in my career. Are you sick and tired of what you are doing now to earn a living? I know that I was.
I longed to do something that I could enjoy doing each day to earn money. I hated what I did. I did it to pay the bills. I would wake up each morning upset and depressed because I had to go through another day of office politics, pressure, and fighting with a computer system that was down more than it was up, yet I was still expected to meet production goals. I truly hated my job.
I have always enjoyed helping people. Massage therapists have the chance to help people relax and lessen physical pain. Do you like helping people? Have yoou been told you give a great massage? If so, you should think about a career in massage therapy.
Reason number two is that I hated the whole concept of corporate America where the company and the bottom line are important, not the individual.
Each day, I would get up in the dark, dress in business attire and heels, and drive across town on the freeway to go to a huge office to make money for someone else. A huge chunk of my pay was used up on gas, a high car payment, business clothes and shoes, and child care expenses.
I had no time to really spend with my family or to enjoy my home because of all of the mandatory overtime involved in my job. I worked 50 plus hours per week because they said I had to, not because I wanted to. My marriage suffered. My children suffered. I suffered. My company got richer because of my hard work.
As a self-employed massage therapist, the work will be hard, especially at first as you build your practice, but the profit will be all yours. Of course, there are business costs but you do not get a small hourly wage to pay your bills. After overhead and taxes, the money you make is yours, not some company's. But the money is good. For an hour's massage, you can earn anywhere from $40 to $125, depending on the type of massage given and the area of the country where you live.
My third reason to consider one of the available massage therapy careers is freedom from a set schedule. At my corporate job, I had to clock in at the same time each day and take a full hour of lunch each day, no matter if I needed more or less time. Each day I had to face traffic in the morning and again in the evening, wasting time in commuting across town in bumper to bumper traffic on the freeway.
As a self-employed massage therapist, you can set your own hours.
You control the schedule book. No overtime, no missing family meals. No more missing special school programs, plays, games, or outings. No working nights or weekends unless you want to. If you need a morning or an afternoon off to handle personal business, just don't schedule a client for that time. No more missing teacher conferences or doctor appointments.
As I mentioned above, the fourth reason to become a massage therapist and choose one of many massage therapy careers is that the money is good. It takes a while to build up a good clientele, but once you do, and you give great service to your clients, you can make a good living. No, you will not get rich, but you will not be making $10 or $15 an hour.
Plus, massage clients tend to tip well, especially when you help them resolve pain issues. One of my massage teachers always used to say that if you take good care of your clients, your clients will take good care of you. Not only will they be regular clients, but they will give you extra pay.
The fifth reason to become a massage therapist is to own your own life. Not only do you create your own work schedule and pay yourself whatever profits you make, but you get to feel like you have accomplished something for you at the end of the day.
You own your own business, making the money that you want to make by the amount of massages you perform each week. You can decide to work special events on the weekends for additional pay if you need it. You can work conventions and sporting events using your massage chair, picking up extra money and clients. Massage therapy careers are plentiful.
If you want to take a one or two week vacation, you don't need anyone's permission. You do not have to bid for the days off that you want. If a family member gets sick, you don't have to call in sick and wonder if you will be fired from your job because you have used too many sick days.
If you want to spend the summer at the beach, pack up your table and chair and work at the beach doing massages when you need cash, yet still have the time off that you want. (Make sure you check licensing requirements in another town or state prior to doing this.)
The sixth reason to become a massage therapist, if you love helping people, is to prove to yourself that you can do it.
You know that you are intelligent enough to go to massage school, study, pass the tests, and earn your massage therapy license, all on your own. You owe it to yourself to become a massage therapist, a real medical professional with a great career. You can have the life you want, choosing one of many massage therapy careers, instead of the life you are stuck in right now.
Make a plan. Save money or see about taking out a student loan. Some massage students go to school full time or part time while continuing to work their full time job. Check out schools in your area and visit them. Find out about their financial aid programs and their class schedules. The sooner you start on your journey to choose from so many massage therapy careers, the sooner you can begin your new life, saying goodbye to corporate America for good.