Author: Jordan

As a Physical Therapist, you help people improve their lives. It’s rewarding work, but it can be taxing like any patient-focused career. If you’re second-guessing your physical therapist career path, you need to take a moment to understand why.

All medical service careers have times that demand more, but you shouldn’t feel consistently overwhelmed, or like you don’t have the support you need. If you feel this way, take a moment to understand why and pay attention to some signs that it’s time to adjust your physical therapist career path. Those adjustments could mean switching specialties, advancing your career from a physical therapist assistant, or seeking a new way to use your skill set.

Let’s talk about the signs and explore some of your options. Whether you’re a recent graduate or you’ve been in the field for years, these are some signs your workplace simply isn’t working.

1. Your patient load is too high

Unfortunately, high patient load is an all too common problem. Most physical therapists see an average of 6 to 12 patients a day, but the ideal load should be closer to six. With the time you need to devote to patients and the breaks you need for yourself, it’s difficult to imagine seeing 12 people between 8 AM and 6 PM each workday. If you’re seeing more patients than you can handle but want to continue your physical therapist career path in your current role, talk with your supervisor or manager to find a solution.

2. You’re rarely or never excited to go to work

Many people seek a physical therapist career because they enjoy using their expertise to help people heal and achieve their goals. If you’re not getting enjoyment or satisfaction from your role, something isn’t right. You should feel connected with your patients’ success and motivated to aid their recovery. Feeling numb or unmotivated is a signal that you need to look into a different position, explore a new specialty, or reconsider your physical therapist career path altogether.

3. You don’t have an opportunity to work in your preferred specialty

While you may need to spend some time working in areas you don’t enjoy as much as others, you should be able to have a significant amount of your patient load focused on your preferred specialty. Whether it’s pediatric care, women’s health, orthopedic, or cardiovascular and pulmonary, your role should include your preferred area. If that’s not the case, talk with your employer to find out how you can make more opportunities to concentrate on your area of interest. Even if you’re working as a physical therapist assistant, developing your career in your preferred specialty should be a major goal.

4. You need to work a second job

While passion is important, your physical therapist career path shouldn’t lead you to a position without adequate compensation. Physical Therapists are in demand – there are opportunities out there that will allow you to make physical therapy your one and only career.

Making Adjustments to Your Physical Therapist Career Path

If you’re looking for new positions, there are options! A few areas you can explore include:

• Home Health: Visiting patients in their homes and traveling locally to give care.
• Travel: Travel Physical Therapists are open to traveling to locations throughout the U.S. or globally to provide care.
• Nursing Care: Work in short- or long-term nursing facilities, helping individuals recover from injuries or build stamina as they age.

Other options include taking a teaching position or working as a utilization reviewer for insurance companies. Both of these positions use your physical therapy skills in an alternative way, expanding your physical therapist career path.

Find New Opportunities with Nyman Associates

Whether you’re looking for a new Physical Therapist role or want to expand to alternative options, the experts at Nyman Associates can help. We work closely with all our candidates to ensure they feel valued and supported in whatever role they choose. Our team can help you go after more flexible work hours, work-from-home and hybrid positions, and opportunities for better benefits and compensation.

If you’re looking for opportunities in greater Philadelphia or Southern New Jersey, take the next step in your physical therapy career path with Nyman Associates – send us your resume to get started.

Over the past few years, demand for Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) has grown dramatically in the United States. According to the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Annual nationwide demand for individuals holding BCBA or BCBA-D certification has increased each year since 2010, with a 14% increase from 2022 to 2023.

If you’re exploring behavior analyst career options, you may already know all opportunities are not equal. Especially for recent graduates, it can be hard to know a new position is the right place for you. Before you start browsing LinkedIn or job boards, check to see if you’re experiencing some of the signs it’s time for a change in your BCBA career, and to find a new opportunity.

1. It feels like you’re working alone

Your role as a BCBA requires you to work with a variety of people. From teachers to caregivers and anyone in between, you need to ensure clear communication and establish good relationships. To make that happen, you need support and connection from your colleagues. If you feel like you’re navigating relationships alone without the support you need, that’s a red flag and a sign to explore other behavior analyst career options.

2. It’s all paperwork and protocols

Any career has parts that seem to get in the way of the work and your BCBA career is no different. But, these nuances are generally minor. If it feels like the paperwork and protocols of your position are taking more of your time than your actual practice, that’s not normal. Talk with your supervisor or team to see if there are ways you can lessen the load to help you focus more on your students or clients.

3. It feels like you’re stalling out

There needs to be room for advancement in your BCBA career. As you gain more experience, you should have the opportunity to move into a supervisory position or work more in areas of your specific interest. However, if it seems like you’ve stalled in the same area for years, that may be a sign you need to try something new in your behavior analyst career.

4. It’s become “just a job”

Yes, all jobs are jobs, but most people go into a BCBA career because they want to make a positive impact on the world, often especially in the lives of children. If you’re starting to see your work as “just a job” and no longer have the sense of mission you started with, it may be time to look for new behavior analyst career options.

Other BCBA Career Options

BCBAs often work in schools or educational settings. However, there are other areas BCBAs can work in, such as:

• Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Agencies: In this role, BCBAs work with individuals of all ages. These agencies typically offer one-on-one and group therapy options. 
• Healthcare: Hospitals, rehab centers, and other healthcare facilities all need BCBAs in various departments.
• Residential Programs: BCBAs can work within an established residential program that aims to help individuals get all-around community support. These programs can be centered around youth, the elderly, or adults with developmental disabilities among others.

If you’re interested in exploring different options outside the typical behavior analyst career, there are a few areas to look into. Some BCBA career pivots include:

• Human Resources: managing workplace culture and establishing programs to reinforce positive working relationships.
• Substance Abuse and Treatment Clinics: working with individuals who are trying to overcome addiction and helping work on treatment plans.
• Researcher: collaborating with doctors and scientists to understand human behavior in various fields.

Connect with Nyman Associates

Whether you’re looking for a new role in your behavior analyst career or want to pivot to another field, the experts at Nyman Associates are here to help.

Our management team of clinicians and educators is dedicated to finding you the best opportunities including the potential for better benefits and more flexible work hours. See what you can achieve – send us your resume today.

As a field, education often draws mission-minded individuals driven to make a difference. School psychology careers are the perfect example. If you work in a school psychology role, you’re likely focused on how to help your students excel in school and life.

But if you haven’t been feeling a sense of progress or accomplishment lately, it may be time for a second look. That could come in the form of exploring new opportunities in your school psychology career – looking at new schools, clinics, and programs in your field. Whether you’re a well-experienced psychologist or a relatively new graduate, here are 5 signs it may be time to talk to a recruiter and see what else is out there.

1. Your work is coming home with you

People in all types of roles may occasionally need to bring work home. However, that should be the exception and not the rule. That includes the paperwork, but also the mental weight of the responsibilities waiting for you the next day.

Any time you don’t have enough time to do your work at work, there is a problem. Any time you’re not able to catch the mental and physical rest needed to support your students, it’s an issue worth addressing.

2. Commuting is taking too much time

A bad commute can be a big problem for your school psychologist career. Being physically present is required for providing the most effective support to your students, but a long drive to get there every day will significantly detract from your career satisfaction.

Alternatively, you can look into other positions and locations that are closer to home, giving you more time to devote to your students. Either way, commuting shouldn’t eat into your work time or leisure time too significantly.

3. The workload is too high

Unfortunately, this is another all-too-common problem in school psychologist careers and other education-based roles. Schools may load up school psychologists with students, not taking into account that each student is a person with varying needs. Each student deserves dedicated time and attention, and you can’t provide that if you’re stretched too thin.

4. Lack of flexibility

One of the requirements to be effective in your school psychologist role is flexibility. Students sometimes need intervention when it’s not expected and you should have time to address those needs as they appear. If your time is too regimented and assigned for you rather than by you, that’s a problem both for you and your students.

5. A stall in your professional development

School psychologist careers benefit from continual outside learning. The education field is always growing with new techniques and there are continual studies analyzing new methods to provide effective support. You should have time to understand these developments so you can apply them with your students. Your district should afford you the time and funds to do so.

Finding Opportunities Adjacent to Your School Psychologist Career

Most people go into School psychologist roles to work in a school setting, but if you’re realizing that setting isn’t right for you there are other ways to use your skills. Nonprofits focusing on mental health support for youth are always looking for more psychologists to help assess and work with individuals. Hospitals may also need psychologists for long-term care pediatric patients to help them cope with their diagnosis. Finally, you may consider transitioning to a private practice that works with children or families to use your skills as a psychologist in a non-school setting.

Find Your Next Role with the Support of Nyman Associates

Whether you’re looking for a new School psychologist role or want to expand to another professional area, the team at Nyman Associates can help. We’re dedicated to your success, working with you through every step of your search, application, onboarding, and work.

We work with our applicants to help them achieve the possibility of higher compensation, better hours and work flexibility, and better location among other areas. We can even work with you to get access to the tools and technology you need to best support your students.

Discover your next best step. Connect with us on LinkedIn and send us your resume to get started today.