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16Dec

What to Look for in a CF-SLP Job Opening

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Career Advice New SLP Reduce Stress
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CF-SLP Job Pinterest

When you are looking for your first job as a new graduate, there can be a lot to consider. Most will tell you to look for a CF-SLP job opening that pays well and that you like, or maybe has really good hours. This advice isn’t wrong, and can be a great starting point, but there is a lot more to consider if you want to have a successful year that sets you up for MANY more years to come.

If you really want to have a successful CFY, you need to also consider how you want to experience the year and feel during the process. Do you want a lot of support or  a lot of freedom? Do you want a more flexible schedule or something standard and steady? These are also things to consider when you start to look for a CF-SLP job opening.

And when you look at this things and maybe go even deeper, it can help you to have a much more enjoyable, and much less stressed first year as an SLP.

Here is what to look for in a CF-SLP job opening:

  • Pay:
    • Ok, yes, this is still important. Not only the amount you get paid, but HOW you get paid.
    • You may want to consider if you are looking for a salary position or work as an independent contractor. Working as an IC can often pay you more per hour, and if you contract into the schools you get a little less stress from before and after school duties and meetings, but you also might have to do a little more work when it comes to saving for taxes.
    • Being salary is great, because you know what you will make each paycheck, so it is easier to budget. These positions can sometimes come with a little more responsibility outside of work, much as bus duty in the schools, and you won;t get paid for the extra hours you spend at work.
    • It also is good to look at how much you need to make to live the lifestyle you want, especially if student loans are about to kick in.
  • Setting:
    • Setting is important, but not always in the way you might think.
    • Usually, the advice is to find a job in a setting that you are super interested in or that you are very passionate about. This can be very helpful, and keep you engaged in your work, but might also be a little unrealistic as a new SLP grad.
    • As a new grad, you might not know the full scope of the work or how the day to day for that particular work might be. Looking for something that fits your desired day to day schedule (time for breaks, shorter day, longer day with time in between patients, traveling, early day, 9-5, etc) might be a better way to find what will really work for you, rather than something you are passionate about, but will drain you (think if you are NOT a morning person, but the clinic for your “dream” caseload starts at 7am. It sounds exciting, but you’ll be exhausted and might start to resent it). Finding a balance with this can be key.
  • Support:
    • When you are looking for a CF-SLP job opening, another thing to consider is the amount of support that will be offered vs the amount of support you are wanting or needing. There are some CF positions where you will basically be left to your own, with a few check-ins here and there. This could terrify some new grads, or make others feel like they are finally free to do the work their way. Or you might be in a setting where there is support all around you, leading you through each step, which could be awesome if you don’t quite feel ready to be left on your own, or may leave you feeling micro-managed and not trusted.
    • When you look for your new job, ask what the support will be like and see if it matches what you are wanting and needing.
  • Turn-over:
    • If there are job openings because SLPs are leaving this position left and right, you may want to look deeper into what is really going on. Is it a caseload that is super challenging? That might be ok if it is something you are really wanting to work with and are up for a big challenge. Is it poor management or lack of support? You might want to reconsider. Knowing what it is really like to work there, or why others have left, will help you to know if it is a good fit for you in the long run, or something you would have to “survive” for a year (which just makes for a LOT of stress that can continue through your career).
  • More training:
    • One of the hardest things when you first start out is feeling like you don’t know enough. You WILL know a lot, but this feeling is bound to come up, and it can be really overwhelming. To help, look for a place that will help support you in learning more. This might be offering a stipend for CEU courses or reimbursement, supporting you in more extensive training to help you specialize or even offering their own training to help you continue to learn and grow as a clinician.
  • Work-Life Balance:
    • This is often key for finding a job that will work for your entire CFY, and fr the rest of your career – do they support or encourage work-life balance? Without this, you are bound to feel stressed, overwhelmed and burned out really quickly, which can lead to a life-long career of stress, dispassion for your work, or even leaving the field entirely. Trust me, I’ve been there (with SLP jobs and even in yoga jobs).
    • If it seems like the amount of work would be impossible to finish at work, or the hours might be incredibly long, or the mentality (as many grad school programs can be) is that “SLP is your life now”, then it might not offer much in terms of balance.
    • Look for a company or position that encourages you to grow as a professional, but also encourages you to leave work at work, keep caseloads in check, and continues to support you as needed, whether in CEUs, supervision, mentorship, or just having someone you can count on.

You CF year as an SLP can be incredible in many ways. It can inspire you to do more continue to grow in the field for years to come, and it can also be incredibly overwhelming and leave you disheartened at times. To help know what to look for in a CF-SLP job opening, make sure to consider some of the above tips and advice.

For more on managing your stress as an SLP for the long-haul, or preventing it and setting yourself up for a rewarding career for years to come, check out the FREE resources in the SLP Toolbox. You can sign up below:


And don’t miss these CEU/CMH opportunities on some of your favorite SLP Professional Development sites.

Much Love,

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20Nov

How to Have the Best ASHA Convention Experience

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Career Advice New SLP Reduce Stress
2 Comments

_ASHA Convention Post PinterestIf you are heading to ASHA convention, or considering it for a future convention year, there are a few ways to really get the most out of it that go well beyond overbooking, hustling, and go-go-going all weekend long.

ASHA convention is a fantastic time to learn some of the best and newest techniques in your field – from professional issue to therapy techniques to marketing and more- all while packing in a ton of CEUs. It is also a time to network with other SLPs, meet and greet with companies and people you’ve only seen from afar, and maybe even job or school hunt. All of this makes it a very busy, demanding and, hopefully, really fun and rewarding experience.

But, honestly, all of that going and hustling and running from session to session can wear you out, leaving you feeling depleted when you get back to work or even during the end of the weekend.

So while there are some great tips out there for what to do and bring to your ASHA convention (a phone charger or plug, a bag for swag, a tablet, laptop or notebook for taking notes, the ASHA app, etc), there are also a few deeper things that will help you really make the most out of the entire weekend and leave you feeling refreshed, empowered and ready to put all that you’ve learned into action when you get back home.

  • Schedule and Plan Ahead
    • There is a TON to do and see and attend at the convention. Make sure you look at the paper planner or app ahead of time, so you are able to know which session you really want to attend, where they are located, what time they start and if you need to sign up ahead or get there early for a spot.
    • Right these down in a planner or calendar, or add them to you app planner, so you know when you are going and aren’t trying to search in between session to make it to the next course.
  • Community and Connection
    • One of the best things about attending ASHA is the connections and community you can build or reconnect with. Community and connection help you to feel like you are involved and important in your field, and can help you maintain your passion and decrease your overall stress and feelings of isolation, which many SLPs feel regularly.
    • If you have a ton of SLP friends that live far fro you, that you only get to see at work, or that you have never met IRL, convention can be the perfect place to connect. Set up session to attend together or meet up for a meal, drink or event while you are there.
    • You can also use the time to connect with brands, sites, schools, companies, etc that you are wanting to collaborate or work with, or that you have question for. These are usually found in the exhibit hall. Pro-tip: go to these during session times instead of the lunch break, so you can have more one-on-one time with the people and vendors you are wanting to meet and connect with. 
  • Food and Drinks
    • You need to eat and you need to stay hydrated, especially if you want to beat brain fog while you are sitting in those early morning or late afternoon sessions.
    • Look for some places to caffeinate, with coffee or tea you will actually enjoy and that aren’t too swamped (or plan for more time). These are usually outside the convention center or on your way there.
    • Bring a water bottle so you can refill it throughout your day and always have something to drink on hand.
    • Bring snacks and even consider packing a meal. If you are meeting friends for lunch, plan ahead, so you can make a reservation or know how far and how long it will take to get there. Remember that most places will be crowded. Pro-tip: sneak out of your last session right before it ends to beat the lunch crowds if eating in the convention hall. 
  • Breaks and Time-Outs
    • You will need downtime. If you try to push through and go to back to back sessions ALL weekend long, in order to get as many CEUs as possible, you will be worn out, exhausted and not get much out of those sessions.
    • Instead, pick a few to attend each day that are really important to you. During the times when you might have lower energy or need to recharge, consider taking a break. Got o a lounge or grab some coffee or a snack. Go for a walk outside and get some fresh air and sunlight (or rain or snow depending on the weather and location). Put your headphones in and listen to a podcast, music or meditation. Take a break of some kind, so you can recharge for the rest of the sessions and really learn and absorb more.
  • Sleep and Self-Care
    • Just like it is important to take a break, it is also important to practice some self-care, including sleep, during the weekend. This will help you to feel, think and show up your best, whether you are networking and connecting, presenting, or attending sessions.
    • Get some sleep. You may be up really early to attend your first session to commute to the convention center. Make sure that if you are, you head out for the nighttime activities with enough time to recharge and unwind. It can be tempting to stay out late and lose some sleep, but it will benefit you more to have a clearer head and able able to think, function and be present at the next days sessions.
    • Take care of yourself. Self-Care is important whether you are at ASHA convention or at home. Take some time to find some balance form your day and unwind.
      • If you are walking around all day and on your feet, perhaps in uncomfortable shows, put your feet up and rest for a bit when you get back to your room.
      • If you are sitting for most of the day, try taking a walk or doing some yoga to stretch, move and balance out your day.
      • Plan some down time to recharge, hydrate, eat well, and restore.

Overall, soak up the the time at ASHA convention and use some of these tips to get the most out of it and really enjoy your time there, letting go of some stress or tension that you carry around each day.

For more tips and ways to recharge each day at convention, make sure to sign up for the SLP Toolbox, full of FREE resources to help SLPs manage and reduce stress, unwind and recharge, and just feel better overall.

And if you can’t make it to ASHA convention, here are a few ways to earn some CEUs and reduce your SLP stress in the process:

Much Love,

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22Feb

4 Sneaky Signs of SLP Burn Out

Posted by: Jessi Andricks Categories: Burn Out Reduce Stress
Comments Off on 4 Sneaky Signs of SLP Burn Out

Sneaky Signs SLP Burn Out PinterestAs an SLP, you are probably no stranger to stress at work. In fact, you might just come to think of it as part of the job, something that you have been working through and with since graduate school. Stress is definitely a part of life, and a necessity at times, but Chronic, lasting stress on a daily basis is not something we need, and is not something we know how to manage or reduce.

Instead, stress can keep progressing and turn into full blown Burn Out – a syndrome that happens when you aren’t able to find balance in your life for a lengthy part of time, and you start to disengage form your work, losing passion, drive and motivation, and often feeling a sense of dread about going to work.

Burn Out is a real thing and can manifest in a few different ways, often very different than its predecessor, Chronic Stress. Here are a few ways SLP Burn Out might be showing up in your SLP work:

4 Sneaky Signs of SLP Burn Out:

  1. You start fantasizing about other jobs, any job, as long as it doesn’t require billing and face-time. At times, it just feels like too much and anything else seems like a better job than your current situation. 
  2. You don’t feel like speech therapy actually does anything – because of lack of evidence based practice or too mush reliance on evidence based practice. This is often a hallmark sign of Burn Out – cynicism. You start to question the effectiveness and feel disconnected from your work. 
  3. You feel like every other discipline you work with (teachers, nurse, OT, PT) has it better than you. This is sometimes true. But often, there are things in each of these that are stressful, in different ways, and Helping Professionals in general tend to have tendencies towards Burn Out. 
  4. You keep bouncing around from setting to setting, but there is always some problem that makes you move on. The problem is that stress is everywhere. It is sometimes the job, but sometimes it is learning how to manage that stress, so it doesn’t keep happening without being able to work through it. 

If you are starting to relate to these things, it could be burn out creeping in. SLP Burn out is what your Chronic Stress as an SLP becomes when it is unmanaged, and it looks a lot different than stress. While stress is often hyper, frazzled and anxious, Burn Out is more of an unnaturally calm (possibly depressed or deflated), hopeless and given up attitude. When you start to notice your stress shift into this, it is time to take action (if not before!), so you are able to reduce your burn out, love your career again, and find some ease and balance in your life.

To help reduce your Burn Out and manage your stress, try these tips:

  • Connect with a co-worker: Isolation is common for SLPs and the lack of connection can make it easy to feel stressed, disconnected and, eventually, burnt out. Try reaching out to an SLP friend to talk, share and get some help with your SLP struggles.
  • Take time for YOU: Self-care is not selfish, and this alone, downtime can be key in helping you to prevent, reduce and manage your stress and burn out. Take time on most days to do something reflective and restorative (such as yoga, meditation, journaling, walking) to help you clear your head, and find a new perspective or connect to what you are needing.
  • Reach out for help: Connection and Self-Care are key, but sometimes it takes even more. Reach out to a mentor, therapist/counselor, coach or someone who can help you work through it. You can also try checking out some CEU courses to learn more about Burn Out, Stress and how to work through them both.

For more resources on SLP Burn Out, make sure to check out the SLP Toolbox (free planners, checklists, journals, meditations and more). You can sign up below (it’s free to subscribe):


Much Love,

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