Want to learn more about being a graduate physiotherapist?
So, you are reaching the end of your final year of university. Maybe you are taking your final few subjects or about to tick off your last few placements. It dawns on you that you need to start applying for jobs! This article is designed to help you better understand what it would be like to be a community physiotherapist.
This article is broken down into 5 parts:
What is a community physiotherapist?
Where can I find a community physiotherapy job?
What are the perks of being a community physiotherapist?
What are some drawbacks of being a community physiotherapist?
What are employers looking for when hiring a graduate?
What is a community physiotherapist?
A community physiotherapist is a clinician who sees patients in the community. Big surprise, right? This can include but is not limited to homes, aged care facilities and workplaces. They essentially bring the clinic to where the patients are. These patients can range from a variety of private clients, homecare package clients or NDIS participants.
Where can I find a community physiotherapy job?
An excellent place to start looking is websites such as Seek, Indeed or CareerOne. Companies will usually describe who they are and what they are looking for. Another way to find a job is through a recruiter, headhunter, a job agency, or other networking platforms such as LinkedIn.
Community jobs are available throughout the year. There tends to be more availability of positions towards the end of the year (October-November period) and a mid-year intake (June-July).
What are the perks of being a community physiotherapist?
Community jobs can vary significantly between different companies. This article will only discuss the general differences between private and public settings in the community space.
- Work with a wide range of clients
This allows therapists to work with patients with a range of pathologies. Clinicians also have the opportunity to develop deep and meaningful relationships with clients and help them achieve their goals. However, if you are looking to work with athletes, community physio is probably not the place for you.
- Emphasis on work-life balance
Many community physiotherapy companies can take on therapists on either a full or part-time basis. Most jobs are Monday to Friday, 9 am-5 pm, giving you your weekend and evenings to catch up with friends and family.
- Working at a more comfortable pace
The flexible nature of community physiotherapy allows therapists to be more flexible with their time. Often you may find yourself having a 15-minute drive between each patient, which allows you to decompress and reflect before seeing your next patient.
- Above average salary
This can vary significantly between where you work, but generally, community physiotherapy positions offer a higher salary than the average graduate salary. Here at Melbourne Mobile Physio, we offer a salary well above the award rate for the right candidate.
What are some drawbacks of being a community physiotherapist?
- Limited face-to-face time with colleagues
As a clinician in the community, you will see your colleagues much less than in a clinic setting. This can leave someone new to this space feeling lonely out in the community by themself. Here at Melbourne Mobile Physio, we emphasise work culture. We have an office for clinicians to do their admin work and meet their colleagues. We also host regular catchups or events to build comradery amongst our clinicians.
- Limited Professional Development
I believe this is a common myth about community physiotherapy. Many companies provide several resources for professional development. It is best to check the job advertisement or the hiring manager to see what that company offers. Here at Melbourne Mobile Physio, we seek to support and grow all our clinicians throughout their careers. We provide regular catchups with a senior clinician both virtually and face to face. This allows graduates to discuss complex cases or check in on their wellbeing. We also run workshops and have guest speakers coming in to discuss a range of topics. This ensures that graduates are constantly developing and growing throughout their careers.
What are employers looking for when hiring a graduate?
The nature of work requires clinicians to drive to patients in the community, so a car and valid driver’s licence is generally required. Some companies have the option of a company car. Other than that, other skills they may be looking for can be found in their job advertisement.
At Melbourne Mobile Physio, we always seek new members to join our team. If you are interested in finding out more, you can apply through this link or contact us if you have any questions, and we would be happy to help. Good luck with your future careers!
Apply now:
https://www.melbournemobilephysio.net.au/join-our-team
Contact us:
info@melbournemobilephysio.net.au
(03) 9123 4423