How I Transitioned Into Content Creation[2021]

Do you enjoy writing and/or reading? Maybe content creation tickles your fancy?

According to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), a survery conducted of 285 Physical Therapists revealed 83% experienced some form of burn out!

In this post, I will review the 3 best strategies I have learned in my transition to content creation.

Let’s dive in….

Learn to Network

Making a career change is daunting for anyone, especially for those who’ve spent six figures on education like many health care professionals. That’s why learning how to network is so important when making the decision to switch into non-clinical work. In today’s world, many of us find jobs through word of mouth referrals and the connections we have made. It’s the same for the non-clinical world and learning how to reach out on LinkedIn can be the reason you did or did not get that job interview.

Personally, I was able to set up 2 interviews within the first week of my transition using this strategy and dozens of new connections. Without reaching out directly to these employers using InMail on LinkedIn, there’s no way I would have heard back regarding my applications. Whether or not you get the job, making that first impression by reaching out directly to the employer shows you’re interested in the position and gives you a leg up on the competition.

Rewrite Your Resume

I’m sure for many of you, finding that next PT job may not have been that challenging. Most likely it consisted of an initial application, followed by 1-2 interviews, and finally the acceptance/rejection letter. What I quickly learned is how different that process is for finding a job in the non-clinical world. Many employers use whats called an applicant tracking system (ATS) to weed through thousands of applications. This system looks for specific keywords in your resume related to that specific job title or duties. For instance, if your resume reads like a clinical resume, it won’t make it to the recruiter! There are many tools out there to rewriting your resume, from resume writers to online templates; however, I found the information provided by Meredith Castin’s, The Non-Clinical PT, to be the most helpful. Her classes will help guide you through how to rewrite your resume for each job you apply for.

Don’t Be Afraid To Fail

As a clinician, failure is not something we strive for on a regular basis. I mean our jobs rely on being efficient and highly skilled in getting our patients better. Expect to fail many times over when transitioning to non-clinical work. In the two months since my transition began, I guestimate I’ve received 50+ rejection letters. This isn’t to say you’re not qualified for these jobs, you just need to remember you’re going up against applicants who’ve likely been working in these non-clinical fields for years. You’ll need to use the tools we have discussed previously to get a leg up on the competition. Just remember the famous Wayne Gretzky quote when applying for that next non-clinical job, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”.

In summary, the 3 best strategies I have learned while transitioning into content creation have been:

• learning to network
• rewrite your resume
• don’t be afraid to fail

Using these strategies, I was able to not only land a job in Telehealth, but also a number of freelance jobs in content creation. I hope this post helps you in your transition and best of luck in your job search!