By Tiffany Lai August 9, 2023
*All opinions are my own and may not represent the experience of others.
As with any job, the hiring manager prefers an employee that:
1.) Will get up to speed on job duties quickly and won’t require much additional training from staff
2.) Will provide safe and effective care
3.) Will help fulfill the needs of the rehab department
4.) Will be a good cultural fit for the therapy team
Without any acute care experience, the objective is to emphasize the last two points and convince the hiring manager you can also fulfill the first two points if given the chance.
If you are applying for a per diem position, clearing your schedule so that you are at the beck and call of the rehab manager whenever they need more staffing or even being willing to relocate to a more remote location will help land that first job. That first job will get your foot in the door for future acute care positions.
For points 1 and 2, continuing education classes and past fieldwork experiences will help show the hiring manager you have some background knowledge and are proactive towards self-learning.
If you didn’t have fieldwork experience in a hospital and are having a hard time landing a job, it may be helpful to work in an acute rehab setting for a while before applying to acute care.