Quote: (05-20-2010 03:09 PM)hydrogonian Wrote:
Quote: (05-20-2010 02:16 PM)IshGibbor Wrote:
I am getting my masters in Occupational Therapy and was wondering where are you finding jobs where they pay for your apartment since I haven't found any in my job searches?
I have a passion for reading and writing but I am not banking on making any money off of it until much later in life (too many writers not enough publishers) so for now it is a glorified hobby;however, I do think OT sounds like an awesome job and I love helping people and being involved in someones recovery. The pay is great and I like how they have 13 week contracts in large numbers (meaning I can work for six months and with the money I've saved up can go travel). Until I get my multimillion dollar publishing deal this is a nice consolation prize.
Interesting about not finding apartment jobs. I haven't browsed OT jobs, but they generally offer similar benefits to travel PT, SLP and nursing jobs. Did you look at a wide variety of travel therapy agencies?
That being suggested, the job market would determine how much they offer in the way of benefits. If there are too many OTs, then the benefits would decline. If the need is greater than the supply, then you will see better benefits such as apartment jobs. But remember that its possible that some of these type of positions may offer you a free apartment at the cost of lower hourly pay, and so you would be indirectly paying for your apartment anyway. You have to weigh the total package on every job. But for a guy who wants to spend 6 months a year in Thailand, for instance, then not having to sign a lease when he comes back to work might be worth a lower hourly rate.
A college professorship is a good job. Is the OT market flooded with PHDs? Very specific Professor niches such as OT and SLP tend to be less flooded than, say, teaching history or english. I know that if I wanted to get a phd to teach SLP, then I could likely have my choice of jobs. But that would require four years after my masters, I believe. I don't think it would be worth it unless I was otherwise bored out of my skull.
From what I have seen OT's have a much higher job opportunities then PT's (not sure about SLP). I haven't researched deeply into the benefits but I assumed that if housing was available they would have that in their headline too attract workers, but trust me there is a lot of work for OTs (over 1000+ jobs in the Miami Dade area alone). With the baby boomers retiring job security will not be an issue at all.
I don't see myself signing a lease longer then six months ever given that I don't plan on staying in one area for more then six months if I can help it. That said if I do fall in love with a place I wouldn't mind staying longer.
PHD is something that I could do only as an English professor but in doing so I would be wasting my time since there are far more PHD's then tenured positions. Even graduating from a top ten school you still at best are looking at adjunct and if you do find a tenured track it is more then likely in bumfuck Alabama, Montana, or Wyoming rather then your "dream" position in LA. Even in community college most schools want to see a PHD and given the amount of debt and time invested it simply ain't worth it. Doing it in OT or PT would give you far more flexibility but you have to ask if you want to be doing scholarly research in that field?
Needless to say I envision getting contract work until I save up enough money to travel for six months to a year and then coming back the U.S. too make more money and save until I can travel again. During my free time I can write and read my ass off until I land a deal with a publisher who will pay me to write and then my dream will have come true. Very far fetched but I don't want to work the 9-5 crap any longer then I have too and although four hour work week stuff sounds nice I am not into computers or online marketing or web-design (Although maybe I can learn to like it if it gets me the freedom I seek)
Ish