Networking to Grow Your Career in Sports Rehab

As a graduate of the Physical Therapy Aide / Sports Rehab program at Southern California Health Institute (SOCHi), you are prepared to begin work as a sports rehab professional. Stepping into an entry-level position is just the beginning, though. Now that you have the skills and some experience to get started in your desired career, you need to begin building the network of relationships that help you to grow your career.

Growing your professional network is a major step in growing your career in sports rehab.

Importance of a Professional Network

Building a professional network of Contact Us is invaluable, allowing you to cultivate relationships with a wide variety of people who can help you advance in your career. A professional network can be a source of mentors to help guide you as you progress in your career and can be a great source for referrals to other professionals as well. From plumbers and painters to caterers and caretakers, a professional network can include peers and colleagues. It can also include friends, and friends of friends.

Networking and Sports Rehab

Though growing your sports rehab clientele may not be the motivation for building a well-developed professional network, doing so may ultimately lead to more clients seeking you out specifically. Whether your job is in a clinic or other medical facility, your network of professional Contact Us can help you learn about opportunities to improve your profile, perhaps through speaking engagements or workshops. They can also assist you in reaching out to trade and professional organizations that can provide you with continued education courses and labs that will develop your skills and acquire new ones.

Networking can connect you to other professionals in the health industry, in other businesses, and to prospective clients as well.

Building Your Professional Network

Building a professional network may sound difficult, complicated, or even overwhelming, but you may actually know more people than you think you do. Begin by making a list of the people you know professionally, starting with co-workers and supervisors from college internships and jobs, then moving on to your first job and so on. Include your boss, supervisor, co-workers, clients and vendors.

In addition to people you have worked with, think about your friends. Friends may be able to introduce you to other people in the healthcare, rehabilitation, or fitness industries, and an introduction from a mutual friend can be the key to success in many cases.

Finally, maintain contact with your Contact Us. Keep in touch with them through calls, emails and handwritten notes, making sure to concentrate on developing and strengthening the relationship rather than asking for help or offering services. In addition, you have to make sure that you are an active part of your profession, that you are visible. Growing a good professional network relies on you being seen by others in your network and by those who will want to be a part of your network. Join professional organizations, volunteer for committees and other groups that need your talents. Give presentations at organization meetings or spearhead a workshop at a local college. Keep yourself visible and active in the professional community and your network will continue to grow.

Moving outside the rehab room and networking can help make your career as a sports rehab professional more successful and rewarding.

A professional network can do a great deal for your sports rehab career, giving you opportunities to expand your knowledge, your experience, your connections and even your clientele. By fostering a strong foundation of friends, co-workers, peers and acquaintances, you can build on your skills and education to create a truly successful, and lasting, career in sports rehab.

You can find more information about the professional world of sports rehab if you visit the SOCHi blog.