My name is Cheryl, and I’m a Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist here at Alliance. I review resumes and have conversations with dozens of clinicians each week as part of our interview process for many different positions all over the country. We want to know more about you, what you love to treat, don’t like to treat, your professional short term and long-term goals, and tell you more about our team.

Our interview process is straightforward, easy, and allows you to ask us any questions you might have as you consider a new step in your career. We’re sharing this information to help anyone be prepared for each step of the process and reduce the number of unknowns that might cause nervousness or anxiety as you apply and interview for PT jobs in your area.

Our interview process

As I said, our interview process is pretty straightforward, beginning as soon as you submit your application:

1. One of our recruiters reaches out to you as soon as they see the application for a quick conversation.
2. After our call, your information is passed along to the Regional Director or hiring manager who works at the clinic where the job will be located.
3. Hiring manager will contact you to have a quick conversation and to schedule a time to meet in person at the clinic.
4. During the clinic visit, you will shadow the appropriate role (PTA, PT, FOC, etc.), meet the team, meet the clinic leader/director, and usually have a chance to talk in private outside the clinic over lunch or coffee.
5. If both parties are interested in working together, an offer is usually discussed during this time.
6. You receive your written offer via email.

At each step of the process, you have the chance to ask questions that are important to you, as well as to take note of the things our company does that might be different than you expected. These conversations allow our team to learn about you, your expectations, and your qualifications, and give you the opportunity to see firsthand how our team works in the clinic.

What our PT hiring managers ask during interviews

During the first step phone screen, we are just confirming details about your qualifications and scheduling the more in-depth interview you will have with the hiring manager.

Our hiring managers usually ask about these key things in interviews:

1. Your professional likes and dislikes
2. Your work availability
3. Schedule flexibility
4. Continuing education goals
5. Salary expectations
6. Student loan repayment assistance
7. Benefit expectations/interests

What you learn from PT interviews

Asking questions at each step of the process is a green flag to let us know you’re engaged and want to find not just the next job, but the best fit. You’ll have the most time and flexibility to ask questions to your hiring manager, but you can also ask big-picture questions during the phone screen that a recruiter should be able to answer or follow up with you right afterward.

Your questions will be unique depending on the stage of your career, of course, but we love to meet candidates who are clearly enthusiastic about their role, are interested in learning through Con Ed and from mentorship, or have a clear idea in mind of what kind of clinic you will thrive in.

Tips and advice from a recruiter

Each recruiter sees things a little differently, but in my experience, I have a few things that have stood out lately that I would recommend PTs should do or ask about during interviews:

• What is the total compensation? – For those who are looking to compare salaries, be very careful. Often, I hear candidates say they had an offer at a much higher salary than the market pays, but there are no health benefits, no free Con Ed, little PTO and much higher patient treating expectations. I tell them to get the details beyond the salary in writing.That way, you can compare the total offer, not just salary.
• What are your expectations of me? – this applies not just to hours, but the type of work you’ll be doing. Will you be seeing 2 patients at once, all day? What is the patient population? This is very important for your personal and professional goals. If you love sports medicine and adult orthopedics and this particular clinic only treats geriatric patients, discover this now, not later. Every PT has a passion, so make sure this clinical team can help you achieve your goals.
• What scheduling flexibility do you have, if any? – How much PTO do you receive, and how do you use it? Tell the hiring manager if you have a vacation or time away planned. Ask them if they can work around your planned PTO.
• For new grads, what on-the-job training do they provide? –  Ask if you are left alone and what the mentoring looks like. Mentorship and training are important to establish continuity of care for the patients you start seeing as a new PT, and it helps you feel less alone and in-over-your-head as is sometimes the case when new grads are left to fend for themselves early on.
• Paperwork/admin time – Along with caseload expectations, many clinics and PT companies expect notes and other administrative duties to be accomplished outside the required hours at the clinic.

Things to avoid

There are a few mistakes I see candidates making that disrupt the hiring process:

• Only asking about the salary. It’s important to know exactly what you’ll be making, but it’s obvious when that’s the only thing on a candidate’s mind.
• Not showing for a scheduled call or interview and not contacting us soon after to explain. We understand current PTs get busy with patients and have to run late sometimes, so a prompt follow-up and/or explanation is key to keeping the process going.
• If you receive an offer of employment, acknowledge it. Never just disappear or “Ghost” a hiring manager. Remember that Physical Therapy is a small industry, and many leaders know one another in the community. Even if you plan to accept another offer, it’s okay to tell them. They will hold this position until they hear from you and may have others waiting to hear from them about an offer. Remember, you were their first choice. Communicate with them, or the recruiter. We are happy to be a resource for you, whether you come to work with us or one of our competitors.

Find PT jobs near you at an Alliance Partner clinic

Put these tips into practice and find your next role at an Alliance Physical Therapy Partner near you! Visit our PT job board or find a partner near you to see current openings.