The NATA Early Professionals’ Committee has launched a resource aimed at helping new athletic trainers find the right fit for their first – and future – job.
The goal of the Finding the Right Fit: Questions for Interviewing a Prospective Employer document is to provide early professionals with insightful questions to ask employers when interviewing for a job. Asking the right questions during an interview is an important part of finding the right fit, and early professionals just entering the profession may not be comfortable with this skill or know what to ask.
“Those of us who are phasing out of the early professional timeframe, years zero to six, felt that we could not ask any questions when we were first entering the workforce,” said District Eight Representative Sanam Rezazadeh, MS, ATC. “[We felt] we had to take any job, no matter the pay or benefits, because we have no experience, but that is starting to change.
“With the landscape of athletics changing, it is only right that the athletic training profession changes with it and that job seekers ask the necessary questions to make sure that the job they are interviewing for is the right fit.”
The EPC resource provides a guide to the early professional on questions of culture, growth and benefits, position-specific questions and management and administration. The one-page guide includes questions such as:
- How is work-life balance supported?
- What opportunities exist for title, financial and professional growth and development?
- In what ways does the administration show their appreciation for staff?
- What type of clinician/individual would be ideal for this role?
The resource serves as a jumping off point for new professionals to shape their interview experience. Job candidates should research their prospective employers to come up with additional questions.
“Often, the interview is not used to the full advantage to truly find out more about the culture of a company someone is interviewing for,” EPC Chair Emily Mulkey, MBA, MS, ATC, said. “Our goal is that with this resource, people can ask more intentional questions of those they're interviewing with to make intentional choices about where they want to work. We are in a fantastic stage of the athletic training profession where incoming and early ATs have jobs to choose from. But along with this, we must make smart choices that advance the profession. Looking for departments and positions that support athletic trainers with proper compensation, benefits, educational opportunities and life balance is crucial to continuing to move the needle forward.”
