How are jobs for massage therapists? (Hilo: salons, hotels, new home)

[Tauralan]

I am wondering how the job market is for massage therapists? My husband and I are moving to Hilo area soon. He will be going over first while I wrap up loose ends. Unlike alot of folks I am not relocating for the Island life. My husband is from the Islands, he has been homesick for awhile. I agreed to make a home there. I have been reading about life there and talking to my husband about it so I am prepared,I hope.
I was in Hilo for three months because my present husband then lover was in the hospital, he survived(barely) for me to marry. I remember that people were very kind to me, everyone was friendly. There is a difference in culture, it was not like anything I had encountered before, but I am not a well traveled person.
I am looking forward to a settled homelife, gardening and working at my chosen profession, so I would love to hear input, especially from any massage therapists from the Big Island. Mahalo

[cynmkolohe]

As you wander through Hilo, you will find several massage options, including schools. There are many who practice massage, but I've often seen ads for open spots for licensed individuals.

[Tauralan]

Thank you, I have researched the schools, read alot of ads from massage therapists, just didn't have any idea if there was a demand for the service.

[Baltic_Celt]

Hi Tauralan -

When I checked Craigslist.org in HI, there are 25 ads for jobs for massage therapists for the past 6-wks. Some were in hotels, medical offices, fitness centers & upscale spas. I wasn't sure if you wished to work freelance?

If looking for freelance, perhaps if you do a small postcard mailing in advance of your arrival, targeting the clients you're most comfortable working with, it will garner some responses. In other words, if you prefer to work in upscale salons, mail to all the salons in the particular area you can offer your services. It could be in the realm of "Coming Soon", listing massage types and/or other modalities of holistic care you offer, giving your email address/website/cell (if you feel comfortable being contacted now) & asking if you may contact them once you settle in xx-xx-08. It's been helpful to me to do this in the past.

Good luck in your new home. I'm sure it will work out well for you & your husband. Also, since he grew up there, I'm sure word of mouth via his family/friends will help you out greatly... Best of luck!

[Tauralan]

Thank you KittensPurr, for the info and the tip. I had been thinking that there might be too many MTs for the area. I am not set on how I will be working, not fulltime for sure. I am looking forward to setting up house. The good wishes are appreciated, I am a little unsettled at the thought of such a drastic change of lifestyle but I also look forward to it. Just wanted to say about the atmosphere on the Big Island, when I was there it gave me an insight into my husbands personality. It helped me understand him better. I don't know how to really say it, but I understand why people want to live there. Thanks again

[Baltic_Celt]

Originally Posted by Tauralan

Thank you KittensPurr, for the info and the tip. I had been thinking that there might be too many MTs for the area. I am not set on how I will be working, not fulltime for sure.

You're very welcome, Tauralan. I'm not a marketing expert, but since you mentioned the area may be saturated, perhaps this is where your personality and/or services offered can shine through to make a difference. For example, being a mobile MT, perhaps with early/late/weekend hours. Or, offering services to those who are temporarily housebound, needing gentle MT/rehab following injuries. I worked at several companies that brought in MT's & even hairdressers once/month for the execs. Or, catering to a tourist clientele with MT combined with a modality which may be specific to HI... or hot stones, MT combined with hands-on healing like Reiki, aromatherapy, etc. Not sure of the licensing requirements in HI... just throwing out ideas.

You may already be well aware of this, but one tip with hotels by the way - I had a female, very attractive, MT in Seattle who did a lot of work visiting clients in hotel rooms. She left slightly different, more biz-like cards/brochures with hotel clerks without her pic to be passed onto clients. To avoid uncomfortable misunderstandings Re: the reason she's visiting a client's hotel room, she made sure she didn't mention "hands on" healing & her card said "Women by Appt. Men by Referral". She said this helped as men who might have thought massage meant more than just massage, were more inclined to ask the hotel desk clerks about the meaning of the word "referral". She always tipped the hotel employees for booking her & helping to enforce the fact that she was a professional MT.

She was a very fashionable dresser, loved red lipstick & wearing her hair down... however, when she visited hotel rooms she made sure she wore a labcoat over very casual wear, pulled her hair into a bun & wore modified make-up to make sure bizmen understood that she was there for therapeutic massage only. She did encounter several incidents, perhaps a hazard of the industry whenever making house/hotel calls, but she said it rarely happened when she wore her labcoat & kept her services to masssage & nothing more (no healing, aromatherapy, scalp massage), so as not to confuse those who might be inclined to ask for/expect more.

Just wanted to say about the atmosphere on the Big Island, when I was there it gave me an insight into my husbands personality. It helped me understand him better. I don't know how to really say it, but I understand why people want to live there.

What a great opportunity this was for you to better understand your husband. Seems like you'll both do just fine. Change is great & always takes a bit of adjustment, even when looking forward to it, but with patience & a bit of time, everything will fall into place.

Best of luck to you both! Aloha... VV

[Tauralan]

Really good ideas, very thoughtful KittensPurr. I really like "the women by appointment and men by referral".
I have been working recently with cancer patients and have looked into volunteering with hospice, but I like your ideas for my bread and butter.
Very positive replies KittensPurr, more thanks

[small rain]

I am a fitnees and aromatic massage therapist. I am looking for a massage job.and I living in Dubai now.

[c-grl]

• there are lots of therapists here, true, but not many good ones.
• The apprentices working out of massage school locations in town knock down the rates so it's hard to compete. Massage prices are less than many mainland cities...while you have a typically higher cost of living.
• compared to Kona, east side customers pay less for massages, as well there are less tourists compared to Kona who are used to paying higher rates.
• that said, if you have a nice space in your house, live in town, cost of expenses down, you can make an ok living. there are people who don't want the junk massages and if you are good therapist you can easily build a devoted clientele. utilizing craigslist, health food store bulletin boards, and massage directories/web sites --- and eventually word-of-mouth will be all you need!
hope this helps some, xo chai

[lizbtrfli]

I am going to massage therapy school here in California. My hopes are to someday move to Maui and work as a massage therapist. Will I have to go to school all over again in Hawaii? Can I get a national certification here in Ca. that will transfer to all states? I would like the option to be able to have a career that I can take with me to all the different states that I may live in, through out my life time.