Tips to Land a Dream Job in Autism Therapy

Hopebridge Talent Acquisition Team Shares How to Get a Job for an Autism Service Provider and What to Look for in an Organization

You’re in it for the kids. To help expand a voice for those not often heard. In honor of the sibling or friend who could have used more support so many years ago. For the smiles, high fives and array of “firsts” some families never expected to experience. And because you know your work today will influence someone’s independence decades from now. Whatever your “why” is for working in the autism world, we are here for it.

But we are also here for you.

As a board certified behavior analyst (BCBA), speech-language pathologist (SLP), registered occupational therapist (OTR) or clinical psychologist, we know you chose this occupation because of the kids … but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t aim for your own personal and professional goals, too! At Hopebridge, we want to help you better the lives of our children while also setting you up in a fulfilling career filled with endless opportunities.

Of course, we hope this means Hopebridge gets to be part of your journey, but no matter which path you take, we aim to set you up for success. To do so, we recently connected with members of Hopebridge’s Talent Acquisition Team, who are on a mission to help you land your dream job working with kids with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). They shared an insider’s look at the hiring process in the world of behavior analysis, plus a range of tips to help you in your job search and find the best company match for you.

How to Connect with Companies and Clinicians in the Autism Space

There are many opportunities open to clinicians wishing to serve the autism community and today’s world offers new ways to stay in tune to all the available possibilities. Whether you are just starting your job search or are happy with your current role and just want to keep conversations open for the future, here are some networking tips on how you can connect with organizations of interest and continue to evolve within your career.

• Be engaged online.
  One of the simplest things candidates can do for their current and future job searches is to have a fully built LinkedIn profile. Beyond that, being active and locatable – make it easy for us to find you! – can open up so many opportunities.
• Get creative in your search.
  LinkedIn and Indeed are good and obvious places to look, as are the websites of the companies you are interested in learning more about in your job search. Did you know, however, that you can learn a lot about a company – and also network with their team! – on social networks like Facebook and Reddit? Through these communities, you can find job boards in ABA-focused Groups and autism job-related Subreddits, as well as connect with current employees for more information.
• Build relationships with others in the industry.
  Connect with other clinicians and recruiters who work in the fields of ABA, speech, OT, psychology and autism, even if you are not yet on the job hunt. This is especially true for those making a career shift from another industry. Everyone – including those actively looking and those who are not – can benefit from chatting up a recruiter via LinkedIn or Facebook, as some of them (ahem, like ours at Hopebridge) are willing to offer resume tips and casual conversations around other topics. We believe in value-added recruitment and are happy to offer subject matter expertise with no strings attached.
• Don’t stress over those first touchpoints.
  Our intention with these initial connections is truly to build a relationship to see if you’re a good fit for the kids we’re serving and for our strategy, and vice versa. We know some people don’t love interviews and therefore our talent acquisition team doesn’t approach these first phone calls as such. We hope to eliminate any pressure and just want to provide you with insight into our company while learning more about you.
• Understand your “why.”
  Having a clear view of why you do what you do will help you figure out what to look for along your search and where you want to end up. Sharing your “why” with others can help you build relationships as well as lead you to companies backed by teams who have shared interests.
• Be yourself while networking.
  At Hopebridge, we want what’s best for all of us. There are no “gotchas” or secret trick questions during our interviews. We tell you everything up front so you have the information you need to make the right decision. For instance, if we learn you prefer to work with older folks, we’ll let you know that our centers may not be the right fit since our focus is on early learners. It doesn’t benefit us to dangle a carrot or sell you on something we can’t provide.
• Keep in touch.
  If it’s a fit, great! But if not, we’ll still follow up at a later time and hope you will do the same. Even if it’s not a match now, it may become one in the future as new positions, locations, life goals and career changes arise on both ends.

“These conversations should be easy. Speaking with a recruiter shouldn’t feel like a pressured, high-stakes situation. We are here to be a transparent information resource to help everyone make the best choice,” said Director of Talent Acquisition David Weinstock.

What are the Next Steps After the Application?

Ok, you applied, now what?

For those who apply on their own, we typically have someone from our team make the initial contact within 48 business hours. We know that phone calls may not always be easily answered, so we like to send a follow-up text or email, too. We want to meet candidates where they are at and connect in a way and time that is best for them. It is important to us that we quickly reach out to everyone who applies, even if the applicant is not qualified for the position, as we appreciate the interest and do not wish to leave anyone in the dark.

Other times, a recruiter will reach out to a candidate first to set up a call, even before they’ve applied for a job. As the number of jobs in applied behavior analysis (ABA) continue to increase comparatively to the number of clinicians in this country, we will likely see this more and more.

At Hopebridge, we don’t think of our first call as a phone-screener or interview. We treat it more like a casual conversation.

“I’m not asking interview questions; I’m just having a conversation,” said Senior Talent Acquisition Partner Kayla Birk. “Let’s say you’re a BCBA. In my mind, I feel like that already makes you more qualified than I am to decide whether you’re qualified for the job. I can look up whether you are certified and find out how many years of experience you have on my own time. Instead, I want to learn what is important to you in a company. What is motivating you to make a change? What are your career goals? What makes work fun for you?”

Once we have this initial touchpoint, we coordinate the virtual or phone interview with one of our regional BCBAs or clinical specialists. Depending upon candidate availability, this typically takes place within three to five business days. This is where the clinical conversation comes into play. While recruiters aim to answer any questions from candidates, it’s often best to save assessment-related questions and other clinical topics for the interview with other clinicians.

Whatever the decision may be after that call, we aim to move through the next steps of the hiring process within a week, depending upon scheduling. Ideally, we’ll be able to submit an offer or let the candidate know the status within 48 business hours. We do not make our candidates speak to everyone in the company or get it approved by several layers of management before we decide to hire them. We know how important time is to our candidates and our current team, so we want to make it as simple, smooth and quick as possible for everyone involved.

“Each piece of our hiring process has a purpose. We know clinicians have a lot of opportunities to choose from right now, especially in ABA, so our goal is to personalize and humanize the interview process for those involved,” said David.

If the candidate is interested, we can also arrange a center tour. We want potential employees to be able to see the kids and the facilities in which they will be working, so we’re happy to coordinate a visit.

See if Joining the Hopebridge Team is Right for You

If this piece got you excited about the opportunities to advance your own career, we hope you’ll consider doing that through a job in autism services at one of our many locations across the nation. To join the Hopebridge team, connect with us and check out the open positions to take the next step in your career. We can’t wait to see what you can do!

*Informed consent was obtained from the participants in this article. This information should not be captured and reused without express permission from Hopebridge, LLC.