Mistakes I Made on My First Contract
A first contract can be an exciting, yet daunting time. Hopefully, sharing some things I learned the hard way can help you avoid them as you gear up for your first contract! To make traveling easier, especially if you’re planning to move every 3 months, it’s important to keep with you as few things as possible.
Despite feeling as though I offloaded nearly all excess items, I found myself struggling with where to keep all my extra stuff I didn’t need! Here is my list of things you can sell or donate, because even though I know you’re thinking “but what if?” you definitely won’t need:
- Silverware
- Cooking items
- Decorations
- Large furniture
In order to travel light, you must also travel smart. For my first move, I traveled towing a small U-Haul trailer behind my car and learned some valuable lessons along the way. First, even if you make your trailer reservation weeks in advance, it’s written in the small print of your agreement that U-Haul reserves the right to not have the size of trailer you reserved at the location where you reserved it. No matter how reasonable you are, they will make you drive to the next closest facility to retrieve a trailer, so be prepared for the unexpected!
For any prospective travelers towing a trailer for the first time, you should also be ready for your trip to take much longer than your navigation app of choice tells you it will. Trailers have a maximum towing speed that should not be ignored! And when you get to your destination, if your ball mount is removable, then you should remove it and store it somewhere safe, because if you don’t, then someone else might :(.
As far as signing a contract goes, an important question to ask during your interviews is, “How many other travelers are currently at the clinic and how often does the clinic take travelers?” If there are other travelers, then this can be a good opportunity to connect with them and ask questions. However, you should be wary of a location that has far more travelers than full-time employees. This can be a red flag that the facility has a burnout culture and cannot retain its employees.
A tip that I learned from a traveling coworker on my first contract is to ask for time off on a few random Fridays or Mondays throughout your contract. This way, you can plan some long weekend adventures and have some short weeks to look forward to throughout your contract.
My final mistake was not being social enough. Be brave and ask your coworkers to get drinks or a coffee on the weekend. If you don’t jive with your coworkers, there are apps out there to help you meet others in similar situations, like MedVenture. You will find that contracts go by quickly if you plan things to do every weekend, but they can be painfully slow sitting by yourself, surrounded by someone else’s furniture.
Travel healthcare has many challenges but can be incredibly worth it when you find the ways to make it work for you. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes when you get out there and I hope reading about mine can help you make a few less!
