This guidebook provides a digestible overview of career choices in the fitness and health care market. Chapter 1 includes material drawn from interviews with professionals currently working within the six allied health fields: physical therapy, occupational therapy, recreational therapy, exercise physiology, massage therapy, and athletic training. Other helpful information includes pros and cons of each profession, required certifications and degrees, projected annual wages, working conditions, ideal personality traits for each profession, and what a future professional might experience when entering each field. Overall, the interviews provide a valuable snapshot of each profession because the interviewees are candid about their experiences, also explaining how they work closely within a team to benefit overall patient health. Chapters 2-4 cover forming a career plan, making educational choices, and resumé writing, respectively. Readers will be heartened to learn that job demand is high due to a current shortage of eligible candidates. The book is helpfully formatted: textual information is presented in brief paragraphs and headers are formulated as questions, inviting reader attention. Bulleted text boxes present accessible summary information.
The book concludes with a glossary and lists of pertinent references and additional resources. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers.