So, you want to be an RBT?

Spilling the R.B.Tea

A Blog Series by River (RBT)

Episode 2

So, you want to be an RBT. Maybe you are really interested in the field and helping people. Maybe you wanna play with kids all day. Or maybe you aren’t sure if you can handle it, but want to do SOMETHING positive with your career path. If so, this is the blog for you. We’ve interviewed RBTs, HR, and we do this job ourselves! 

I’ll tell you the first thing that comes up and the last, patience. It has been brought up so many times in our interviews, and HR mentioned it twice. They look for it in interviews, and mention it’s part of what will keep an RBT going in the field. It is also something that all of our long-running RBTs exercise a lot. If you’re patient and like working with kids, you’ll go far. If maybe you lack patience, but still want to be in the field, that may require some work from you beforehand. Let me tell you, once you’re in it, it’s too late to build that patience up. 

Another big thing…this is a hard one… attendance. I’m going to be so real with you, you’re gonna get sick. Anyone who works with kids, and we have a lot of people who are former teachers, knows that you’re gonna get sick while working with them. That makes it really important to be consistent with attendance while you can. The more consistent you are with the kids you are working with, the better your relationship will be. This, in turn, will make your job and everyone else’s job easier. Keep your car maintained, make sure you have the time in your schedule, and just be honest about how much you can commit. If you’re in college and can only do part-time, so many of us are! Just communicate and do your best. 

Flexibility is another huge factor. No matter what setting you’re in, being able to adapt and change is going to be important. Maybe the BCBA changes the behavior plan, or they want to try out a new program. Or maybe you’re in a home or school, and they have differing schedules or things they need to get done. Or maybe your kid’s behavior suddenly changes, or you’re asked to fill in with a new kid entirely. Being able to compose yourself, look at and understand a behavior plan, and apply your skills and knowledge to the situation are massively important. 

Patience, consistency, attendance… they don’t quite abbreviate to RBT, but they are what will help you get and keep a job in the field. They’ll help you, your client, and the people you work with. Plus, they are great skills to have and develop in yourself in the first place. We’re also coming out with two more blogs on related subjects soon. Keep an eye out for the interview-based, “What Makes an RBT,” and the RBT-focused self-care skills blog coming soon.