Jobs are as important for our characters as they are for real people. A character’s career might be their dream job or one they’ve chosen due to necessity. In your story, they might be trying to get that job or are already working in the field. Whatever the situation, as with any defining aspect for your character, you’ll need to do the proper research to be able to write that career knowledgeably.
Enter the Occupation Thesaurus. Here, you’ll find important background information on a variety of career options for your character. In addition to the basics, we’ll also be covering related info that relates to character arc and story planning, such as sources of conflict (internal and external) and how the job might impact basic human needs, thereby affecting the character’s goals.
We hope the sample list of ideas below will show you how to choose and use your character’s occupation to do more than simply reference a day job. For the full entry for this career and over 120 other ideas, check into our bestselling resource, The Occupation Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Jobs, Vocations, and Careers.
Massage Therapist
Overview: A massage therapist will evaluate a client for injuries and then manipulate muscle and soft tissue to bring them relief from pain, help heal injuries, improve circulation, alleviate stress and offer relaxation and overall wellness. They may specialize in a variety of modalities (Swedish, Hot Stone, Aromatherapy, Deep Tissue, Shiatsu, Reflexology, Sports massage, Pregnancy massage, etc.) and work in different environments such as spas, doctor’s offices…
Necessary Training: Most therapists enter a post secondary program that is part classroom study, part hands on massage. Programs often require 500 hours of practice and have an exam. Additional time will be…
Useful Skills, Talents, or Abilities: A knack for languages, basic first aid, charm, empathy, enhanced hearing, ESP (clairvoyance), exceptional memory…
- POSITIVE: Adaptable, analytical, cautious, curious, disciplined, discreet, empathetic, focused, friendly, industrious, meticulous, observant…
- NEGATIVE: controlling, gossipy, perfectionist, workaholic
Sources of Friction: A client being evasive about symptoms out of embarrassment, a client not disclosing a condition (like pregnancy) or injury, having someone on the table who is highly medicated and less able to offer feedback during a session regarding pain levels, clients who don’t like to be touched, clients who “read into” the massage in a sexual way, being told secrets or gossip about others one know…
People They Might Interact With: clients, doctors, chiropractors, administration, suppliers
How This Occupation Might Impact One’s Basic Needs:
- Esteem and Recognition: A character who has traditionally struggled with feeling valued by others may seek out this career to directly influence the health and wellness of others…
- Love and Belonging: A character who is in a long term relationship with someone who suffers from injuries or a condition that requires a lot of massage therapy (say, after a car accident or workplace incident) may choose this career …
Common Work-Related Settings: airport, beach, cruise ship, fitness center, hotel room, penthouse suite, rec center, spa, therapist’s office, yacht
Twisting the Fictional Stereotype: Massage therapists are often portrayed as hot young guys or beautiful, small framed women, but the reality is that the muscle manipulation requires a lot of core strength. Make sure your character’s body type fits the profession and remember the “hotness” level has nothing to do with this career.
Visit the other Occupations in our collection HERE.
How will your character’s occupation help reveal their innermost layers?
Much of your character’s life will revolve around their work, and whether they love it or hate it, their job is a great way to show, not tell, their personality traits, skills, work ethic, worldview and beliefs, and more, so we should choose it with care.
To learn more, we recommend The Occupation Thesaurus book. Explore 120+ jobs to choose a profession for your character that showcases who they are, what they want, and what they believe in. Then learn how that career choice can characterize, drive the plot, infuse scenes with conflict, and get readers on the character’s side through the relatable pressures, responsibilities, and stakes inherent with work.
You can find this bestselling thesaurus writing guide in print, ebook, and PDF formats. To see what other authors think of the book, read its reviews at Goodreads.
Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.