Show career progression in the health industry.
Recruiters like to see the journey you have taken to get to where you are. So show your career progression in the industry. This applicant started as a nurse assistant before specializing in OT.
Occupational therapists play a pivotal role in the health field. They take a wholesome approach to helping patients live improved lives. When patients have conditions or injuries, occupational therapists will identify the day-to-day activities that enrich their lives and work to help them gain the ability to do those tasks once more. Most occupational therapists will be found in a hospital but some choose to work in private practices.
This is a women-dominated field with only 16.8% of all occupational therapists being men. It is a fairly high-paying job with an average annual income of about $75k and requires a strong educational background to enter the industry. This guide has resume samples for occupational therapist positions, tips to help you strengthen your resume, and effective action verbs and skills that you can use.
Occupational therapists help their patients live their day-to-day lives, being able to do the things that really matter to them. It is a holistic part of the health industry that you can choose to specialize in as your career progresses. In this role, you will evaluate patients, develop treatment plans, document progress, and train patients and their caregivers where necessary.
Outside of the soft skills that you require such as communication and problem-solving skills, you will also need a master’s degree in OT or a related field and years of experience. Take a look at this strong occupational therapist resume sample.
An occupational therapist is someone who works with patients who need to improve their dexterity, mobility, or daily living skills. Occupational therapists develop and lead patients through specialized treatment plans to improve their conditions. Occupational therapists work with a variety of patients, from those who need to regain mobility after an accident or injury, to those who need to manage the effects of an ongoing condition.
To land a job as an occupational therapist, you will need a Master’s degree in occupational therapy. After finishing your education, you must take an exam and become nationally certified. Having related experience in the field such as prior roles as an OT assistant, PT assistant, or nursing assistant will be attractive to hiring managers. Hiring managers will also be looking for certain soft skills such as time management, empathy, and great communication.
An entry-level OT position requires a highly qualified and eager applicant. Your tasks will be similar to an experienced OT but you may have a more senior colleague, guiding you and overseeing your work.
As mentioned, you will need to have at least a master’s degree in OT or a closely related field and will need to be appropriately certified if you live in a region or state that required certification. Here is a successful resume sample you can use as a blueprint for your resume.
As the name suggests, OTs in this position have chosen to specialize and work primarily with kids. You will help children build skills that will help them do important everyday activities. These activities could include things like putting on clothes or brushing their teeth, which might seem straightforward to some, but might not always be to everyone. As you will be working with kids, you must have incredible amounts of patience and be an energetic communicator. Take a look at this resume sample for this position.
Occupational health nurses develop and share health services with workers and other similar groups. You may create programs aimed at preventing injury or illness or share practices to help workers get back to full health. Many people in this profession have both a health and a business mind and background which is a great combination for this position. If you have this combination, ensure to bring it out in your resume. Here is a recruiter-approved resume sample for this position.
If you want to win yourself a job interview for an occupational therapist position, your resume needs to show that you are capable of succeeding in the role. Use your skills section to highlight your technical and hard skills. Use the experience section of your resume to communicate your soft skills like great communication skills and patience.
An occupational therapist should include tools that they would need to evaluate their patients, the technical skills they need to do their various tasks, and techniques to show the different forms of care they can provide.
Here is a list that we have compiled of skills that recruiters would like to see in an occupational therapist’s resume.
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Occupational Therapist job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.
Action verbs help effectively frame your accomplishments. They allow recruiters to skim through your resume and get an idea of your experience and capabilities. They are therefore an important part of your resume that you should pay particular attention to. As an occupational therapist, you should use action verbs that indicate your experience effectively performing the tasks required of you.
Here are some action verbs that are especially effective for your position. Use them to elevate your resume and catch recruiters’ attention.
For more related action verbs, visit Nursing Action Verbs.
For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.