7 Occupational Therapist Resume Examples for 2024

Crafting a resume as an occupational therapist requires balance: showing your clinical skills and your client care experience. Our guide, forged from hiring insights, equips you with resume examples and strategic tips. Learn to highlight your certifications, fieldwork, and therapeutic successes. We'll show you how to align your resume with industry expectations, ensuring your application communicates your value to healthcare employers effectively.

  Compiled and approved by Liz Bowen
  Last updated on See history of changes

  Next update scheduled for

At a Glance

Here's what the best occupational therapist resumes have in common.

  • Show Impact With Numbers: Top resumes display impact through clear metrics such as patients treated per week, session success rates, program efficiency improvements, and rehabilitation milestones achieved. They matter as they quantify achievements and growth.

  • Match Skills With Job Descriptions: Include skills on your resume that you have and are mentioned on the job description. Popular ones are patient assessment, individualized care plans, assistive technology expertise, therapeutic practice, and regulatory compliance. Select skills that apply to you and are in the job details.

  • Emphasize Specialization: Highlight any specialized areas such as pediatric rehabilitation or geriatric care, as they show your specific area of expertise. This tells employers you have targeted skills for certain patient groups.

Where to place education

As an aspiring occupational therapist, you need to show your education early on your resume. If you have completed a recent degree or certification that is important for this job, place your education section right after your contact details. This will let employers see your qualifications right away.

For those with more work experience, you may list Education after your work history. Always list your highest degree first, followed by lesser qualifications. If you have taken special courses that are directly linked to the job, make sure these are easy to find on your resume.

Highlighting clinical skills

In occupational therapy, clinical skills are key. You need to make these stand out on your resume. List any hands-on experience you have, such as internships or practicums, which show your practical abilities. Use examples that explain how you have made a difference in patients' lives.

Also state any special techniques or therapy programs you are skilled in using. This will show employers that you are ready to work in this field and can handle the key tasks they need you to do.

Ideal resume length

A good length for a resume for someone going into occupational therapy should be one page. This size is enough to show your key skills and experiences. If you are more experienced and the role asks for it, you may use up to two pages. Be sure to include only relevant information that shows why you are right for the job.

Keep your content on point and remove old or less relevant details to save space. Use clear headings and a simple layout to make good use of the page.

Showcase your compassion

As an occupational therapist, you must have a good heart. Employers look for signs of compassion and empathy. List any volunteer work or roles where you have helped people. Make sure to explain how you improved their quality of life.

Use simple examples to show your soft skills, like how you listen well or how you solve problems. These are as important as your technical skills and will help you stand out as a great fit for the job.

Beat the resume screeners

When you apply for a job, your resume often must pass through applicant tracking systems (ATS) before it reaches a human. ATS helps employers sort and filter resumes. To help yours stand out, follow these tips.

First, use keywords that match the job description. For an occupational therapist, words like 'rehabilitation,' 'therapy plans,' and 'patient care' are important. Include these in your resume where they fit your experience. Second, make sure your resume is easy to read. Use a simple format and avoid tables or graphics that might confuse the ATS.

  • Include keywords like 'adaptive equipment' and 'functional improvement.'
  • Use a clear, simple layout with standard headings such as 'work experience' and 'education.'

Personalize your resume

As an occupational therapist, making your resume fit the job you're applying for is key. Show how your skills match the role. Focus on your experience and give clear examples. This makes it easy for employers to see you're a good fit.

  • Highlight any specialized areas, like pediatric or geriatric care, and the outcomes you've achieved.
  • Show your teamwork by mentioning collaborative work with other healthcare professionals.
  • If you're new to occupational therapy from another field, link your past experience to therapy tasks. For example, if you were a teacher, describe how you developed activities to improve motor skills.
Need more resume templates?

Quick links

Samples


Insights