11 Physical Therapist Resume Examples for 2024

Crafting a resume as a physical therapist means showcasing your skills, experiences, and certifications clearly. Here, find examples of resumes that have landed jobs, along with tips to make yours reflect the expertise hiring managers seek. Expect guidance on presenting your clinical rotations, professional accomplishments, and continuous education in a way that connects with employers in healthcare. This article provides the tools to create a resume that speaks to your strengths in rehabilitative care.

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

  Next update scheduled for

At a Glance

Here's what we see in standout physical therapist resumes.

  • Quantifying Your Impact: The best resumes show what you've achieved with numbers. They may include how you reduced patient recovery time, increased patient load, improved treatment efficiency, or lowered rates of re-injury.

  • Match Your Skills To The Job: Include skills on your resume that you have and that are mentioned in the job description. Popular ones are manual therapy techniques, patient assessment, rehabilitation protocols, clinical reasoning, and equipment utilization.

  • Showcase Relevant Certifications: Good resumes include important certifications. Add phrases like licensed physical therapist or orthopedic specialist certified if they apply to you.

Get feedback on your resume

Want to know how your physical therapist resume measures up? Our resume scoring tool gives you a clear picture of where you stand. It evaluates your resume based on key criteria that recruiters in the healthcare industry look for.

Upload your resume now for an unbiased assessment. You'll get a score and useful tips to make your resume stronger, increasing your chances of landing interviews for physical therapy positions.

...
Drop your resume here or choose a file.
English resumes in PDF or DOCX only. Max 2MB file size.
   100% privacyWe're committed to your privacy. Your resume will be scanned securely to give you confidential feedback instantly. Your resume is completely private to you and can be deleted at any time.

Order of education section

Put your education section near the top of your resume if you are new to the field of physical therapy or have recently completed a degree. This will show employers your fresh knowledge. If you have been a physical therapist for a while, list your work experience first. Your hands-on experience is what most employers will look for.

Always list your highest degree first. For example, if you have a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree, place that above a Bachelor's degree. Remember to add any special certifications, like a board certification in orthopedics, which are valued in this profession.

Highlighting relevant skills

In your resume as a physical therapist, show your clinical experience clearly. For example, mention specific types of therapy you have done like 'sports rehabilitation' or 'pediatric therapy' as they are unique to this field. List the types of patients you have worked with too, like 'geriatrics' or 'professional athletes'.

Do not forget to include soft skills that are important, like 'good communication', which is valuable when explaining treatment plans to patients, or 'empathy' for understanding and supporting patient needs.

Ideal length of resume

For physical therapists early in their careers, your resume should be one page long. This helps you keep your resume clear and to the point. If you are a physical therapist with more than 10 years of experience, it's okay to use two pages. Your depth of experience is important to show.

Use good use of space with a clean template. Cut out old or less relevant information to meet the ideal page count. For example, you may remove your undergraduate education if you have a DPT and years of work experience.

Professional affiliations and development

For a physical therapist, active professional memberships stand out. Include these in a special section. For example, a membership in the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) shows you are involved in the field.

Also, mention any recent development courses you have completed, like a new technique in manual therapy or a certification in dry needling. This shows you are keeping your skills up to date, which is critical in this changing field.

Understanding resume screeners

Many employers use software to help with hiring. This software is called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). When you apply for a job as a physical therapist, your resume might be screened by an ATS before a person sees it. Here are tips to help your resume pass this first step.

  • Include keywords from the job description. For a physical therapist, words like 'rehabilitation', 'therapy', 'patient care', and 'physical therapy techniques' are important.
  • Make sure your license and certifications are clear. List your physical therapy license and any other certifications you have in a section where the ATS can easily find them.

Tailoring your resume for success

When applying as a physical therapist, it's key to show your hands-on experience and skills. You need to make it easy for hiring managers to see you fit the job. Focus on what matters for this kind of work.

  • List the types of therapy you're skilled in, like muscle re-education or joint mobilization.
  • Show outcomes, such as how your therapy improved patient mobility.
  • If you're moving into therapy from another career, match your past skills to therapy tasks. For example, if you were a coach, say how you developed physical training programs.

Important skills to include

When crafting your resume for a physical therapist position, it is crucial to include specific hard skills that match the job requirements. These skills help you stand out to hiring managers and increase your chances of passing through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

  • Manual Therapy Techniques
  • Exercise Prescription
  • Patient Assessment
  • Gait Training
  • Orthopedic Rehabilitation
  • Neurological Rehabilitation
  • Electrotherapy
  • Kinesiology Taping
  • Therapeutic Modalities
  • Functional Movement Screening

It is important to tailor your skills to the specific role you are applying for. Include the most relevant skills in a dedicated skills section on your resume. Additionally, highlight these skills in your work experience to show how you have used them in real-world settings. This approach improves your resume’s visibility to ATS and hiring managers.

Show treatment success rates

Using numbers to show your impact is key. Instead of saying you are good at helping patients, show it with success rates. For example, you can say you improved patient mobility by 80% within a specific time. This helps hiring managers see your real impact.

Common metrics in physical therapy include patient recovery time and reduction in pain levels. You can estimate these by reviewing past patient records or asking for feedback. If you helped someone recover in six months when it usually takes a year, that is a strong metric to show.

Showcasing leadership growth

When you're applying for a role in the physical therapy field, it's important to show how you've grown professionally. If you have experience in leading a team or have been promoted, make sure to highlight this on your resume. Here are a few ways to show your leadership skills and career progression:

  • Include the title of any leadership roles you've held, such as 'senior physical therapist' or 'rehabilitation team leader.'
  • Mention any projects where you led a team, such as 'coordinated a wellness program for elderly patients.'

Think about the times you've trained new staff or interns. This is a good sign of leadership. You can use bullet points like:

  • 'Trained four new physical therapy assistants in patient care protocols.'
  • 'Led a team in developing a new patient education series.'

Showcase leadership in therapy roles

When you apply for a job as a physical therapist, showing your leadership skills is key. If you have been a team lead or received a promotion, make sure to include this on your resume. Here's how you can do it:

  • Include any titles that show you moved up in your role, such as 'senior physical therapist' or 'therapy team leader'.
  • List any projects where you led a team, like 'managed a group of therapists for an outreach program'.

Think about times you took charge. Even if you were not given a formal title, you can still show leadership. Here are some ideas:

  • Mention if you trained new staff or interns, such as 'guided four interns through their clinical rotations'.
  • Describe times you led by example, like 'improved patient exercise compliance by 20% through innovative engagement techniques'.
Need more resume templates?

Quick links

Samples


Insights

Today only: Get a free resume critique from an expert. Find out what hiring managers think of your resume.