Occupational Therapy Resume Example

The aim of this article is to equip you with all the knowledge required to create a resume that positions you to succeed in your occupational therapist (OT) applications. The article will take you through the key steps of creating a resume that presents your key skills, qualities and career achievements in a format that employers favor. It will also help you tailor your resume according to your unique skills and experience level. Read on to learn the tips Jobseeker careers experts recommend as the best for your occupational therapy resume.

Core sections to include in an occupational therapist resume

The key sections to include in an occupational therapy resume are similar to those for any role or profession. For junior candidates with little work experience, other sections of the resume take on more prominence and might be placed before the work experience section. These could include education, skills, projects, hobbies and volunteer work.

The order you present these sections can vary according to your career stage, but it's still essential to include each of the following:

Resume Header

Your occupational therapy resume header is the place to add your contact details. Start by adding your full name and underneath, include your email address, phone number and location. Adding your LinkedIn profile, if you have one, can help the employer get a better insight into your skills and industry expertise. You don't need to include any additional personal information or a photo. Make sure your resume header is as brief as possible and doesn't take up too much valuable space. Choose a clear, professional design that sets the tone for your application.

Opt for a professional-looking email address based on your name. If your email address could be construed as unprofessional or inappropriate because it contains nicknames or unsuitable language, create a new, more professional email address for your job applications. Always check your contact details to make sure they're up-to-date before you send your resume.

Resume Summary

Next, write a short paragraph to introduce yourself. You could also call this section 'resume summary' or 'personal profile'. In two or three sentences, explain your professional background, achievements and key skills. If you choose to write a resume summary, this focuses on your career experience to date. On the other hand, a resume objective addresses your future plans and career ambitions. Furthermore, when writing your profile, focus on two or three key skills and achievements that showcase your suitability for occupational therapist (OT) roles.

Alternatively, focus on introducing your career ambitions, and why this role is a good fit, both for you and the organization.

A good resume summary reflects the job description and highlights some of the key skills required for occupational therapist (OT) roles, while leaving the reader with an impression of your unique qualities and strengths. The most effective resume summaries also provide evidence to back up the claims made in them. The graphic below showcases some good examples of what to include in your occupational therapy resume summary.

On the other hand, a resume summary can be ineffective if it lacks specific information about how your skills align with the job description, or fails to paint a picture of your unique qualities and talents. See above for some examples of things to avoid when writing your occupational therapy resume summary.

Skills

The skills section of an occupational therapist resume is a chance to list any skills you have that match those of the job description. You could include sensory integration techniques, organizational skills or any other skills that show you're a suitable candidate. Again, refer to the occupational therapist (OT) job description for an indication of the types of skills the employer is looking for, and make sure your skills section reflects these.

Showcasing hard skills on your occupational therapy resume

Hard skills are the key technical skills required for occupational therapist (OT) positions. They include specific industry knowledge and abilities that you could learn on the job, or through a specialist qualification. Furthermore, these skills are essential for an occupational therapy resume as they showcase your expertise in the field. Add up to five key hard skills that show you're an ideal candidate for the role. It can also be beneficial to add context to each skill, showing how you've used it to positive effect in your career to date.

Your resume hard skills list should reflect your unique and specific industry expertise and experience, while also fulfilling the requirements listed in the job description. See the examples below for an idea of what an effective occupational therapy resume hard skills list looks like.

Showcasing your best soft skills

Soft skills are the personal skills and qualities that make you a good fit for the job. They include transferable skills and strengths that help you settle into the role, adapt to new challenges and build effective working relationships. Indeed, transferable skills are growing in importance in the modern world of work, so make sure you include several of these in your resume. Aim to include approximately five soft skills that reflect the skills listed in the job description.

Your soft skills section should make the most of your unique personal qualities and strengths, while also reflecting the requirements laid out in the job description. See below for some examples of useful soft skills for an occupational therapist resume.

Education and Qualifications

The education section provides space to list your highest and most recent academic achievements that are relevant to working as an occupational therapist (OT).

If you're applying for occupational therapist (OT) positions you'll typically need to have a degree. A Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy will usually help your chances of success. You could also list any qualifications that demonstrate your sensory integration techniques or ADL assessment.

List every relevant qualification, including the name and level of the course, the name of the school, college or university, its location and your graduation date. You could also add one or two bullet points to draw attention to your grades if they were particularly good, as well as any specialist subjects you studied. This will help the hiring manager understand your knowledge and special skills better.

If you organized or participated in any clubs or societies while at university, or you took part in any voluntary work, you could also mention these here.

Certifications

Under certifications and licenses, add any further qualifications that show you're a good fit for the job. These could be official licenses required for the job or certifications that improve your employability. Therefore, add any necessary licenses and certifications in this section, along with valid dates so employers can see you're still qualified for the job.

Review the list below for some suitable certifications for an occupational therapy resume:

Work Experience

Your resume work experience section is the chance to show your relevant previous jobs and career achievements as an occupational therapist (OT). Include any relevant jobs you've held in reverse-chronological order. Start with your current or most recent roles and work back through previous roles. For each job, list your title, the name of the company, its location and the dates you worked there.

Add some bullet points under each job entry, explaining your achievements in the role, so the reader can see how you contributed towards success for the company. Provide evidence of your impact and make sure each point addresses a requirement listed in the job description.

A good work experience section pulls the reader in with clear examples of where you've put the skills necessary for the job into good use in your career to date. This typically includes evidence of how your skills and activities contributed to positive outcomes for the organization. See the examples below for some ideas of what a great resume work experience looks like.

See above for some of the pitfalls to avoid with your resume work experience section. A bad resume work experience section might fail to address skills and achievements that relate directly to the job description. Falling back on clichés, vague descriptions and basic responsibilities, rather than showing the impact you made, is likely to disengage the reader.

Optional Sections

If you need to provide further evidence of your suitability for the job, optional sections can be useful for an occupational therapist resume. Add any of the sections below that help you showcase your key skills and experience.

Personal Hobbies and Interests

Hobbies and interests can be a useful way of showing your skills and experience beyond your work and education. They also help to show a different side of your personality, and can help your resume create a more memorable impression on hiring managers. If you're short on real world work experience, hobbies and interests can be a useful way of providing more information about your qualities. Just make sure any hobbies and interests you include in your resume add genuine insight into your personality, in ways other sections of the resume can't.

Voluntary Work

Listing volunteer work is another useful way to prove your relevant experience for occupational therapist (OT) roles. Write your volunteer section in a similar format to your work experience, including your role, the organization name, relevant dates and the details of your contribution.

References

It's not typical to include references in an occupational therapy resume, but some employers might ask for them. Don't add references unless requested by the employer. Only include referees that you've had prior approval from, and notify them to expect contact from the employer.

Best words to use in an occupational therapy resume

Add strong verbs to your work experience section to show the hiring manager the impact you made in your previous roles. Add strong verbs from the list below to create a greater impact with your work experience section.

If you need help creating a resume that impresses HR managers, take a look at Jobseeker's professional resume templates. You can also access beautiful cover letter templates that help your application stand out.

Sample occupational therapy resume

Using each of the sections above, we've created this example occupational therapy resume, to help guide you when creating your own:

Tips on creating an ATS-optimized resume

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) help recruiters and employers to manage their hiring process. They can handle some of the more time-consuming and resource-intensive jobs, such as initial screening of resumes. Employers often receive hundreds of applications per vacancy, and ATS software can quickly and accurately scan and rank resumes based on their likely suitability for any role. There are several things you can do when writing your occupational therapy resume, to give yourself the strongest chance of ranking highly in the ATS stage and progressing through the recruitment process.

Follow these guidelines to create the best ATS-friendly resume:

• Opt for an established, traditional resume format such as a reverse-chronological or functional structure. These will ensure your resume includes all the necessary details ATS systems scan for.
• Include keywords throughout your resume that align with the job description. ATS software tends to compare your resume to the job description for points of similarity, so careful, considered use of keywords should help your chances of success.
• Use clear headings that break your resume up into readable, scannable sections that match the standard content employers expect from a resume.
• Adopt a resume design that uses clear, professional design principles and leaves white space for your content to breathe. Use the most readable fonts and incorporate subtle design elements to enhance the readability of your document.
• Keep your resume as concise as possible, to make it easier to read, and for ATS software to scan.

Key takeaways for your occupational therapy resume

An effective resume is a concise, professional summary of your relevant skills and career achievements, showcased through a chronology of your career history. Pick a resume format that matches your experience levels, and tailor the content of your resume to reflect the details of the job description.

Using the professional resume templates and resources of Jobseeker can help you create a great-looking resume that stands out from other applicants. Sign up today and follow the simple steps to get started. A stylish, professional cover letter can make all the difference to your job prospects. See Jobseeker's cover letter examples, written by careers experts, to help you craft an eye-catching application.

Sources:

(1) Writing a Resume, California Department of Human Resources: https://www.calhr.ca.gov/employees/Pages/resume-tips.aspx

(2) Resumes, Cover Letters and Job Applications, New York State Department of Labor: https://dol.ny.gov/resumes-cover-letters-and-job-applications