occupational therapy cv personal statement

Occupational Therapist CV example

If you’re great at listening and you want to help people, a career as an occupational therapist is perfect for you.

But it is a competitive industry to get into.

So, to assist you in creating a killer CV that showcases your skills and helps you to stand out, we’ve put together an example of an occupational therapist CV and guide below.

Guide contents

Occupational Therapist CV example

• Structuring and formatting your CV
• Writing your CV profile
• Detailing work experience
• Your education
• Skills required for your Occupational Therapist CV

CV templates 

Unsure of what your Occupational Therapist CV should look like?

Take a good look at the CV example above to get familiar with the structure, layout and format of a professional CV.

As you can see, it provides plenty of relevant information about the applicant but is still very easy to read, which will please busy recruiters.

Occupational Therapist CV structure and format

Your CV is the very first impression you’ll make on a potential employer.

A disorganised, cluttered and barely readable CV could seriously decrease your chances of landing interviews, so it’s essential to make sure yours is slick, professional and easy to navigate.

You can do this by employing a clear structure and formatting your content with some savvy formatting techniques – check them out below:

Formatting Tips

• Length: Two sides of A4 makes for the perfect CV length , though one page is okay for less experienced applicants. This forces you to make sure that every single sentence adds value to your CV and ensures you avoid waffle.
• Readability : Make sure your CV is easy to read and looks professional by applying some simple formatting tricks. Bullet points are great for making large paragraphs more digestible, while formatting your headings with bold or coloured text will help the reader to find the information they need, with speed.
• Design: Your CV needs to look professional, sleek and easy to read. A subtle colour palette, clear font and simple design are generally best for this, as fancy designs are often harder to navigate.
• Avoid photos: It’s tempting to add a profile photo or images to your CV, especially if you’re struggling to fill up the page – but it’s best avoided! They won’t add any value to your application and, as are not a requirement the UK, so recruiters do not expect it, or want to see it.

Structuring your CV

When writing your CV , break up the content into the following key sections, to ensure it can be easily digested by busy recruiters and hiring managers:

• Contact details – Always list these at the very top of your CV – you don’t want them to be missed!
• Profile – An introductory paragraph, intended to grab recruiters attention and summarise your offering.
• Work experience / career history – Working from your current role and working backwards, list your relevant work experience.
• Education – Create a snappy summary of your education and qualifications.
• Interest and hobbies – An optional section to document any hobbies that demonstrate transferable skills.

Now I’ll guide you through exactly what you should include in each CV section.

CV Contact Details

Start off your CV with a basic list of your contact details. Here’s what you should include:

• Mobile number
• Email address – It’s often helpful to make a new email address, specifically for your job applications.
• Location – Share your town or city; there’s no need for a full address.
• LinkedIn profile or portfolio URL – Make sure the information on them is coherent with your CV, and that they’re up-to-date

Quick tip: Delete excessive details, such as your date of birth or marital status. Recruiters don’t need to know this much about you, so it’s best to save the space for your other CV sections.

Occupational Therapist CV Profile

Grab the reader’s attention by kick-starting your CV with a powerful profile (or personal statement , if you’re a junior applicant).

This is a short introduction paragraph which summarises your skills, knowledge and experience.

It should paint you as the perfect match for the job description and entice recruiters to read through the rest of your CV.

Tips for creating an impactful CV profile:

• Keep it brief: It might be tempting to submit a page-long CV profile, but recruiters won’t have the time to read it. To ensure every word gets read, it’s best to include high-level information only; sticking to a length of 3-5 lines.
• Tailor it: Recruiters can spot a generic, mass-produced CV at a glance – and they certainly won’t be impressed! Before you write your profile (and CV as a whole), read through the job advert and make a list of any skills, knowledge and experience required. You should then incorporate your findings throughout your profile and the rest of your CV.
• Don’t add an objective: Want to talk about your career goals and objectives? While the profile may seem like a good space to do so, they’re actually much better suited to your cover letter .
• Avoid cliches: If your CV is riddled with clichès like “Dynamic thought-leader”, hit that delete button. Phrases like these are like a broken record to recruiters, who read them countless times per day. Hard facts, skills, knowledge and results are sure to yield far better results.

What to include in your Occupational Therapist CV profile?

• Summary of experience: To give employers an idea of your capabilities, show them your track record by giving an overview of the types of companies you have worked for in the past and the roles you have carried out for previous employers – but keep it high level and save the details for your experience section.
• Relevant skills: Employers need to know what skills you can bring to their organisation, and ideally they want to see skills that match their job vacancy. So, research your target roles thoroughly and add the most important Occupational Therapist skills to your profile.
• Essential qualifications: Be sure to outline your relevant Occupational Therapist qualifications, so that anyone reading the CV can instantly see you are qualified for the jobs you are applying to.

Quick tip: Your CV is your first impression on recruiters, so it’s vital to avoid spelling and grammar mistakes if you want to appear professional. Use our quick-and-easy CV Builder to add pre-written content that has been crafted by recruitment experts.

Core skills section

Underneath your profile, create a core skills section to make your most relevant skills jump off the page at readers.

It should be made up of 2-3 columns of bullet points of your relevant skills.

Before you do this, look over the job description and make a list of any specific skills, specialisms or knowledge required.

Then, make sure to use your findings in your list. This will paint you as the perfect match for the role.

Work experience/Career history

Now that recruiters have a good overview of your skills and abilities, you need to jump into the detail of your career history.

Give them a more thorough insight into what you can do by creating a detailed list of your relevant experience.

Start with your current role, and work backwards through all the relevant positions you’ve held. This could be freelance, contract or voluntary work too; as long as it’s related to the role you’re applying for.

Structuring your roles

Whilst writing your CV, it’s essential to look at it from the eyes of a recruiter.

If they’re met with giant blocks of text which are impossible to navigate, they might get frustrated and skip onto the next CV.

Instead, make use of the 3-step structure shown below, to give them a pleasant reading experience.

Provide a brief overview of the job as a whole, such as what the overriding purpose of your job was and what type of company you worked for.

Key responsibilities

Use bullet points to detail the key responsibilities of your role, highlighting hard skills, software and knowledge wherever you can.

Keep them short and sharp to make them easily digestible by readers.

Key achievements

Round up each role by listing 1-3 key achievements , accomplishments or results.

Wherever possible, quantify them using hard facts and figures, as this really helps to prove your value.

Next up, you should list your education and qualifications.

This can include your formal qualifications (a degree, A-Levels and GCSEs), as well as sector-specific Occupational Therapist qualifications and/or training.

While school leavers and recent grads should include a lot of detail here to make up for the lack of work experience, experienced candidates may benefit from a shorter education section, as your work experience section will be more important to recruiters.

Interests and hobbies

This section is entirely optional, so you’ll have to use your own judgement to figure out if it’s worth including.

If your hobbies and interests could make you appear more suitable for your dream job, then they are definitely worth adding.

Interests which are related to the industry, or hobbies like sports teams or volunteering, which display valuable transferable skills might be worth including.

Essential skills for your Occupational Therapist CV

Tailoring your CV to the roles you are applying for is key to success, so make sure to read through the job descriptions and tailor your skills accordingly.

However, commonly desired  Occupational Therapist  skills include:

Medical expertise: You need a strong understanding of the physical and neurological needs of your patients so you can diagnose and treat them

Planning: You’ll be required to create appropriate treatment and aftercare plans

Communication skills: You need to be able to communicate effectively with patients, family members, carers and other doctors

Administrative skills: As part of the role, you’ll need to take on a number of administrative tasks such as updating patient records, sending emails and making phone calls

Patience and compassion: A crucial part of being an occupational therapist is listening, being compassionate and showing empathy to your patients

Writing your Occupational Therapist CV

An interview-winning CV for a Occupational Therapist role, needs to be both visually pleasing and packed with targeted content.

Whilst it needs to detail your experience, accomplishments and relevant skills, it also needs to be as clear and easy to read as possible.

Remember to research the role and review the job ad before applying, so you’re able to match yourself up to the requirements.

If you follow these guidelines and keep motivated in your job search, you should land an interview in no time.

Best of luck with your next application!

Resume Worded   |  Career Strategy

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5 Occupational Therapist CV Examples - Here's What Works In 2024

Kicking off a career as an occupational therapist the perfect cv can make or break your shot. in this read, we're rolling up our sleeves and diving into real-world cv samples. we'll dissect what works, snatch up the eye-catching templates, and hand you the keys to crafting a cv that speaks volumes to hiring managers. master this, and you'll stand tall in a sea of applicants..

As an occupational therapist, you're no novice in understanding the working of human minds and fostering improvement, growth, and rehabilitation. But when it comes to penning these skills professionally on your resume, you might find it a tad bit challenging. An occupational therapist's CV requires balancing the detailing of intricate skills with clear language, reflecting your patient-first approach and the adeptness of coordinating various therapy interventions. Over the years, a career as an occupational therapist has morphed significantly. It has shifted from just aiding patients physically to providing holistic treatments, revolving around both mental and emotional aspects. Forecasting the future, the 2023-2024 trend indicates a stronger essence of technology in therapy, and your CV should mirror your readiness to advance with this change. Now, if you're pondering over CVs vs resumes, don't get entangled in the web of confusion. As a hiring manager, I assure you they're merely different terminologies for the same 1-2 page document that vividly depicts your career journey. The term CV is more common in the UK, Europe, and Australia, while 'resume' is a more American term. Remember, a lengthy 3-4 page CV is suitable only if you're into research or academic roles. In the rest of this article, we delve into the nitty-gritty of crafting a top-notch occupational therapist CV. We'll explore effective templates for 2024, highlight the key skills to flaunt, and provide samples to get your creative juices flowing. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just stepping into the field, you'll find tips that can help your CV outshine the others in the therapist arena.

Occupational Therapist CV Templates

Jump to a template:

• Occupational Therapist
• Entry-Level Occupational Therapist
• Pediatric Occupational Therapist
• Occupational Health Nurse

Jump to a resource:

• Keywords for Occupational Therapist CVs
• Action Verbs to Use
• Related Medical CVs
• Similar Careers to a Occupational Therapist
• Occupational Therapist Resume Examples

Template 1 of 5: Occupational Therapist CV Example

As an Occupational Therapist, you're a bridge between patients and their journey to leading independent lives. Your CV needs to capture this, and remains a key gateway to land that coveted interview. In recent years, the demand for occupational therapists has surged, with more focus on mental health and work-life balance. Therefore, a successful CV should highlight your ability to adapt to these trends and execute strategies to address patients' needs effectively. Remember, the person reading your CV probably isn't a therapist, so avoid dense medical jargon. Instead, concentrate on showing how you've made a difference in past roles without getting bogged down in technicalities. Be specific about your impact and demonstrate your knowledge of the current state of therapy.

Tips to help you write your Occupational Therapist CV in 2024

   show your hands-on experience.

It's crucial you detail the hands-on experience you've gained during your career. Did you plan and execute individual treatment plans? Did you use specific therapeutic methods or equipment? Talk about it. Employers need to know you've got practical skills that make a real difference to patients.

   Demonstrate your soft skills

As an Occupational Therapist, you interact with a range of people - patients, family members, other healthcare professionals. So, your people and communication skills are vital. On your CV, provide examples of how you've used these skills to educate patients about their treatment or coordinate with other professionals for holistic care.

Skills you can include on your Occupational Therapist CV

Template 2 of 5: occupational therapist cv example.

As an Occupational Therapist, your CV is a distinct roadmap offering a glimpse of your professional journey, highlighting your qualities as a healer and facilitator. Over the past few years, hiring managers in the industry have seen a shift towards valuing therapists with a well-rounded skill set. This doesn't just mean therapy knowledge, it encompasses technological proficiency, interpersonal skills, and even administrative capabilities. When writing your CV, remember you're not just a practitioner, but also an educator, a collaborator, and at times, an administrator. So, feel free to break the mold of a typical therapist CV, and adapt it to your own unique career trajectory.

   Emphasize diversity of therapy settings

The variety of settings in which you've worked can make you a more attractive candidate. Things like experience in pediatrics, geriatrics, mental health, or return-to-work rehabilitation can show your versatility. So include where you've worked (e.g., clinics, hospitals, schools) and the nature of these environments.

   Include technology skills relevant to therapy

Therapists are increasingly using technology in their practice, from assistive devices to teletherapy platforms. If you're comfortable with technology and have experience using therapy-specific software or hardware, this is a valuable asset. Make note of any systems or software you have experience with, but avoid general terms like "tech-savvy".

Template 3 of 5: Entry-Level Occupational Therapist CV Example

As an Entry-Level Occupational Therapist, your CV needs to reflect the unique blend of technical knowledge, interpersonal skills, and passion for helping others that this job demands. It's a rapidly evolving field, where recent grads often have the benefit of the latest educational insights. The industry is embracing more holistic and client-centered approaches, so highlighting these aspects will help you resonate with forward-thinking employers. When drafting your CV, remember it's your chance to showcase your qualifications and the unique qualities you can bring to the position.

Tips to help you write your Entry-Level Occupational Therapist CV in 2024

   include relevant coursework and certifications.

As an entry-level candidate, you might not have a lot of work experience. But don’t worry, therapy-specific courses and certifications can fill the gap. Mention coursework like kinesiology, neurology, or rehabilitation techniques to demonstrate your understanding of the fundamentals.

   Show off your 'soft skills'

Although technical prowess is crucial, employers also value 'soft skills' like compassion, empathy, and good communication in occupational therapists. Use your CV to share instances where you've put these skills to use, such as in an internship, or volunteering at a community centre.

Skills you can include on your Entry-Level Occupational Therapist CV

Template 4 of 5: pediatric occupational therapist cv example.

Pediatric Occupational Therapists deal with a distinct, sensitive demographic - children with developmental, emotional, physical, or sensory issues. It's not just about the technical skills, it's about understanding children's perspectives and adapting your approach accordingly. Given the recent increase in awareness for children's mental health, the job market for this role has expanded, with a higher demand for therapists in schools and centers that focus on special needs kids. When crafting your CV, keep in mind that it should reflect your technical competence, but also your ability to engage with children on their level and help them navigate their worlds. In the world of pediatric occupational therapy, it's important to stay ahead of the curve. The industry is continuously evolving with new therapeutic techniques, technologies, and frameworks. Employers value occupational therapists who can prove they're staying updated through continuous professional development, training programs, or certifications. So, when writing your CV, it's crucial to not only convey your practical experience but also your commitment to learning and staying at the forefront of the field.

Tips to help you write your Pediatric Occupational Therapist CV in 2024

   showcase your child-friendly skills.

Mention any past roles or experiences where you were required to interact directly with children. This could be volunteering at a children's hospital, coaching a kids' sports team, or even nannying. This shows that you're comfortable with and capable of effectively working with kids.

   Detail your specialized training

Emphasize any special certifications or training programs you've completed, such as sensory integration therapy or floor time play therapy. This demonstrates your commitment to continued learning, and it also shows potential employers that you are equipped with the latest best practices in pediatric occupational therapy.

Skills you can include on your Pediatric Occupational Therapist CV

Template 5 of 5: occupational health nurse cv example.

Occupational Health Nursing is a unique field where you're constantly dealing with diverse health issues in a non-hospital setting, often advising on how to prevent work-related injuries or diseases. Recently, companies are investing more in their employees' health, expanding the traditional role of an occupational health nurse and making this an exciting time to work in the field. So, when writing your CV, it's key to demonstrate how you've incorporated the latest industry health practices into your role. Make sure you clearly explain how you've made a difference in the workplaces you've been part of, because ultimately, that's what employers are looking for.

Tips to help you write your Occupational Health Nurse CV in 2024

   illustrate your knowledge of workplace health and safety.

In your CV, illustrate your knowledge of workplace health and safety regulations. You're not just a nurse in this role, you're an advocate for employees' health within the organization, so make sure your CV reflects this unique aspect of the role.

   Show your ability to develop health programs

Show how you've developed and managed health programs, specifically tailored for the workplace. This could be wellness initiatives, injury prevention programs, or health education workshops. Make sure you include any measurable results to prove your effectiveness.

Skills you can include on your Occupational Health Nurse CV

Skills for occupational therapist resumes.

Skills shine in an Occupational Therapist's CV like bright letters on a keyboard. They tell an employer you're ready to sail the ship of therapy, able to steer patients to their best health. Start by taking a dive into the job description. Pinpoint key skills asked for there, then reflect them in your CV. Consider how skills can be showcased. You can list them in the 'Skills' section or weave them into your work experience. For example, "Used cognitive-behavioural therapy techniques to improve patient recovery" shows your practical use of a hard skill. Remember, CVs pass through a digital gatekeeper first - the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). This keeps an eye out for keywords relevant to the job, so make sure your CV has plenty of them. By doing this, your CV will have a better chance of sailing smoothly into the hands of the hiring manager.

• Occupational Therapy
• Geriatric Rehabilitation
• Rehabilitation
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Sensory Integration
• Stroke Rehabilitation
• Early Intervention
• Developmental Disabilities
• Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Adaptive Equipment
• Sensory Processing
• Clinical Research
• Psychotherapy
• Inpatient Care

Skills Word Cloud For Occupational Therapist CVs

This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Occupational Therapist job descriptions and CVs. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.

How to use these skills?

Action verbs for occupational therapist resumes.

An Occupational Therapist helps people regain skills or adapt to a new way of living after facing a physical or mental setback. Fittingly, your CV should showcase your ability to drive change and spur recovery. The right action verbs can picture you as a hands-on, transformative therapist. Consider verbs like "advised" or "facilitated" to describe your work with patients or families. For example, "Advised patients on adaptive equipment use" or "Facilitated individual and group therapies to boost social skills." Use "assessed" or "developed" when discussing your planning and evaluation tasks. "Assessed patient progress and adjusted care plans accordingly” or "Developed personalized therapy programs for each patient". By choosing action verbs tied to core responsibilities, you align your past achievements with future expectations. This paints a clear, compelling picture of your contribution as an Occupational Therapist. And in a career where every step forward counts, the right words can help your CV take a leap.

• Administered
• Rehabilitated
• Facilitated
• Orchestrated
• Coordinated
• Implemented
• Demonstrated
• Recommended

For more related action verbs, visit Nursing Action Verbs .

For a full list of effective CV action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs .

Other Medical Resumes

Respiratory therapist.

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• Dental Assistant CV Guide
• Case Manager CV Guide
• Respiratory Therapist CV Guide
• Medical Billing CV Guide
• Therapist CV Guide
• Quality Control CV Guide
• Care Coordinator CV Guide

Occupational Therapist CV Guide

• Clinical Research CV Guide
• Radiologic Technologist CV Guide
• Pharmacy Technician CV Guide
• Medical Technologist CV Guide
• Microbiologist CV Guide
• SLP CV Guide
• Occupational Therapist CV Example
• Entry-Level Occupational Therapist CV Example
• Pediatric Occupational Therapist CV Example
• Occupational Health Nurse CV Example
• Skills and Keywords to Add
• Related Medical Resumes
• All Resume Examples
• Explore Alternative and Similar Careers
• Occupational Therapist Cover Letter
• Occupational Therapist Interview Guide

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How to Make Your OT Resume Stand Out

• Post date --> May 3, 2022

It’s more important than ever that you create an impressive occupational therapy resume. 

With reimbursements tightening and more and more schools opening, some markets are becoming pretty competitive for OT therapy practitioners—especially if you’re going for the best OT jobs or OTA jobs . 

And that’s why I wrote this article—I want you to have the best possible OT resume so that you can land the job of your choice.

The basics of a good occupational therapy resume

We’ll start with the basics. Then, we’ll move on to making your resume truly stand out. 

In general, an occupational therapy resume should be informative and succinct, and that’s why experts recommend that you keep the length to around one or two pages . 

There are certainly exceptions. 

For example, if you create a curriculum vitae (CV), which is generally used for education and research positions, there is no cap on length. In fact, a longer CV is often better, as it indicates that you have accomplished more during your career. 

However, for a standard OT resume, two pages is the recommended maximum length.

In general, OTs should use a traditional (reverse chronological) format for resumes. 

You’ll start with your full name and title in a large font (think Luna Lovegood, MSOT, OTR/L), followed by your city, state, and zip code in a smaller font on the next line. After that, you can add your email address, phone number, and LinkedIn profile link (if you have a LinkedIn account).

Next, you’ll typically have a paragraph-long “Summary” section, where you will create a brief description of your accomplishments. Note that using an “Objective” section is considered old-fashioned and dates you a bit—and the new normal is using a “Summary” section instead.

In many cases, the next section is “Clinical Experience” (you can call it “Work Experience” or “Professional Experience,” etc.), and it’s a reverse-chronological list of the places where you’ve worked. 

However, in some cases, a “Core Competencies” section works well between the “Summary” section and “Clinical Experience” section. If you’re switching into a non-traditional role, you might wish to include transferable skills in that “Core Competencies” section. Think EMRs you’ve used, specialized OT or OTA training you have received (e.g. LSVT Big), or software programs you’ve mastered (Microsoft PowerPoint) etc.

In any case, for each job you’ve held in your reverse-chronological list, you’ll want to list the dates you worked there, the job title, the organization name, the city and state of the job, and a few bullet points for your job responsibilities.

If you’re still at the job, you want to use present tense:

• “Manage a caseload of _____…”

For past jobs, you’ll want to use past tense. 

• “Managed a caseload of ______…”

You can see that in both cases, the line starts with a “ power word ” (also known as an “action word.”) You never want to say something like “responsible for” or “duties included” because those are more passive. By saying “manage” or “managed,” you show your initiative.

After you list your current and past jobs, you’ll complete your resume with a few additional sections, including:

“Education,” “Licensure, Membership, and Certifications,” “Continuing Education,” and possibly “Volunteer Work” if you have any relevant volunteer work.

Alternative formats

You might hear people discussing alternate types of resumes like CVs (curriculum vitaes, as noted above)—or alternative types of formats, such as functional (also called skills-based) or hybrid. I won’t get too deep into the weeds with these, but here’s a quick overview.

Curriculum vitae (CV)

As noted earlier, a CV is usually used for teaching and/or research positions. A curriculum vitae is a lengthy summary of pretty much every professional accomplishment from your career, including any research papers you’ve written, any speeches you’ve given, and any awards you’ve won (not to mention, standard resume fodder like work experience). 

Functional/skills-based

A functional, or skills-based, resume is often used for career-changers—or for people who haven’t had much professional experience. This format focuses more on skills and competencies, rather than on work experience. Be cautious using this format in the OT world, as it’s often seen as a red flag.

A popular format is called the hybrid format. This layout pulls elements from a traditional (reverse-chronological) format and a functional (skills-based) format, and it’s recommended for career-changers or clinicians looking to move into new settings. The main hallmark of these is that you’ll see the aforementioned “Core Competencies” section wedged between the “Summary” section and the “Work Experience” section.

It’s recommended that you use a popular font that can be found on most computers. Good choices include:

Do not play around with fancy, unusual fonts because they look cool. No need to go all Elle Woods here! 😉

While these fancy fonts might technically make your resume stand out, some resume screening software programs (called ATS or applicant tracking systems, in case you care) might not recognize the fonts, causing your resume to get screened right out of the consideration process!

Also, stick to a single font on your resume! Do not get tempted by the lure of using multiple fonts. If you’d like to spruce things up, you can always use the “bold” or “semibold” or “italic” versions of your chosen font family; this helps to delineate sections of your resume and make certain words stand out. 

Considerations for new grads and career changers

Again, most OTs will want to use a traditional resume format. But here are a few notable exceptions. 

If you’re a new grad or student, you’ll want to list your education at the top of your resume, followed by your clinical affiliations. Then you can list additional work experience from prior careers if you need to fill space.

Career changers will likely want to use hybrid resume format, especially when pursuing roles like rehab liaison , where you will want to highlight core competencies such as sales, marketing, care coordination, etc.  

Making your resume stand out

Let’s back up for a minute. 

At the end of the day, as long as you have the length, font, and format correct on your resume, you won’t scare anyone off from hiring you, so that’s the good news! 

But, you still want to make your resume stand out from the competition—at least if you want the best shot at the jobs you want, not the jobs nobody else wants! 

Let’s take a look at an ordinary vs. extraordinary resume to see how it’s done. 

The ordinary OT resume

Most resumes will have a lot in common. Here are a few examples of roles and responsibilities that you’re likely to see on a majority of your peers’ resumes.

• “Managed a caseload of ____ patients”
• “Examined and diagnosed patients’ physical conditions.”
• “Respected and maintained the privacy and confidentiality of all patients.”
• “Performed daily bedside ADL assessments and formulated intervention plans with functional outcomes.”
• “Led quarterly screenings of long-term residents.”
• “Evaluated acute care patients.”
• “Assessed clients for custom seating and wheelchair needs.”

Obviously, while these things aren’t surprising or especially strong, you’ll still need some on your resume. But don’t overdo it—ordinary OT resumes are filled with that stuff.

The extraordinary OT resume 

To show what makes you special, you need to highlight things that you’ve done which go above and beyond a typical job description. And you’ll want to write about them in a way that emphasizes value for your employer or your patients. These can be called resume accomplishments.

Resume accomplishments

An accomplishment is something for which you deserve a bonus. (Whether you actually received a bonus or not is an entirely different matter!)

Your accomplishments often substantiate less technical, but highly valuable, skills: leadership, initiative, problem-solving, process improvement, etc. 

When I researched OT resumes, I found that very few had many accomplishments. This wasn’t really a surprise, since that’s the most common weakness on resumes in general. So, if you want a resume that packs a punch, add as many accomplishments as you can.

Here are solid examples to get you started.

Accomplishments to make your resume shine among occupational therapists:

• Supervised and educated Level I and Level II occupational therapy students : Any sort of training, coaching or leadership is very valuable to highlight. It demonstrates management skills as well as people skills.
• Initiated the research, design and equipment setup of facility’s first sensory gym, which was completed one week ahead of schedule: The word I like the most here is “first”, since it demonstrates a sense of initiative and innovation. You’ve done things that hadn’t been done before. You’re also using the power word “initiated,” and noting that the facility was completed ahead of schedule.
• Actively participated in new process mapping for reorganization of the service and development of new integrated online system. Following this effort, our assignments became more efficient, allowing the unit to see 2-3 more patients daily: In this example, the value for the organization is very clear. More patients seen every day means more revenue for the business and/or shorter waiting lists. Both are positive from the employer’s perspective.
• Provided numerous specialized equipment evaluations, and prepared numerous justification reports to Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies, with a very good record of clients obtaining equipment: Once again, notice the clear emphasis on value. This time, it’s about clients obtaining equipment. It’s a concrete result, and very helpful to the treatment process. It also shows that you care, as you go the extra mile for your patients.
• Introduced checklists to OT team, which helped us achieve systematic documentation required for our long-term monitoring process. From the perspective of the organization, the value here is a working process for long-term monitoring. While all the major pieces are in the original statement, the focus is on the checklists. It would have been better to flip things around, to emphasize where the value is: “Contributed to achieving systematic documentation required for our long-term monitoring process, by introducing checklists to OT team.”

Skills and specialties

There are also specialties and technical skills that deserve your attention. As noted above, these often work best in hybrid resumes in a section called “Core Competencies” that follows the “Summary” section. This section should reflect the patients you’ve treated, the environments in which you’ve worked, and the tools that you’ve used in your practice. 

Since these will often be used as keywords by recruiters (searching for people like you), every relevant skill or specialty has to appear on your resume. Note that keywords score higher when resumes are processed by computers if they are used in context (within a real sentence). For example:

• Highly experienced with providing supports for patients with autism .
• Skilled in the assessment and treatment of swallowing disorders in conjunction with speech pathology.
• Proficient in the use of online documentation systems: Ecare, Casamba, Sigma care .

More on keywords

Keywords are entered by a recruiter and/or hiring manager, and they are used to help the aforementioned resume screening software sort the resumes from most interesting to least interesting. That’s why you should fill your resume with keywords that are specifically used in the job posting for the role you’re pursuing.

Below are a few examples of keywords that I found by looking at job ads. You can also use free keyword cloud software, such as TagCrowd , to help tease out the keywords you should use in your resume.           

Specialties : musculoskeletal; neuromuscular; hand specialist; polytrauma; home-based primary care; post-acute rehabilitation, children, elderly…

Equipment skills : blind/visual rehabilitation assistive technology; orthotics and adaptive/assistive equipment; Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC); low tech and high tech access options; alternative access tools (i.e. switches, joysticks, keyguards, specialty interfaces)…

Other skills : Basic Life Support (BLS) certification; CPR or First Aid training; other languages spoken…

When thinking about keywords, ask yourself what search terms would help you to find a good colleague. It’s doubtful that keywords like therapy plan, treatment program, dysfunction or impairment would narrow down your results, right?

My example OT resumes

Once you’ve pulled all of the elements outlined above (keywords, skills and specialties, formatting, and other best practices) it is time to craft your resume into one that truly stands out, which means you have to look at the final element: design.

For this I thought it would be helpful to look at some resume examples. 

I have had a pretty unconventional career, but I thought it was worth showing you an example of my resume from when I was new grad OT, along with my current resume. This way you can see how my format and content has evolved over the years to reflect my professional accomplishments.

For my new grad resume example, I used a free template from Canva . Canva had some really nice minimalist designs, you should check for a simple resume. 

For my most current resume, I couldn’t find an option on Canva that accommodated the longer paragraphs I needed to to describe my recent jobs, so I decided to purchase a template from Creative Market .  

(I am in no way affiliated with either of these resume template services.)

An example of a new grad/entry-level OT resume :

An example of an occupational therapy resume with diverse experiences :

I provided the resumes above so you could see some examples of various accomplishments in action. I wanted you to see how my wording reflected different aspects of my work as my career has evolved in a more non-traditional way.

And that’s the single most important consideration when building a resume that’s different. You want to create a resume that really tells your story.

If you can add three to five accomplishments to your resume—and, at the same time, try to remove redundant roles and responsibilities—you’ll have a much more crisp, streamlined, and hard-hitting document.

While accomplishments and skills are very important on your resume, they’re also the key building blocks for your cover letters, interviews, and networking efforts .

By having a clear mental picture of the unique elements that make you stand out, you’ll be much better equipped to apply for the best jobs out there.

Instead of being an occupational therapist with eight years of experience, you’ll be the OT who has trained new members and sharpened processes for efficiency. Or the COTA who can bring in new trends and find creative ways to get the right equipment into patients’ hands.

And that will resonate powerfully with potential employers.

This article was originally written by Richard Poulin, and has since been reworded to reflect the latest resume trends and practices. Richard is a resume writer focused on helping professionals stand out.

Are you an OT/A student or new grad and looking for ways to stay up-to-date with a community of OT professionals by your side?

If so, we have a discount to the OT Potential Club just for you!

10 replies on “How to Make Your OT Resume Stand Out”

Person-first language is the preferred way to talk about people with disabilities. So instead of "Highly experienced with treatment of autistic patients", it would be better to phrase it, "Highly experienced with providing treatment for patients with autism."

Oh! Good call, Kellie! I will be sure to get this changed. I agree, person-first language is best.

Person-first language is not preferred by many people who identify as being autistic, d/Deaf, disabled, etc. We are, extremely unfortunately, taught only about person-first language in OT programs, but the disability community and disability advocacy literature has been moving away from this for over a decade. Every individual is different and should be given the space to communicate their preferences, but it is not the case that person-first language is the right or preferred way as a default.

Yes, this is what i’ve experienced in the field as someone with a background in ABA and OT. I was taught to use first person language because you wouldn’t call someone with cancer a “cancerous person”, but the the current train of thought is cancer isn’t the same as autism, and autism is apart of the individual and makes them who they are. Again, it all depends on the individual, but that is the reasoning behind the transition away from first person language. (or so ive been told lol)

This article was very helpful with giving me pointers of how to create fresh resume that will stand out for my next OT job endeavor. Thank you, Sarah!

If it is a 2 page resume, where does candidates name go on second page? Would it be appropriate to copy same as header on first page and then add as a footer on second page? Also should it be printed out as 2 separate pages or front/ back? Thanks!

Hi Kristina! Good questions! Ideally, your resume is one page- but I know sometimes it is not possible to fit the required info on there. In this case, I would look at some CV templates, as these are almost always longer than a page. This can give you some formatting ideas! https://resumegenius.com/cv-template

As far as printing, I would do whatever looks best with your paper and printer. If you have some nice thick paper, maybe front and back pages is best. For the paper in my own printer right now, I would definitely make it two pages, as it is thin and hard to read when there is printing on both sides 🙂

Thus was incredibly helpful. I am a COTA and I’m going back to work after many years of being home with 5 kiddos. I have so much experience in many different ways but wasn’t sure how to show it on a resume. Now I’m really proud of how my resume looks!! Thank you!

I’m so happy to hear this!! Best of luck with your job hunt!

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3 Occupational Therapy (OT) Resume Examples for 2024

Occupational Therapy Resume

Occupational therapy assistant resume, occupational therapy new grad resume.

• Write Your Occupational Therapy Resume

You fill the critical role of ensuring patients’ quality of life by helping people with disabilities, injuries, or taxing illnesses. You work with your patients to provide treatments, guidance, and evaluations that enable them to recover and live independently.

But how do you share the most appealing balance of medical and interpersonal skills on your OT resume and write a cover letter that is equally convincing? Have you chosen the ideal resume template to present your technical knowledge alongside a compassionate bedside manner?

Don’t worry, we’ve got this. After years of helping professionals like you, we’ve developed three occupational therapy (OT) resume examples and a free cover letter builder that will empower you to take the next steps towards helping others.

or download as PDF

Why this resume works

• Let’s say you’ve addressed patients’ queries and requests which in turn reduced their anxiety levels. Add that in! Finding work experience that matches the qualities employers are looking for (active listening, in this case) will highlight your professional competency like a charm.

• Besides securing your occupational therapy assistant resume with impressive skills , adding work experience such as fostering real-time communication or making timely adjustments in treatment plans can prove to be incredibly eye-catching for hiring managers.

• Notice how Kevin’s occupational therapy new grad resume includes an unrelated work experience as a server. However, what makes the experience shine is the contribution to the restaurant’s growth by boosting sales for side dishes and beverages. Optimize your resume with impactful achievements and prove yourself different from the average applicant!

Related resume examples

• Physical therapist
• Chiropractor
• Home health aide
• Personal trainer

Adjust Your Occupational Therapy Resume to Fit the Job Description

From familiarity with adaptive equipment to speech-language therapy, individual job roles require a wide variety of skills. When you read each job description , tailor the skills section of your resume accordingly. Match their focal points to show how your skill set aligns with the job.

You’ll also want to pay attention to whether the job is more focused on technical, hard skills, or soft skills . If the company you’re applying to is built around patient comfort, don’t exclude interpersonal abilities, even if your primary skills are technical.

Need some ideas to get started?

15 best occupational therapy skills

• Patient Advocacy
• Speech-Language
• LinkedIn Learning
• Patient Assessment
• Google Workspace

Your occupational therapy work experience bullet points

While your resume should mirror the job description in terms of what they value the most, make sure you present your compatibility through experiences, not repetition. Think of impactful experiences you’ve had with your patients that you can leverage to demonstrate your effectiveness.

How did you improve overall patient recovery times for your practice? Did you develop a patient development or recovery planning system that made it dramatically easier to log progress?

Just make sure you set off those achievements with metrics so that recruiters can see solid numbers to quantify the difference you’ve made. And always use active verbs and language to demonstrate your enthusiasm for bettering patients’ lives.

• Percentages can indicate improved recovery times
• Reduced work hours show that you can organize and streamline treatment
• Increased patient retention rates demonstrate the longevity of your approach
• Positive feedback ratings speak to your helpful methods and positivity

See what we mean?

• Documented over 286 patient evaluations and progress notes using the Epic system under superior guidance, ensuring an error rate of 0
• Regulated modalities such as ultrasound and electrical stimulation with precision, contributing to a significant decrease in pain levels for patients and earning a personal rating of 4.9/5 stars
• Identified trends in patient outcomes through WebPT’s data analytics, leading to a 9.6% reduction in patient relapse rates
• Integrated Google Workspace’s advanced search features to quickly locate critical patient information, reducing search times by 19% and weekly work hours by 7 on average
• Administered the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and recorded results using the MBI software, improving cognitive evaluation efficiency by 34%

9 active verbs to start your occupational therapy work experience bullet points

• Administered
• Communicated

3 Tips for Writing an Occupational Therapy Resume Without Much Experience

• Not everyone has a background in occupational therapy, but even if your previous jobs were unrelated, they still helped you learn translatable skills. After all, graciously assisting a frustrated customer utilizes empathy and resolution skills that you’ll also use to help struggling patients.
• A resume objective can be ideal for quickly outlining what drives you toward occupational therapy and which of your traits qualify you for it. It’s also the perfect opportunity to connect with a specific company.
• Don’t underrate the power of academic achievements! If you earned an eye-popping GPA or excelled at any projects or contests related to medicine or helping others, these can boost your credibility.

3 Tips for Writing an Occupational Therapy Resume if You’ve Already Got Some Experience

• As a more experienced professional, you may benefit from using a resume summary to quickly overview some of the shining capabilities and achievements that relate to the specific job role. Just don’t repeat these points later!
• If you’ve been using your Bachelors of Occupational Therapy to help reduce stress levels and develop recovery plans already, there’s no need to dig deeper. Only list your highest education on your resume.
• By now, you’ve been working in relevant roles long enough that you can set aside any jobs unrelated to occupational therapy. Pick just three or four jobs that really showcase your best work . . . and then focus on your best experience points!

Stick with a one-page resume ! Recruiters need to be able to skim your qualifications quickly, so make sure you streamline that process by keeping your patient success stories concise.

By all means! If you’re certified in First Aid, CPR, Special Education, or anything else that will help you assist your patients in overcoming their obstacles, don’t leave them out.

Your metrics should be solid and clearly reinforce your final impact point. If you have a random number like a headcount or monthly appointment lineup, provide quantifiable data that shows how it made a difference.

Complete Personal Statement Guide for Pre-OT Occupational Therapy School Programs

Introduction.

This detailed guide will provide you with tips, do’s, don’ts, examples, and other helpful things along the way to write your personal statement for OT school.

You may be thinking:

• Where do I even start with writing a personal statement?
• Maybe I can look for some more examples online.
• My story does not seem as exciting as these examples.
• These examples don’t really relate to me.
• I don’t like the writing style or “feeling” that these examples give me.
• How do I even go about this?

Or maybe you didn’t have any of these thoughts and you are just looking for some extra tips to polish up your personal statement before you send it to the world. This guide will still help!

While this guide was written with Pre-OT’s for occupational therapy personal statements in mind, it of course can apply to other professions such as physical therapy, speech therapy, PA, RN, even undergraduate programs.

I am not part of any admissions committee or affiliated with them in any way. However, as a graduate of an occupational therapy program, I also read and edited many other personal statements for friends and family. This guide is not a guarantee that you will get accepted or a guarantee that you will produce the best personal statement. This is just my opinion and unfortunately, the writing is all up to you!

Fortunately, you already have the hard part done – building your education, experiences, personal character, and goals!

Not quite there yet, that’s okay too – this guide will give you a preview of how to prepare to write your personal statement.

The Process

The process of writing a personal statement may involve something like:

Reflecting, getting something typed on the screen, getting writer’s block, getting distracted, taking a break, editing it, reflecting, typing some ideas, deleting those ideas, repeat, have it proofread, reading it out loud, reflecting, make more edits, and you’re done! While this sounds like a lot, it’s doable.

Set-up and Preparation

Start Early

When you feel like you are ready to write your personal statement, start writing! Don’t wait until the last minute to write. Personal statements require editing, giving it some time for your mind to clear to re-read, having it proofread by someone else, and making more edits.

Install Grammarly

We use Grammarly as a browser extension for its spellcheck and grammar check. It is really good at catching mistakes as you go and the free version is all you really need to get some basic editing done. This allows you to focus on the writing and not the spelling. Software like Grammarly also helps if you especially have a hard time with writing in general. While it can suggest edits for errors, it is up to you to write the content.  AI is not quite there yet, but we are close!

Cheating & plagiarizing

I just have to say it. Don’t cheat or plagiarize. Don’t hire someone to write for you. I hear stories of students cheating here or there, so it must still be happening. Grad school is not the time to jeopardize all the hard work you put in.

Have a back-up system for your document

It would be a huge set-back to lose all your hard work. These days, you can easily use the cloud such as Dropbox or Google Drive/Docs for storing your files. This goes for your personal statement document as well as your graduate school application files such as notes, deadlines, resumes, etc. All it takes is a coffee spilled on your laptop for you to lose all your hard work (it happened to my classmate in OT school). Better yet, back up all your data that is important to you. Lectures, recordings, assignments.

Write in a place you feel productive

It doesn’t have to be a quiet library. It just has to be what works. If it’s a coffee shop, then go there. Write in a place you associate with positive work (but also don’t get distracted too easily, e.g. a cat cafe) – like to your favorite study area.

It’s okay if it doesn’t seem perfect or even good at first

After all, you are writing something like this probably for the first time, with a unique set of experiences for a specific intention of impressing the OT’s admissions panel. It can be difficult for artists to create art or music, or write a book in one session. So don’t stress it!

• Re-research the profession, job description, duties, etc. BLS.gov is my favorite go-to for profession research. We have a video on it here .
• Follow the personal statement prompt and instructions. Read it several times to make sure. If there is a word limit, don’t go over. Double-check before you submit.
• Pay attention to the file format that is requested from the programs. Word doc? PDF? Make sure your file actually opens after you upload it and is not corrupt, if possible. If you are uploading to a central application like OTCAS, make sure you meet those guidelines.
• Write in the same tense and person throughout (“I”, first-person is fine).
• Write in an order that makes sense and flows to the reader, e.g. chronologically.
• Write with a purpose. Each sentence should be there for a reason and not be filler. Exclude extra information or too specific of information that doesn’t contribute to your story.
• Example: Nowadays, I want to be an occupational therapist first and foremost because I want to help people and really make a difference in each of their lives.
• Better example: My goal is to become an occupational therapist who makes a difference in people’s lives.
• Warning : I wouldn’t you use this specific example in your personal statement because it’s probably been overused. Try to be creative by saying how you want to “help” people in  other ways .
• Be honest, try to copy an example’s voice, do not write over-the-top or fabricate the story.
• Be politically correct and culturally sensitive.
• My personal statement didn’t have big GRE words or fancy syntax. It told a great story that was (in my opinion) to the point, compelling, persuasive, and driven.
• Describe your values and goals while highlighting your strengths.
• In my opinion, it is best to talk about college, work, and other achievements and experiences in your “adulthood”.
• Even traveling experience (shows cultural awareness) as an adult is more noteworthy than say winning a basketball game in high school (less relevant to OT)
• Tip: think about when you first were motivated to become an OT and start from there, not earlier.
• Don’t use cliches or minimize them as much you can. Readers see this a lot and it does not make a big impact on their impression of you.
• Don’t use slang/informal speech, e.g. “sticking with it” -> perseverance.
• Don’t make jokes and be careful if you decide to use humor (what may be funny to you may not be to the reader). It’s safe to leave humor out and just get to the point.
• Avoid being sarcastic.
• Pay attention to your use of OT – it can be occupational therapy or occupational therapist, but personally, I get confused when people use “OT” interchangeably.
• In my final submitted personal statement, I only abbreviated “MSOT” and “EMT” and did not “OT” once.
• Example: I got accepted to shadow at [facility] and was observing observed patients do their rehab exercises.
• Pay attention to these verbs in sentences that run longer. Consider shortening them to make it less tiring to read, avoiding avoid run-on sentences. (see what I did there?)
• Don’t abbreviate or hyphenate too often or incorrectly . If you do it one way, be sure you are at least consistent throughout. e.g. evidence-based, not evidenced based.
• O ccupational therapist is capitalized like this correctly.
• However, an Occupational Therapist is not correct if capitalized like this.
• This is the correct capitalization for an occupational therapist.
• The same goes for the field of occupational therapy.
• O ccupational therapy is capitalized correctly in this sentence.
• Abbreviations are always capitalized, e.g. OT.
• Don’t write anything negative about anyone, organization, place, etc .
• Don’t write in a negative tone, be a “Debbie Downer”
• “OTs make a lot of money.”
• “I will be the best occupational therapist because…”
• “I am the best candidate because”
• “Since I am… , therefore”
• “Unlike others”, or
• “Other professions” talking down, avoid talking about other professions in general. No one profession is better than another, the same applies to OT. Think about why OT over other professions leading to your decision to become one).
• Think about how someone in another profession, say a PT would feel after reading your personal statement. They should not feel offended after reading your personal statement, but instead think, “wow, such and such would make a great OT.” Not that OT is better than PT, that kind of thing.
• When I become an occupational therapist. If I become an occupational therapist.
• Don’t repeat yourself, you only need to say something once in its context. Of course, the bigger message can be repeated, e.g. intro and conclusion. Just don’t sound repetitive.
• Don’t use the same phrases (especially close to each other), try using different words. That doesn’t mean you should just look up words in a thesaurus. Really think about what’s the point you are trying to make.
• Don’t use profanity.
• In everyday speech we say things like, “that’s crazy”. Someone with a mental illness who really is crazy could be offended. I had a teacher whose pet-peeve was people who said things were crazy . Remove crazy from your personal statement.
• “He probably was abused since he was in a recovery program/”
• I would avoid using “ normal” too. “Occupational therapists help patients get back to their normal.” This implies the patient was abnormal before. Better words: recover, improve, rehabilitate, strengthen, adapt, overcome, etc.
• Other labels: retarded, slow, crippled, mental, insane
• You can include a facility name, e.g. Standford hospital – as long as you don’t talk about it in a negative context.
• “Standford hospital treats a lot of poor patients.” Standford hospital is a valuable asset to the community for the underserved.
• Don’t include anything that can be seen as a weakness, e.g. low GPA, took a semester off, DUI, unexplained career changes.
• This is your chance to “say” what you want to say and include your story that is not apparent in the other pre-requisites. All the other candidates likely have high GPAs and had to take the same pre-requisite courses, but they did not shadow at your facility with your patient , so here’s your chance to distinguish yourself.
• What experience may be unique to you ?
• For example, I included my experience of being an EMT to make myself stand out.
• This could backfire and show your lack of research into how broad OT can be. Don’t forget about mental health too! OT’s study to be  generalists , not specialists.
• While it’s okay to want to work with a specific population as a goal, don’t accidentally make it sound like you think OT’s only do one thing. Hope this one makes sense.

Question’s to address or reflect on

Reflect. Write. Take a break. Repeat.

• What is your experience with other backgrounds and cultures in your pre-OT journey?
• How did you realize that OT was for you? Why not PT? (Reflect, but don’t answer this directly.)
• What or who were the influence(s) or influencers?
• This is a rich opportunity to mention your specific OT shadowing experience at the stage in which you want to be an OT.
• I would include at least 1 example from this, 2 is better, but not too much either.
• Not just becoming an OT (graduating) but afterwards. e.g. 1 year post-grad, 5 years, where you see yourself 10 years out.
• What challenges did you overcome in your pre-requisite pre-OT journey?
• What sets you apart from other applicants? Why should I not pick person A or person B over you?
• Tip: research the school’s website for their mission statement, OT program background, etc. to get familiar with the specifics. If you can include and relate to some of this, even better!
• “My motivation to help others and my passion for occupational therapy will guide me to be successful in the [program].” or

Since [school] strives to “[OT program mission statement]”, I firmly believe that [school] will help me reach my goals of becoming a successful occupational therapist.

Recommendations

• Talk about why you want to be an OT, but not just to “help” people. How? Which population/community/background? Conditions? Why? Tip: three major categories of OT are: mental health, pediatrics, and adults/older adults. Nurses help people too. How is OT different for you?
• Hint: occupations ! meaningful, client-centered.
• Check out the OTDUDE Podcast and other podcasts for ideas; Episode 1: What is OT
• Reflection tip: other professions may be based on the medical model or helping people become healthy, but OT is different because…
• Check out AOTA.org for some phrasing of the profession to inspire you.
• If you are comfortable, use OT related terminology or phrases, but don’t go overboard, e.g. occupation, intervention, treatment, activities of daily living, evidence-based, collaborative, interdisciplinary, client-centered, holistic, functional. Plain English is fine, you don’t have to sound like a journal article.
• As mentioned, highlight why you would be a valuable candidate (fit) to their program. Think about not only your experience but your character and quality traits . Examples: creativity, leadership, patient, resourceful, reliability? Teamwork and communication?
• Show indirectly through your stories or experiences why you will be successful in the program and not “drop-out”. Perseverance.
• Psychologically, readers tend to remember the beginnings and end more than the middle.
• How will being an OT help you achieve your goals, career? Not just short-term, but think bigger. While this sounds cliche – OT is not just a job, it will become your life. A person’s job (and career) is a large part of their identity.
• The reader should feel like they read about a person they would want to meet in the program and in real life, someone who can contribute something to the cohort, school, faculty, alumni – long term relationship. You will not only graduate as a student but a colleague in the field of occupational therapy to the faculty.

Here is a template I created to get you started. This is of course not a magic template that works for everyone or neither was it created by any OT entity for students. Copy & paste this into your favorite word processing program and write away.

Paragraph 1

Sentence 1: Attention-grabbing sentence. Hook into your story.

Supporting sentences: Support the above story with specifics.

Concluding sentence: “Thesis statement” stating why you chose (or) may be a successful OT.

Body Paragraphs (2, 3, 4, 5, etc.)

Opening sentence: As a , I [did this, and that] at [place or company or school]

Supporting sentences: strengthen your narrative in the opening sentence. These sentences should not deviate from the opening sentence topic or story, otherwise start a new paragraph. Should answer a [ Question’s to address or reflect on] section (see above).

Concluding sentence(s): wrap everything in this story up, optionally include a transition sentence.

Concluding Paragraph

Opening sentence: restate why you will be a successful OT.

Supporting sentences: start wrapping things up. Big picture. If applying to a specific program, consider answering why this program (e.g. does its mission statement appeal to you?).

Final sentence: end strong stating that you want to be an OT. Mention because it is in your long-term goals.  Consider ending everything with the words “occupational therapist” (identity), e.g. “…be a successful occupational therapist” OR “occupational therapy”, e.g. “… to pursue a career in occupational therapy”.

Here are some examples. All identifying information and some facts were fabricated for example sake.

After graduation, I did a lot of soul searching in terms of the career I wanted to pursue. Did I want to appease my parents and pursue [career]? Should we expand [business name] and take it to the next level? I knew I wanted a career that could help people in my day-to-day, but none of those paths fulfilled that desire. After my [family member] injured her arm and was unable to return to work or help out around the house, I saw her frustration and loss of dignity. Our family took a significant financial toll. When my [family member] finally saw an occupational therapist, I motivated her to do the exercises from her care plan and she eventually regained upper arm function. My [family member’s] perseverance inspired me to become an occupational therapist to help people develop, recover, and improve the skills needed for daily living, working, and leading active lifestyles .

• This excerpt, although really did happen, sounds cliche with phrases like soul searching, take it to the next level.
• While the reflection part and figuring out what to do may seem important, it can be shortened to and still get the message across.
• Using the family member is a good example especially since it related to a story with an occupational therapist.
• The last two sentences highlight that I know what OT is (and why I want to become one) but can be cleaned up.

I was inspired by a personal experience with an occupational therapist when my [family member] suffered a rotator cuff tear and was unable to perform her activities of daily living . My [family member] became discouraged and did not do the recommended home exercises , but I saw the value in them and helped my [family member] complete them daily to recover. I learned the value of occupational therapy and how important it is to take a holistic approach by involving caregivers .

• Mentioning ADL’s shows I know what OT’s do.
• Shows my direct involvement with OT intervention.
• Shows my understanding of OT’s holistic approach.
• Words like “value” are strong. The word caregiver is often used in OT documentation.

I was hired as a EMT at [employer] in [city] for a small business that reminded me of our own [business name]. My role as a EMT at [employer] involved caring and treating for the sick and injured that involved tasks such as CPR or patient comfort and advocacy. As an EMT I again found that I was a valuable asset to the company having known how to speak some Spanish. Patients and staff members challenged me and tested my patience. My contact with patients out in the field was a unique experience that exposed me to the reality of what a healthcare profession involved. Due to the physical demands of the job and the high stress environment, many EMTs “burned out” and quit. I admit that I have thought about quitting, but I found the interactions with my patients far more rewarding and continued to work close to two years as an EMT. Working closely with these patients taught me to be sensitive to each person and their unique experiences. As an EMT, I developed my critical thinking skills to adapt the environment to my patients in order to safely transfer care, as well as educate patients on how to minimize hazards and prevent further injuries. Hearing my patients personally thank me for my care and education reassured me that I was pursuing the right career in helping patients resume their activities of daily living and accomplish their own goals.

• How would you improve this example?
• Lots of specifics can be taken out like employer name, city.
• Role as EMT is well-known, better to include more significant things such as experience, outcome, or relevance to OT.
• Being bilingual is nice, but more for a resume than a personal statement as it does not add to the story.
• Leave out specific thought process of thinking about quitting (weaknesses). Perseverance was also already shared in a previous example – talk about another quality instead, e.g. stress management, working with diverse population, fast-paced environment, patient education as an EMT and how it translates to OT.
• Reflect on how one story can share multiple strengths you have not mentioned so far in previous examples.
• The example does not translate or relate back to OT in a clear manner, but alludes to the qualities of one. This can be written to be more obvious because EMT and OT have very similar qualities that are needed to be good practitioners.

As an EMT, I developed my critical thinking skills with my patients in order to safely transfer care and educate patients on how to prevent further injuries. Hearing my patients personally thank me for my care and education reassures me that I am pursuing the right career by helping patients resume their activities of daily living and accomplish their own goals .

Much shorter, to the point, and use of effective words that highlight what OT’s also do – educate, doing it safely, prevention of disease and injury, and meeting client’s goals.

FAQ and Self-Doubt

Addressing negative self-talk and negative beliefs about yourself.

“This is my 100th time applying…”

Maybe it will be your 101st that you get in. You see this all the time with graduates taking the board exam who fail X number of times. Don’t give up!

“I was never good at writing.”

Writing takes practice. I never liked writing in grade school. Now I enjoy writing about OT. So use your resources, e.g. spell-check, someone to proof-read, reading other examples. You CAN do it.

“My experience is not that special.”

Not everyone did CPR on their patient, observed a miraculous rehab recovery, etc. It’s what you make of the moments, how you interpret it, become inspired by it, how it changes you, and make you want to be an OT. It’s all from YOUR perspective. You can take 2 people who watch the same movie. One person could be moved by it and the other not be interested, right?

“The more I read this, the more I feel like it is not good enough.”

Take a break, put it down, and come back to it. Have someone else read it and get their opinion. Sometimes, we get stuck in our own thoughts and they can trick us and lead us down a negative path of thinking.

“I have the opposite problem, I have too much to write about and not enough room.”

You can probably take our your younger experiences. Leave the “resume” stuff out. Try to pick the most “OT” related or healthcare moments. If you do not have these examples to draw from, choose ones that fit the characteristics of a good OT. Each example should not be a repeated theme of another and highlight something profound.

“Now I am not so sure what OT’s do anymore, after writing all this.”

Go on BLS.gov for OT’s, listen to OT podcasts (to become inspired), watch some YouTubers on OT.

“I am having doubts about OT vs. (other profession)”

Avoid reading forums, facebook groups, Reddit for OT. These are often skewed towards OTs who may be burned out (which could happen for any other profession on social media). Dig deep into why you wanted to be an OT in the first place! If still in doubt, maybe you should observe some more, talk to some more OT’s and listen to some OT podcasts (because they are positive about the profession usually). I would avoid YouTube as many who are burned out could make videos.

“No one can proofread my personal statement.”

Try writing workshops, a school or public library, or similar resources. A simple google search could help and you won’t necessarily need to pay. Avoid suspicious websites and  uploading  your work to avoid others from plagiarizing you. Use people or resources that you trust.

“This is my 100th draft, it’s not perfect yet”

Deadlines will often help with this. Don’t let them catch you off guard. Consider going back and making an outline and seeing if you covered everything you want to talk about. A timer may help. Get the approval of at least 2 readers to give you support for how awesome your personal statement is.

“I don’t know where to start in writing”

That’s okay, start writing about a story or experience you have in mind and build around it. Start in the middle as intros and conclusions can be very difficult to begin writing.

• Read some other examples online, but don’t stress about it. If possible, have someone who may have been accepted to a graduate program send you theirs. You can use it as a template or for inspiration to the types of stores, tone, conclusion paragraph used, etc.
• Set a timer (e.g. Pomodoro method) so you won’t stress out and remind yourself to take breaks, move-on, just get something out and fix it later. Exact grammar, spelling, and other “writing” can be fixed later – focus on content.
• Get into a habit of writing, set a schedule …or do it randomly, no-schedule (whatever works for you ). Maybe it’s writing every other day in the morning, after a nap, after playing video games, after a meal, after walking your dog, or whatever sets you up for success.
• Have at least 2 people read (and edit) your personal statement. Don’t take it personally and not all suggestions are necessarily correct.
• In the earlier stages of writing, if deciding between two stories or segments in your writing, consider having two drafts and see which one your proof-readers prefer.
• Read your personal statement out loud, spaced out, e.g. 1 week later (when it is no longer fresh and you forgot some of what you wrote). Make edits as needed.
• Candidates come from all walks of life, have different personalities (e.g. type-A vs. B), extroverted vs. introverted, outspoken vs. quiet – so some of these tips (or your editor suggestions) may not appeal to you or seem unnatural, etc. This can be your strength. Follow your gut. It’s not like OT schools are only looking for outspoken, extroverted candidates. It’s how you use those qualities to better the world with OT. This is what makes you unique, special, and distinguished. Highlight those features!
• Take care of yourself – eat well, exercise, manage your stress, breathe.

Thank you for reading this long guide. I wish you the best in your journey to becoming an occupational therapist (or whatever career). See you all in the field!

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Guide to a Better Personal Statement for Occupational Therapy

Table of Contents

Writing a personal statement is integral to the occupational therapy application process. This is your chance to introduce yourself to the admissions board and explain why you want to study occupational therapy. A strong personal statement will highlight what makes you unique and set you apart from other applicants.

With careful preparation, thoughtful writing, and self-reflection, you can create a compelling personal statement for occupational therapy . Keep reading to learn more!

Understanding Occupational Therapy

Before getting started with your statement, it is vital to understand what occupational therapy involves. Occupational therapists deal with people of all ages with physical, developmental, social, or emotional difficulties that limit their ability to lead active, independent lives.

They provide assessment, treatment, and consultation services to help people increase their skills and knowledge to manage daily tasks.

Reflect on Why You Are Pursuing This Career Path

Think about what motivates you to pursue a career in occupational therapy.

Ask yourself the following questions: What experiences have led me to this path? How has my background prepared me for the challenging work of an occupational therapist? What values or qualities do I have that will be beneficial when working with clients?

As you reflect on these questions, take note of any stories or unique insights that could be included in your personal statement .

Write Your Statement

When writing your personal statement, begin by introducing yourself. Provide an overview of why you are interested in pursuing a career in occupational therapy . Use this section to explain what you have learned about the field and why you are passionate about it.

Then, discuss your skills, experiences, qualities, and values that make you a good fit for this profession. Remember to keep the focus on how your background has prepared you to become an excellent occupational therapist. Finally, wrap up your statement by illustrating how becoming an occupational therapist will help you fulfill your professional goals and contribute positively to society.

Get Feedback

Solicit the opinions of those close to you before sending in your personal statement. Ask them if there is anything else they would add or take away from the statement. Additionally, consider asking someone in the field of occupational therapy to review your essay and provide feedback. This will help ensure that your statement is professional and conveys the message you want to present to admissions committee members.

Example of a Personal Statement for Occupational Therapy

I can’t wait to start my Occupational Therapy profession. I believe it is the perfect blend of my interpersonal skills, scientific knowledge, and passion for helping others. Having an autistic older brother gave me firsthand experience with the life-changing effects of occupational therapy. This experience inspired me to discover more about this field. I have a thirst to develop my own thoughts on what makes a good therapist.

I have worked with patients with physical disabilities at a local hospital and completing research projects related to child development. This makes me confident that I possess the necessary skills and qualities needed to become an excellent occupational therapist. My capacity for empathy and patience allows me to understand the unique needs of each individual patient. My problem-solving abilities help me find creative solutions to their challenges. In addition, I have developed excellent communication skills and an unwavering commitment to advocating for my clients.

Becoming an occupational therapist would enable me to fulfill my dream of improving the lives of those with physical, developmental, social or emotional difficulties. With thoughtful writing, self-reflection and dedication to the field, I am committed to creating a professional portfolio. One that reflects my qualifications and passion for this career path.

By taking the time to fully prepare for your personal statement, you can create a compelling narrative. Ensure it shows why occupational therapy is the right career path for you. Keep in mind that this document is an opportunity to showcase your unique qualities and experiences that set you apart from other applicants.

With careful planning and thoughtful writing, you can create a powerful personal statement that demonstrates your commitment to becoming an excellent occupational therapist . Good luck!

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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• • Developed and implemented a pioneering mental health program, increasing patient engagement by 40% over a 12-month period.
• • Lead a team of 10 therapists to provide comprehensive care, reducing patient readmission rates by 25% through effective treatment planning.
• • Managed cross-functional collaboration with the clinical team resulting in a 15% improvement in multidisciplinary care integration.
• • Initiated a research project on occupational therapy interventions that contributed to a 10% improvement in treatment outcomes and patient satisfaction.
• • Delivered tailored training programs to junior therapists and increased departmental efficiency by 20%.
• • Implemented a data-driven approach to patient assessment, improving the accuracy of treatment plans and optimizing resource allocation.
• • Supervised a clinical caseload of complex patient needs, successfully integrating new therapeutic techniques that improved quality of life for 200+ patients.
• • Streamlined departmental processes, enhancing service delivery efficiency by 30%.
• • Drove the development of innovative patient-centered treatment plans, leading to a 40% increase in patient goal attainment.
• • Cultivated a collaborative team environment, resulting in a 15% decrease in staff turnover.
• • Enhanced inter-department communication, facilitating smoother patient transitions and more coordinated care.
• • Provided high-quality therapeutic services to a diverse patient population, achieving a 95% satisfaction rate in post-treatment surveys.
• • Implemented evidence-based treatment modalities that increased patients' daily living skills proficiency by 30%.
• • Enhanced therapeutic offerings by integrating new assistive technologies, leading to a noticeable decrease in patient reliance on staff.
• • Trained over 50 healthcare professionals on the use of occupational therapy tools, increasing the department's operational capacity.

Occupational Therapist CV Examples & Guide for 2024

Your occupational therapist CV must highlight your educational background, including any degrees and certifications. It should also emphasize your practical experience in various therapy settings. Demonstrate your range of skills, such as assessment and treatment planning. Be sure to include any specialized training, like sensory integration or hand therapy.

• CV Format Tips
• Summary or Objective?
• Experience on Your CV
• No Experience?
• Top CV Skills
• Education & Certifications
• Key Takeaways

Crafting a CV that effectively showcases the diverse range of skills and experiences you've gained as an occupational therapist can be a daunting task. Our guide provides tailored advice to help you highlight your unique qualifications and clinical expertise, ensuring your CV stands out to potential employers.

• Applying the simplest CV design, so that recruiters can easily understand your expertise, skills, and professional background;
• Ensuring you stand out with your header, summary or objective statement, and a designated skills section;
• Creating your CV experience section - no matter how much expertise you have;
• Using real life professional CV examples to enhance the structure and outline of your profile.

If you still have no muse to write your professional CV, find some more industry-leading examples.

• Nursing Student CV Example
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• ICU Nurse CV Example
• Dental Hygienist CV Example
• Paramedic CV Example

How to ensure your profile stands out with your occupational therapist CV format

• list your experience in the reverse chronological order - starting with your latest roles;
• include a header with your professional contact information and - optionally - your photograph;
• organise vital and relevant CV sections - e.g. your experience, skills, summary/ objective, education - closer to the top;
• use no more than two pages to illustrate your professional expertise;
• format your information using plenty of white space and standard (2.54 cm) margins , with colours to accent key information.

Once you've completed your information, export your occupational therapist CV in PDF, as this format is more likely to stay intact when read by the Applicant Tracker System or the ATS . A few words of advice about the ATS - or the software used to assess your profile:

• Generic fonts, e.g. Arial and Times New Roman, are ATS-compliant, yet many candidates stick with these safe choices. Ensure your CV stands out by using a more modern, and simple, fonts like Lato, Exo 2, Volkhov;
• All serif and sans-serif fonts are ATS-friendly. Avoid the likes of fancy decorative or script typography, as this may render your information to be illegible;
• Both single- and double-column formatted CVs could be assessed by the ATS ;
• Integrating simple infographics, icons, and charts across your CV won't hurt your chances during the ATS assessment.

Upload & Check Your CV

Drop your CV here or choose a file . PDF & DOCX only. Max 2MB file size.

Be mindful of white space; too much can make the CV look sparse, too little can make it look cluttered. Strive for a balance that makes the document easy on the eyes.

The top sections on a occupational therapist CV

• Professional Summary to showcase your expertise in therapy.
• Education and Qualifications to highlight relevant training.
• Clinical Experience for a history of professional practice.
• Therapy Specialisations section to detail your areas of expertise.
• Licenses and Certifications to present your legal credentials.

What recruiters value on your CV:

• Detail your hands-on experience with diverse patient populations, emphasising the range of conditions you've treated, such as physical, mental, or developmental disorders, to showcase your versatility and expertise in the field.
• Highlight specific therapeutic interventions you're proficient in, such as sensory integration or cognitive-behavioural techniques; this demonstrates your practical skill set and familiarity with industry-standard practices.
• Include any specialist areas you have worked within, such as paediatrics or geriatrics, to indicate your areas of expertise and potential alignment with specialised roles.
• Outline your commitment to professional development by listing relevant courses, seminars, or conferences you've attended, underscoring your dedication to staying abreast of the latest occupational therapy practices and research.
• Showcase your ability to collaborate with other healthcare professionals by providing examples of interdisciplinary teamwork, which is crucial for holistic patient care in occupational therapy.

Recommended reads:

• How to Choose The Best Font For Your CV (Tips & Examples)
• Why and How to Present Your CV in PDF Format

Tips and tricks on writing a job-winning occupational therapist CV header

The CV header is the space which most recruiters would be referring most often to, in the beginning and end of your application. That is as the CV header includes your contact details, but also a headline and a professional photo. When writing your CV header:

• Double-check your contact details for spelling errors or if you've missed any digits. Also, ensure you've provided your personal details , and not your current work email or telephone number;
• Include your location in the form of the city and country you live in. If you want to be more detailed, you can list your full address to show proximity to your potential work place;
• Don't include your CV photo , if you're applying for roles in the UK or US, as this may bias initial recruiters' assessments;
• Write a professional headline that either integrates the job title, some relevant industry keywords, or your most noteworthy achievement.

In the next part of our guide, we'll provide you with professional CVs that showcase some of the best practices when it comes to writing your headline.

Examples of good CV headlines for occupational therapist:

• Occupational Therapist | Paediatric Specialist | Sensory Integration | MSc in OT | 5+ Years of Experience
• Senior Occupational Therapist | Stroke Rehabilitation | Neuroplasticity Advocate | BSc Honours | 10+ Years' Practice
• Clinical Lead OT | Mental Health Focus | Trauma-Informed Care | Advanced Practice Certificate | 15+ Years' Expertise
• Occupational Therapy Consultant | Work Rehabilitation | Ergonomic Assessments | PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences | 8 Years Professional
• Junior Occupational Therapist | Community-Based Services | Holistic Care Approach | BSc OT New Graduate
• Specialist Occupational Therapist | Learning Disabilities | Assistive Technology | MSc in OT | 7 Years Dedicated Service

Catching recruiters' attention with your occupational therapist CV summary or objective

Located closer to the top of your CV, both the summary and objective are no more than five sentences long and serve as an introduction to your experience. What is more, you could use either to entice recruiters to read on. Select the:

• Summary, if you happen to have plenty of relevant experience . Feature your most impressive accomplishments and up to three skills that are relevant to the job you're applying for;
• Objective, if you're just starting your career off . Provide your career goals and answer how you see the role you are applying for will match your professional growth.

Judging which one you need to add to your occupational therapist CV may at times seem difficult. That’s why you need to check out how professionals, with similar to your experience, have written their summary or objective, in the examples below:

CV summaries for a occupational therapist job:

• Seasoned Occupational Therapist with over 12 years of dedicated experience, specializing in paediatric care and sensory integration techniques. Acclaimed for significant contributions to the development of cutting-edge therapy programs tailored for children with autism, resulting in a 35% improvement in client outcomes at a leading London health centre.
• Compassionate Occupational Therapist with a 9-year track record of enabling elderly patients to achieve maximum independence. Expertise in orthopaedic rehabilitation and adept in the use of adaptive technology. Pivotal in increasing patient satisfaction scores by 40% at a renowned Manchester rehabilitation facility through individualized care plans.
• Dynamic Physical Therapist making a career transition into Occupational Therapy, bringing over 8 years of experience in injury rehabilitation. Combines a deep understanding of biomechanics with a passion for client-centred care. Spearheaded a successful injury prevention program that decreased patient recurrence rates by 25% at a top Bristol clinic.
• Highly motivated Special Education Teacher eager to apply transferable skills to a new career as an Occupational Therapist. Comes with a solid 10-year background in creating and implementing individualized education plans aligned with therapeutic goals. Led a multi-disciplinary team to integrate assistive technologies, boosting student participation by 50%.
• Eager to embark on a career as an Occupational Therapist, bringing forth a strong academic foundation with a Master's degree in Occupational Therapy, completed with distinction from University of Glasgow. Committed to employing evidence-based techniques to foster client independence and well-being, despite lacking hands-on experience in the field.
• Enthusiastic recent graduate with a Bachelor's degree in Occupational Therapy, aiming to leverage comprehensive knowledge gained through internships at multiple healthcare settings. Keen to apply learned assessments and intervention strategies to assist clients of all ages in achieving their personal and functional goals.

More detailed look into your work history: best advice on writing your occupational therapist CV experience section

The CV experience is a space not just to merely list your past roles and responsibilities. It is the CV real estate within which you could detail your greatest accomplishments and skills, while matching the job requirements. Here's what to have in your experience section:

• Prove you have what the job wants with your unique skill set and past successes;
• Start each bullet with a strong, action verb, and continue with the outcome of your responsibility;
• Use any awards, nominations, and recognitions you've received as solid proof of your skill set and expertise ;
• align your experience with the role responsibilities and duties.

For more help on how to write your CV experience section, check out the next section of our guide:

Best practices for your CV's work experience section

• Assessed individual patient needs and developed customised treatment plans to improve their ability to perform daily activities.
• Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams including doctors, nurses, and psychologists to ensure a holistic approach to patient care.
• Implemented interventions for motor skills, sensory processing, cognitive functions, and psychosocial activities to enhance patient independence.
• Led group therapy sessions to improve social interaction, community reintegration, and adaptive skills among patients.
• Documented patient progress meticulously, adapting treatment plans as necessary and communicating changes to relevant healthcare professionals.
• Utilised various assistive technologies and adaptive equipment to maximise patient autonomy and participation in preferred activities.
• Provided training and education to patients' families and caregivers, empowering them with strategies to support the patient's continuing care at home.
• Supervised and mentored occupational therapy students and assistants, ensuring adherence to best practice guidelines and professional standards.
• Conducted home and workplace assessments to identify potential modifications, ensuring environments are safe and supportive for the patient’s needs.
• Managed a caseload of 45 patients per week in an outpatient setting, providing one-on-one therapy to improve motor skills and promote independence.
• Devised individualized home exercise programs for 90% of patients, enhancing their recovery process and reducing hospital readmission rates by 15%.
• Collaborated with a multidisciplinary team to deliver comprehensive care, leading to a 95% patient satisfaction rate.
• Spearheaded the Pediatric Occupational Therapy Program which served over 60 children with developmental disabilities, resulting in a 30% improvement in ADLs for participants.
• Conducted ergonomic assessments and modified workstations for 200+ corporate clients, reducing reported discomfort by over 60%.
• Facilitated weekly patient rehabilitation workshops, focusing on fine motor skill development and sensory integration techniques.
• Integrated cutting-edge virtual reality technology into cognitive rehabilitation therapy, enhancing engagement for 150+ stroke recovery patients.
• Formulated a research-backed therapeutic program for wrist fracture recovery which accelerated patient healing time by 25%.
• Mentored and supervised a team of 5 junior occupational therapists, fostering professional development and clinical proficiency in complex patient care.
• Led a task force to redesign the geriatric therapy program, which increased patient mobility scores by an average of 20% across the board.
• Developed a falls prevention initiative that reduced inpatient falls by 35%, securing a hospital-wide recognition award.
• Provided expert guidance in assistive technology, helping over 100 patients regain autonomy in their daily lives.
• Initiated a community reintegration program for veterans with PTSD, achieving a 90% success rate in improving participants’ social participation.
• Facilitated cognitive-behavioral strategies workshops for other healthcare professionals, increasing the clinic's service offerings by 25%.
• Developed and maintained an evidence-based practice guideline database for internal use, enhancing treatment consistency and quality.
• Oversaw the successful launch of a constraint-induced movement therapy program, improving upper limb function in stroke patients by 40%.
• Created partnerships with local gyms and fitness centers to provide adaptive sports programs, increasing the community services catalog by 50%.
• Effectively managed departmental budget, reducing costs by 10% while maintaining high standards of patient care.
• Implemented a tele-rehabilitation service that expanded therapy access to rural areas, serving an additional 200 patients annually.
• Developed a return-to-work program that assisted 120+ individuals with disabilities in securing employment, improving their economic status and well-being.
• Conducted detailed progress reports and patient assessments that informed treatment refinements, establishing a database that improved long-term patient care strategies.
• Launched a successful occupational therapy podcast series, which received over 100,000 downloads, focusing on self-help techniques that empower patients worldwide.
• Directed a quality improvement project for hand therapy practices, leading to a 20% increase in post-surgical recovery success rates.
• Served on a federal advisory board to advocate for occupational therapy funding, contributing to a $5 million increase in national grants for the profession.
• Piloted an assistive technology program in schools that helped over 250 children with disabilities better engage in educational activities.
• Authored a departmental best practices handbook which was adopted by 5 neighboring hospital systems, standardizing occupational therapy services region-wide.
• Designed and implemented an effective tracking system for measuring therapy outcomes, guiding continuous improvement initiatives.

How to ensure your occupational therapist CV stands out when you have no experience

This part of our step-by-step guide will help you substitute your experience section by helping you spotlight your skill set. First off, your ability to land your first job will depend on the time you take to assess precisely how you match the job requirements. Whether that's via your relevant education and courses, skill set, or any potential extracurricular activities. Next:

• Systematise your CV so that it spotlights your most relevant experience (whether that's your education or volunteer work) towards the top;
• Focus recruiters' attention to your transferrable skill set and in particular how your personality would be the perfect fit for the role;
• Consider how your current background has helped you build your technological understanding - whether you've created projects in your free time or as part of your uni degree;
• Ensure you've expanded on your teamwork capabilities with any relevant internships, part-time roles , or projects you've participated in the past.
• CV Job Descriptions: What Are They & How to Use Them
• How to Address Employment Gaps on Your CV (With Templates for 2023)

Include examples of how you adapted to new tools, environments, or work cultures, showing your flexibility.

Describing your unique skill set using both hard skills and soft skills

Your occupational therapist CV provides you with the perfect opportunity to spotlight your talents, and at the same time - to pass any form of assessment. Focusing on your skill set across different CV sections is the way to go, as this would provide you with an opportunity to quantify your achievements and successes. There's one common, very simple mistake, which candidates tend to make at this stage. Short on time, they tend to hurry and mess up the spelling of some of the key technologies, skills, and keywords. Copy and paste the particular skill directly from the job requirement to your CV to pass the Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessment. Now, your CV skills are divided into:

• Technical or hard skills, describing your comfort level with technologies (software and hardware) . List your aptitude by curating your certifications, on the work success in the experience section, and technical projects. Use the dedicated skills section to provide recruiters with up to twelve technologies, that match the job requirements, and you're capable of using.
• People or soft skills provide you with an excellent background to communicate, work within a team, solve problems . Don't just copy-paste that you're a "leader" or excel at "analysis". Instead, provide tangible metrics that define your success inusing the particular skill within the strengths, achievements, summary/ objective sections.

Top skills for your occupational therapist CV:

Patient Assessment

Treatment Planning

Therapeutic Interventions

Sensory Integration Therapy

Hand Therapy

Neurodevelopmental Techniques

Assistive Technology Proficiency

Medical Recordkeeping

Home Modifications

Occupational Health Knowledge

Communication

Problem Solving

Flexibility

Time Management

Interpersonal Skills

Active Listening

Focus on describing skills in the context of the outcomes they’ve helped you achieve, linking them directly to tangible results or successes in your career.

Listing your university education and certificates on your occupational therapist CV

The best proof of your technical capabilities would be your education and certifications sections. Your education should list all of your relevant university degrees , followed up by their start and completion dates. Make sure to also include the name of the university/-ies you graduated from. If you happen to have less professional experience (or you deem it would be impressive and relevant to your application), spotlight in the education section:

• that you were awarded a "First" degree;
• industry-specific coursework and projects;
• extracurricular clubs, societies, and activities.

When selecting your certificates, first ask yourself how applicable they'd be to the role . Ater your initial assessment, write the certificate and institution name. Don't miss out on including the completion date. In the below panel, we've curated relevant examples of industry-leading certificates.

If you have received professional endorsements or recommendations for certain skills, especially on platforms like LinkedIn, mention these to add credibility.

• CV Certifications - Tips, Examples & Template to Use in 2024
• How to Showcase Your Educational Achievements on CV: Examples, Templates, & Guide for 2024

Key takeaways

Write your professional occupational therapist CV by studying and understanding what the role expectations are. You should next:

• Focus on tailoring your content to answer specific requirements by integrating advert keywords through various CV sections;
• Balance your technical know-how with your personal skills to showcase what the unique value would be of working with you;
• Ensure your CV grammar and spelling (especially of your key information and contact details) is correct;
• Write a CV summary, if your experience is relevant, and an objective, if your career ambitions are more impressive;
• Use active language by including strong, action verbs across your experience, summary/objective, achievements sections.

Looking to build your own Occupational Therapist CV?

• CV Examples

Frequently Asked Questions about Occupational Therapist CVs

Q: how do i highlight my specialized expertise in occupational therapy a: in the "skills" section, mention any specialized areas or certifications, such as "certified hand therapist" or "sensory integration certification.".

CV Job Descriptions: What Are They & How to Use Them

CV Margins: Standard, Custom, Alignment & Considerations

CV Length: How Long Should Your CV Be in 2024?

Understanding the Different Sections in Your CV - Guide for 2024

A Comprehensive Guide to Action Verbs in CVs for Job Seekers

How to Showcase In-Demand Leadership Skills Across Your CV

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Occupational therapy personal statement example 6.

I have always been interested in a career in the care industry and, after meeting with an experienced occupational therapist, I was sure that occupational therapy is a career suited to my personality and abilities. I am excited by the diverse nature of the work and the effect that meaningful activity can have in helping individuals improve their quality of life and achieve personal goals.

My interest was confirmed by my experience of the work that occupational therapists do. I was able to spend time shadowing individuals from a team of paediatric occupational therapists on several occasions. I was given a valuable insight into the different ways that they work; I have attended case study meetings and an art therapy group in a special school and also playgroups in a hospital setting for children with cerebral palsy. I was also able to observe home visits to children with autism, development coordination disorders and hemiplegia. Most importantly, I have seen and discussed how occupational therapists use exercises, equipment, and their own knowledge to help children to lead as normal a life as possible. As well as this, I am soon to begin volunteering on a stroke ward at a hospital. I hope that becoming familiar with patients and seeing what help is given to them by the occupational therapists who work there will give me an insight into OT in a hospital environment.

I have also gained experience working with elderly people. For the past year I have been employed part time in catering at a nursing home for elderly people, many with severe mental health problems. I have become familiar with a range of specialist equipment for individuals with problems such as arthritis and dysphagia, as well as the opportunity to help with activity groups and with a visiting dog therapist. Through this I have built relationships with residents and learnt how to communicate with older people, many with severe dementia. This has been a challenging but rewarding experience for me.

My communication skills have also developed through a range of activities. I volunteer in a children's nursery each week, as well as in the school's 'buddy reading' scheme where I help a number of Year 7 students with reading difficulties. I also did work experience for a week in a primary school. There I was asked to help the carer of a young girl with learning difficulties who struggled to engage in lessons. I was able to gain her trust and with my guidance she became happier working with others. This experience has given me confidence communicating with children, and I would love the opportunity to work with children and young people in the future. Studying Biology, Psychology and Sociology A levels has helped me gain an understanding of people, both physically and on a more psychological level. I enjoy learning how people interact with one another individually and also in wider society. Chemistry has been a challenging but enjoyable subject for me, and in school I have been able to develop my understanding of different sciences, statistics and the importance of research.

I have been a member of Fire Cadets since 2008 where I have learnt a number of skills specific to the fire service, as well as basic first aid, team work skills and the ability to communicate and work under pressure. For my part in a community clean-up scheme run by the Local Police, I was recently awarded a 'Civic Award' from the local council, which was a great honour. Also, having achieved my bronze and silver awards, I am currently working towards my Gold Duke of Edinburgh. The scheme has taught me a lot about independence and the commitment needed to see the scheme through to completion.

I am looking forward to the challenges I will face at university, meeting new people, making a new start and to learning the skills that will eventually take me into an interesting and incredibly rewarding career in occupational therapy.

Profile info

This personal statement was written by coatmanwest for application in 2012.

coatmanwest's Comments

This is exactly as sent to ucas, only I've removed names of the places I work etc. After I sent this off I was invited to interviews from all of my 5 choices, given offers by four and recently accepted onto my first choice after A level results day.

I'm putting this online mainly because there's hardly any examples out there for occupational therapy personal statements, so I hope someone finds this one useful.

This personal statement is unrated

Related Personal Statements

Thanks this is a great.

Sun, 17/02/2013 - 14:10

Thanks this is a great personal statement and ive found it really useful in structuring each paragraph. Really grateful!

Sat, 31/08/2013 - 04:27

What all universities did you apply to?

Natalie (current A2 student)

Mon, 14/10/2013 - 23:40

Thank you, this has definitely helped me start my own personal statement, as I have been currently struggling with it! I just wished I had as much O.T work experience to add - I hope I find some ! :)

Which universities did you

Mon, 11/11/2013 - 18:31

Which universities did you apply to, offers and rejections please. It would be really helpful, thank you

This is brilliant! you are

Fri, 28/02/2014 - 13:51

This is brilliant! you are right when you say there aren't many personal statements on Occupational therapy...this has helped be structure my own qualifications and experiences and lay it out better. Thankyou :0) x

Mon, 15/09/2014 - 03:13

This helped me allot, I was pretty insecure of what to write but this guide me tons! Thank you so much!

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Occupational Therapy Personal Statement

Read our real example of Occupational Therapy personal statement to be able to work on your application for university.

Occupational Therapy Personal Statement Example

To me, occupational therapy’s guiding principles – above all, equipping individuals with the skills and confidence to lead full, rewarding lives – strike a chord as the best way to restore health. It would be a privilege and an enriching experience to be part of a profession based on these ideals that could improve the lives of others.

As a result of my diverse upbringing, I have excellent communication and empathy skills. After living in various countries throughout my childhood, my family and I finally settled in the United Kingdom. Living temporarily in several different places, often overcoming language barriers, has helped me to appreciate communication and to strive to improve it. I have also encountered people from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds by living in such a diverse range of places.

My experience completing the first year of a BSc in Biomedical Sciences, which I believed did not suit my career goals or academic interests, demonstrated my aptitude for higher education and suitability to work as an occupational therapist. I left the course after feeling that course did not suit my interests or career goals. The position I held as a course representative required me to communicate effectively with fellow students and assist in formulating proposals that would improve the quality of the course for them. These skills are relevant to the work of occupational therapists, in my opinion. In addition, the experience of taking an unsuitable course has taught me not to make big decisions lightly and to pursue a career I am genuinely interested in. I feel confident that occupational therapy is the right course for me, and I look forward to completing it with full enthusiasm.

As a result of shadowing an occupational therapist, I have gained a deeper understanding of this fascinating field. The experience of eyeing the work of the therapist and seeing how the central goal of everything that they did was orchestrated at helping people to lead fulfilling lives, whether through coaching people on techniques to control problems such as anxiety or assisting individuals to develop plans for themselves, was inspirational. I was positively impressed with the therapist’s ability to understand people’s conditions through a combination of talking to them and keeping an eye on them as they went about their business, not to mention the importance that the therapist attached to assessing each individual thoroughly to ensure that the help that they offered would benefit the individual and their circumstances.

I recently spent four weeks volunteering at a local school, where I worked daily with the children. I spent a considerable amount of the time on the placement working with a disabled girl, in the form of helping her and keeping her company during breaks and lunchtimes. Being able to help children in this way was a great pleasure, and working with kids from a variety of backgrounds made me realise the significance of the role that occupational therapists can play in helping children who come from troubled families. Indeed, the rewarding experience of working with children has made me develop an interest in working as a paediatric occupational therapist one day. I was inspired to carry out this work experience through the sense of accomplishment I derived from helping to organise a Christmas party for a group of disabled children whilst I was at college. The experience made me realise that helping people was something that drives me to make the most of my skills and abilities. I believe that qualifying as an occupational therapist would be an ideal profession for me to be able to do this.

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• Personal Statements
• Occupational Therapy personal statement

Occupational Therapy Personal Statement Example

Sample statement.

Occupational Therapy is a highly rewarding career that allows you to meet a range of people from different backgrounds and get real job satisfaction. If you’re planning on applying to study Occupational Therapy at university, and you’re struggling with your personal statement, here is an example to help you out:

I have been interested in a career within the care industry for a long time and after completing various work experience placements I have decided that Occupational Therapy is the correct career path for me.

At school I spent time at a paediatric ward as part of my work experience placement and was able to shadow various members of staff, including the paediatric occupational therapists.

I got to see first-hand how different therapy techniques, such as art therapy, can be combined with an individual’s care plan to give them as normal a life as possible. This placement gave me a valuable insight into the daily life of an occupational therapist and convinced me that I was making the right career choice.

During my time at college I was employed part time in a care home for the elderly as a kitchen assistant. This allowed me to become familiar with one of the environments that an occupational therapist could find themself in. My time at the care home also allowed me to see how different kinds of specialist equipment and therapy can be used to make a real difference to a patient’s life.

My time at school and college, as well as my part time work, has helped me to develop my communication and teamwork skills. I enjoy interacting with other people and meeting new people. I also enjoy learning about how the human brain works, which is why I studied Psychology and Sociology at A Level.

I hope that my time at university will enable to me to further understand how people interact with each other and develop the vital skills I need to become a good occupational therapist. I look forward to the new challenges life at university will bring.

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