Actionable Occupational Therapist Resume Examples, Templates & Tips
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Actionable Occupational Therapist Resume Examples, Templates & Tips

Occupational therapy OT focuses on making the ability of an individual better with context to daily tasks. Thus, if you are an occupational therapist and struggling to write a decent resume then here's the solution.

Last update:
1/8/2024

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In this article, you will find example occupational therapist resume sections explained in a great detail with exceptional resume tips.

Yes, along with the reverse chronological resume sample we have introduced the functional and hybrid resume sample formats. The placement of the resume section changes keeping the essential headings intact. Go through them.

Occupational Therapist Resume

Reverse Chronological Format

This one is the highly sort after resume format. We have a ton of resume examples in the reverse chronological order. It is adaptable for both seasoned and fresh applicants.

(Name)
(Job title)
(Address)
(Mobile number)
(Email address)

Objective/Summary Statement
(Experience + Education + 2-3 technical skills + Key achievement)

Professional Experience
(Current job title)
(Company)
(Location)
(From-to)

  • (Bullet Point)
  • (Bullet Point)
  • (Bullet Point)

(Past job title)
(Company)
(Location)
(From-to)

  • (Bullet Point)
  • (Bullet Point)
  • (Bullet Point)

Hard Skills

  • (List of motor skills)

Soft Skills

  • (List of daily living skills)

Education
(Degree)
(College/university)
(City, state)
(GPA)
(Coursework)

Language

  • (List of language + proficiency level)

Certificate

  • (List of certificate + year)

Functional Format

Frequent career changers use the functional format or those having gaps in the employment. Other can use the reverse chronological format.

(Name)

(Job title)

(Address)

(Mobile number)

(Email address)

Objective/Summary Statement

(Experience + Education + 2-3 technical skills + Impressive achievements)

Skills Summary

(Daily living skills)

  • (Bullet Point)
  • (Bullet Point)
  • (Bullet Point)

(Social skills)

  • (Bullet Point)
  • (Bullet Point)
  • (Bullet Point)

(Transferable skills)

  • (Bullet Point)
  • (Bullet Point)
  • (Bullet Point)
Professional Experience

(Current job title)

(Company)

(Location)

(From-to)

(Past job title)

(Company)

(Location)

(From-to)

Education

(Degree)

(College/university)

(City, state)

(GPA)

(Coursework)

Additional Skills
  • (List of add-on skills)
Language
  • (List of language + proficiency level)
Certificate
  • (List of certificate + year)

Hybrid Format

The hybrid format is rarely used because it is time consuming and makes your resume lengthy. Although this is true yet it is fair enough to give atleast a try. We have a list of resume samples written using the hybrid resume format.

(Name)

(Job title)

(Address)

(Mobile number)

(Email address)

Summary/Objective Statement

(Experience + Education + 2-3 Skills + Achievements)

Skills Summary

(Hard skills)

  • (Bullet Point)
  • (Bullet Point)
  • (Bullet Point)

(Social skills)

  • (Bullet Point)
  • (Bullet Point)
  • (Bullet Point)

(Transferable skills)

  • (Bullet Point)
  • (Bullet Point)
  • (Bullet Point)
Professional Experience

(Current job title)

(Company)

(Location)

(From-to)

  • (Bullet Point)
  • (Bullet Point)
  • (Bullet Point)

(Past job title)

(Company)

(Location)

(From-to)

  • (Bullet Point)
  • (Bullet Point)
  • (Bullet Point)
Education

(Degree)

(College/university)

(City, state)

(GPA)

(Coursework)

Additional Skills
  • (List of add-on skills)
Language
  • (List of language + proficiency level)
Certificate
  • (List of certificate + year)

Writing an Occupational Therapist Resume

We have browsed resume formats and resume samples and now it's time to begin writing an actual therapist resume. From here on you will read the entire process of writing an OT resume with examples. Let's get on with it.

Occupational Therapist Resume

Occupational Therapist Resume Format

If you have been following this guide then you know we have discussed three different formats for occupational therapist resumes. But which one is the perfect format?

  • Reverse chronological - This is the universally accepted format by hiring managers and applicant tracking systems. Hence, you won't have any trouble using it for occupational therapist positions.
  • Functional - The functional format focuses on core competencies more than a professional experience. Moreover, if you are among career changers or have taken major gaps during the employment period then this format is apt for the occupational therapy job.
  • Hybrid - The one and only drawback of using hybrid aka combination resume format is the length. It make your occupational therapy resume too lengthy to read going beyond the one-page standard limit. The advantage here is it focuses equally on both expertise and experience.

Therefore, select the format depending on your competence and experience but take care that your occupational therapy resume doesn't gets too lengthy.

Occupational Therapist Resume Outline

After deciding the occupational therapy resume format draw and outline. Here outline means the structure. An outline is a wireframe, a sketch that helps arrange the content under proper heading, alignment, and formatting. Not only this but it makes the resume readable for hiring managers and scannable for the applicant tracking systems.

For the occupational therapists resume we have the following outline in place.Not to mention, that language and certificates are additional details that can be further elaborated.

  • Contact details
  • Objective/summary statement
  • Work experience
  • Skills section
  • Education section
  • Language
  • Certificates

The same outline is used in the resume templates above with minor alterations. The placements of the resume sections could be different but the headings remains the same. Now that we have format and outline finalised let's begin with individual sections.

Contact Details in an Occupational Therapist Resume

If there's anything that could be the most easiest thing on this planet then it is - writing contact details. Immaterial of where you are mentioning your contact details it's just a cakewalk. Whether it is a normal form of a resume for occupational therapists contact details are a pure breeze.

Occupational Therapist Resume

Although the above statements are true yet applicants making a job search for occupational therapists fumble in the contact details section. See the examples below.

Right ✅

Anthony S. McNeill

Occupational Therapist

4484 Eagle Street

Olney, IL 62450

+1 618-354-3865

anthonymcneill@globenet.com

Wrong ❌

Anthony S. McNeill

Occupational Therapist

4484 Eagle Street

Olney, IL 62450

+1 618-354-3865

Birthday: November 5, 1989

Age: 33 years old

Zodiac: Scorpio

anthonymcneill@globenet.com

oktoknow.com

Height: 5' 7" (170 centimetres)

Weight: 249.7 pounds (113.5 kilograms)

Blood group: O+


What you must never add into the contact details?

  • Birthdates are a big no since hiring managers don't prefer them.
  • Avoid age, zodiac, and lucky numbers to occupational therapist resumes.
  • Skip height, weight, and blood group in an occupational therapist resumes.
  • Do not put social media links, instead add LinkedIn account links.

Summary in an Occupational Therapist Resume

Most occupational therapists resume that we come across are neatly designed and well-aligned based on the professional content. However, the most essential part is the resume summary because it's the first point of contact with the hiring managers and the applicant tracking systems.

Since it is the first thing that potential employers will read you have to be careful while writing one for your own resume. How you should write a summary? Here are some pointers to help you craft an impeccable statement.

  • Describe 3-4 continuous sentences without unnecessarily tearing them.
  • In the first sentence mention 2-3 expertise that you can bet on.
  • Thereafter write you past accomplishments with the company name.
  • Writing the company name infuses a trust factor in the hiring manager.
  • Mentions certificate, awards, or honors received in the occupational therapy field.

If you religiously follow the tips above an unmatched resume summary is guaranteed. The following examples show the difference between two statements.

Right ✅
Dedicated occupational therapist with a master's degree having 10+ years of work experience in drafting patient's treatment plans, tracking patient progress, and physical rehabilitation activities. Demonstrated success in the occupational therapist position at BlueBird Multi Speciality Hospital, engaging in discharge planning, specialized training, process improvement, and monitor acute care patients to achieve maximum benefit. National board certified professional, compassionate, and problem solving attitude.

Wrong ❌
Caring occupational therapist with a master's degree. 10+ years of work experience. I know how to draft treatment plans. I am versed in physical rehabilitation activities. I have successfully demonstrated my expertise at BlueBird Multi Speciality Hospital. I had engaged in discharge planning, specialized training, process improvement, and monitor acute care to achieve maximum benefit. I am a national board certified and licensed occupational therapist. I am compassionate and I have a problem solving attitude.

The issues with the above example is the lethal use of the pronoun "I" which is unprofessional. Second big mistake is breaking a continuous sentence into small parts to make it readable. That doesn't work here.

Unwontedly fragmenting sentences gives an amateurish feel to the hiring manager. Remember, they are looking for a responsible and caring occupational therapist.

Objective in an Occupational Therapist Resume

Even though potential employers are searching for an experienced and caring occupational therapist that doesn't mean a beginner won't qualify. An objective statement is written when there's no typical work history. Here's an example of occupational therapist resume objective statement in comparison with another one that is deliberately written to exemplify the differences.

Occupational Therapist Resume

Right ✅
Licensed occupational therapist with a master's degree having a total of 11-months volunteer work experience and having assisted patients along with healthcare professionals. To secure a challenging position of an occupational therapist at Illinois Trauma Center to expand my learnings and knowledge in the healthcare industry.

Wrong ❌
Licensed occupational therapist with a bachelor's degree. Having a total of 9-months volunteer work experience. Having assisted patients along with healthcare professionals and physical therapists. To secure a challenging position of an occupational therapist at Illinois Trauma Center. To expand my learnings and knowledge in the health industry.

If you observe the example above there is a frequent fragmentation of sentences. Secondly, two sentence begin with the same word "having" immediately one after the other. The last sentence "to expand my learnings......" seems short on the purpose. It begins nicely but ends up without a meaning.

Professional Experience in an Occupational Therapist Resume

The most read and scanned resume section (even more than the skills section) is the work history. Hiring managers read the experience section to determine the potential of an applicant.

On the other hand, the same work history gives ample opportunity to the applicant to include current and past job accomplishments, expertise, benefits to potential employers, awards, professional achievements, and a lot more details. But how do you incorporate it in the experience section? Here's how.

  • Read the job posting carefully and list keywords. For instance, discharge planning, physical therapists, speech therapists, private practices, transferable skills, and so on.
  • Write 4-5 statements using bullet points including these keywords without breaking the sentences into smaller pieces.
  • Start the sentence using an action verb like communicated, studied, collaborated, provided, trained, assisted, supervised, monitored, and others.
  • Refer to other OT resume examples if needed to investigate and learn how an OT resume should be written. For instance, you can refer to medical assistant resume or a practitioner nurse resume. They are more or less similar in format and structure.

Follow the above guidelines and you will be able to create a healthy work experience section in your own resume. If you still doubt whether or not you will be able to write the work history then refer to our resume examples. Browse here.

Right ✅

Occupational Therapist

Illinois Trauma Center

Olney, Illinois

2015-Present

  • Communicated with patients to analyse their mental and physical challenges due to the ongoing treatment and ailment.
  • Studied the activity list and overall medical history of the patient to onset their treatment plans prescribed by the consultant physician.
  • Collaborated with case managers and ICU nurse staff for discharge planning of patients and report the same to the admission department.
  • Provided support to the patient's family and redirect them to the mental health department for primary assistance if needed.
  • Trained patients to use durable medical equipment both at the medical facility and at home to restore function and daily tasks hassle-free.

Wrong ❌

Occupational Therapist

Illinois Trauma Center

Olney, Illinois

2015-Present

  • Communicate with patients.
  • Study the activity list and overall medical history.
  • Collaborate with case managers.
  • Provide support to the patient's family.
  • Train patients to restore function and daily tasks.

A short sentence with merely a couple of keywords won't give fruitful results in an occupational therapist job search. Read the first point - it has hardly three words that conveys no meaning. The third one - collaborate with case managers is unfurnished without making a proper sense.

Thus avoid writing shorter meaningless sentences with just a bunch of keywords from the job description. Draft thoughtful statement to invite attention and exercise a trust factor.

Skills in an Occupational Therapist Resume

The key skills section of your occupational therapist resume is the key to get noticed provided you have bifurcated the list under separate headings. A long list in the key skills section without any fragmentation will easily kill your chances for an interview call.

Occupational Therapist Resume

Before compiling the list refer to the job description and analyse what is being demanded. Make a list of activities that you count on and match the same with those mentioned in the job description. Aim for similarities more than 70% to be qualifiable. Bifurcating the list will make your resume stand out of the competition.

Right ✅
Technical Skills
  • Durable Medical Equipment (DME)
  • Primary consultation
  • Occupational therapy
  • Discharge planning & assessment
  • Physical rehabilitation
  • Reporting patient outcomes
  • Documentation
  • Monitor patient's daily living activities
  • Prioritize severe acute care
  • Developing treatment Plans
Soft Skills
  • Support patient's family
  • Training and supervising
  • Compassionate
  • Time management
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Communication
  • Computer literacy

Wrong ❌
  • Durable Medical Equipment (DME)
  • Primary consultation
  • Occupational therapy
  • Discharge planning & assessment
  • Physical rehab
  • Reporting patient outcomes
  • Documentation
  • Monitor patient's daily living activities
  • Prioritize severe patient care
  • Developing treatment Plans
  • Soft skills
  • Support patient's family
  • Training and supervising
  • Compassionate
  • Time management
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Communication
  • Computer literacy

Education in an Occupational Therapist Resume

An occupational therapist job posting usually demands a bachelor degree yet if you have a master qualification then begin with the highest one. Include GPA only if it is 3 or more than three because there's no point in writing 2.9 or making it 3.0 as a nearest round figure.

Whatever resume format you apply the education section details remain the same with the same pattern of writing. You can also add relevant coursework by referring to the job posting to draw the attention of the hiring manager.

Occupational Therapist Resume

Right ✅

Master of Science (MS) in Occupational Therapy

Olney College of Occupational Therapy

Olney, Illinois

2008-2010

Bachelor of Science (MS) in Occupational Therapy

Olney College of Occupational Therapy

Olney, Illinois

2004-2008


Wrong ❌

Master of Science (MS) in Occupational Therapy

Bachelor of Science (MS) in Occupational Therapy

Olney College of Occupational Therapy

Olney, Illinois

2004-2010


Extra Details in an Occupational Therapist Resume

Occupational therapists can be multi-talented with having a varying experience and certifications. Above all, being a bilingual can be an added advantage if the same is mentioned in the job listing. But there's a method to write these details and the below examples reflects the same.

Language fluency and competence must be written in this formula - name of language (English, Spanish or French) + proficiency level (native, beginner, or conversational). As far as certifications are concerned they must be separately defined using bullet points.

Right ✅
Language
  • English (Native)
  • Spanish (Beginner)
  • French (conversational)
Certificate
  • Certified Pediatric Occupational Therapist
  • Professional Aquatic Occupational Therapist

Wrong ❌
Language and Certificate
  • English (Native), Spanish (Beginner), and French (conversational)
  • Certified Pediatric Occupational Therapist
  • Professional Aquatic Occupational Therapist

Occupational Therapist Resume FAQs

Who is an Occupational Therapist?

An occupational therapist is a certified healthcare professional who implements therapeutic methods to treat a patient's ailment. It includes daily activities and the capacity to perform a given task. These individuals are qualified to make the everyday life of patients better and easy as much as possible.

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Occupational Therapist Resume FAQs

Who is an Occupational Therapist?

An occupational therapist is a certified healthcare professional who implements therapeutic methods to treat a patient's ailment. It includes daily activities and the capacity to perform a given task. These individuals are qualified to make the everyday life of patients better and easy as much as possible.

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