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Occupational Therapists and Assistants - How to Make Your Resume Stand Out (2023) Part One: The Name and Objective
February 9, 2023Occupational Therapists and Assistants - How to Make Your Resume Stand Out (2023)
Part One: The Name and Objective
As Occupational Therapists, we do it all to help individuals with physical and mental disabilities achieve their full potential.
Because there are a variety of settings we can choose to work in; from schools, skilled nursing facilities, hospitals, and community centers - we want to ensure our resume lands in front of the preferred area of our interest.
Your resume must include the right keywords to get noticed online. This is because search engines can find you based on these keywords. So, if you want people to find your resume, you must ensure that it includes keywords and phrases relevant to your preferred setting. An occupational therapy resume should be tailored to the job description, highlighting the skills and experience that are relevant to the position.
Let's start with the basics.
Recruiters and employers need to find you! Your first qualification is your license.
Be sure to include your discipline after your name in the title:
Jane Doe, MS, OTR/L
Jane Doe, OT
It is also essential to be clear on the setting you're seeking in your objective:
Keywords on your setting and discipline are vital when a prospective employer is trying to find candidates.
In the case of occupational therapy, some keywords to include in your resume and cover letter are: "occupational therapist," "occupational therapy assistant," "occupational therapy assistant with autism spectrum disorder experience," and "experienced school-based occupational therapist."
Our resume now contains the standard searchable terms for an occupational therapist (in full name and abbreviation) and our objective or area of expertise.
In our next segment, we explore best-practice methods in listing job experience and the action-oriented verbs to use to make you stand out.
Want expert eyes on your resume? Our placement specialists have decades of experience and are ready to make you stand out, and your accomplishments dazzle at no cost! Find out why we've been an industry leader for almost 40 years. Call 212.529.9780, email info@therapeuticresource.com, or send us your information here.