Occupational Therapist Resume Guide
A step-by-step guide to writing an occupational therapist resume that gets hospital, school, and clinic interviews. Highlight your clinical experience, patient outcomes, ADL/IADL training, sensory integration expertise, and specialized certifications with real examples.
TL;DR
Lead with your NBCOT certification and state license, quantify patient outcomes and caseload metrics, highlight OT-specific clinical skills like ADL training and sensory integration, showcase specialized settings and patient populations, and add relevant certifications and continuing education. Use a single-column ATS-safe format.
Step 1: Lead with OT credentials, license, and clinical setting
Start with your NBCOT certification, state license number (if required), years of experience, and clinical setting. Employers in hospitals, schools, and outpatient clinics need to verify your credentials immediately. Include the size of your caseload and the types of patients or students you serve: "Licensed Occupational Therapist with 4+ years in acute care and pediatric school-based settings, managing a caseload of 35+ students and patients per week."
Resume example
Occupational Therapist | Mercy General Hospital, Portland, OR | August 2021 – Present
- Licensed Occupational Therapist with active Oregon OT license, managing a mixed caseload of 30+ adult and geriatric patients weekly in acute care and inpatient rehabilitation.
- Conducted comprehensive ADL and IADL assessments for post-stroke, post-surgical, and traumatic brain injury patients, achieving an average FIM score improvement of 20 points per patient.
- Collaborated with physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, nurses, and physicians to develop and implement interdisciplinary care plans for 150+ patients annually.
- Trained 3 Level II OT students in evaluation techniques, documentation standards, and evidence-based intervention planning.
Step 2: Quantify patient outcomes and caseload metrics
Specify caseload size, FIM score improvements, discharge rates, therapy hours delivered, and functional independence gains. Quantified outcomes separate experienced OTs from entry-level applicants. Example: "Delivered 25+ therapy sessions weekly, achieving an average FIM gain of 18 points across 40 post-stroke patients over 6 months."
Step 3: Highlight OT-specific clinical skills and interventions
Detail ADL and IADL training, sensory integration therapy, fine motor skill development, cognitive rehabilitation, wheelchair and adaptive equipment assessments, home modification planning, hand therapy, and neurorehabilitation techniques. Employers scan for these specific clinical competencies.
Key OT clinical skills
- ADL retraining: bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, feeding
- IADL training: meal preparation, medication management, financial tasks, community mobility
- Sensory integration therapy for pediatric and adult populations
- Fine motor coordination and visual-motor skill development
- Cognitive rehabilitation: memory strategies, executive function training, safety awareness
- Wheelchair seating and positioning assessments, custom orthotics fitting
- Home modification and safety assessments for fall prevention
- Hand therapy and splinting for post-surgical and orthopedic conditions
- Neurorehabilitation: NDT, PNF, motor learning strategies for stroke and TBI
- Adaptive equipment prescription and training for patients and caregivers
Step 4: Showcase specialized settings and patient populations
Describe experience with specific populations: pediatrics, geriatrics, orthopedics, neurology, mental health, early intervention, or acute care. Mention interdisciplinary collaboration with PTs, SLPs, nurses, teachers, and physicians. School-based OTs should highlight IEP participation, classroom sensory strategies, and teacher consultation.
Resume example — School-based OT
School-Based Occupational Therapist | Lincoln Elementary School District, Seattle, WA | September 2019 – June 2023
- Served on 20+ IEP teams annually, conducting evaluations and writing goals for students with autism, sensory processing disorder, ADHD, and fine motor delays.
- Implemented sensory integration therapy and classroom-based sensory strategies for 40+ students across 3 elementary schools, reducing classroom disruption referrals by 35%.
- Provided teacher and paraprofessional training on sensory diets, handwriting interventions, and adaptive seating solutions for 25+ staff members.
- Collaborated with school psychologists, SLPs, special education teachers, and parents to ensure carryover of OT goals into home and classroom environments.
Step 5: Add certifications, licensure, and continuing education
List NBCOT certification, state OT license, CPR/BLS, SIPT certification, LSVT BIG, Aquatic Therapy, Hand Therapy, feeding therapy training, and any specialized CEUs. Include relevant continuing education and professional memberships like AOTA or state OT associations. Even one advanced certification can set you apart from entry-level applicants.
Occupational therapist resume skills that hiring managers look for
Hiring managers for occupational therapy positions scan resumes for specific clinical and soft skills. Whether you are applying to a hospital, school district, outpatient clinic, or home health agency, these are the competencies that make your resume stand out in applicant tracking systems and in front of clinical directors.
Full occupational therapist resume example
Below is a realistic, complete example of an occupational therapist resume for an acute care and inpatient rehab setting. Use this as a template for formatting and language, then adapt it to your own clinical setting and patient population.
Sarah Mitchell, OTR/L
Portland, OR 97201 | (503) 555-0142 | sarah.mitchell.ot@email.com | LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahmitchellot
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Licensed Occupational Therapist with 5+ years of experience in acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, and outpatient orthopedics. Proven track record improving patient functional independence through evidence-based ADL/IADL training, sensory integration, and cognitive rehabilitation. NBCOT-certified with active Oregon license. Experienced in interdisciplinary care teams, EMR documentation, and student supervision.
LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS
- NBCOT Certified Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR) — License #123456
- Oregon State Board of Occupational Therapy — License #OT-L1234
- CPR/BLS Certified — American Heart Association (current through 2027)
- LSVT BIG Certified — Parkinson's disease rehabilitation
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Senior Occupational Therapist | Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, Portland, OR | July 2021 – Present
- Manage a caseload of 32+ adult and geriatric patients weekly in acute care and inpatient rehabilitation, specializing in post-stroke, orthopedic surgery, and traumatic brain injury recovery.
- Conduct comprehensive ADL and IADL assessments using FIM and Barthel Index, achieving an average functional gain of 22 points per patient over average 14-day rehab stays.
- Perform wheelchair seating and positioning assessments, custom orthotic fitting, and home modification recommendations for 60+ patients annually.
- Lead weekly interdisciplinary rounds with PT, SLP, nursing, and case management to coordinate safe discharge planning, achieving a 92% home discharge rate.
- Supervise 2 Level II OT students and 1 COTA, providing weekly feedback on evaluation skills, treatment planning, and documentation accuracy.
Occupational Therapist | Kaiser Permanente Northwest, Hillsboro, OR | August 2019 – June 2021
- Delivered outpatient hand therapy and upper extremity rehabilitation for post-surgical, repetitive strain, and sports injury patients.
- Fabricated custom static and dynamic splints for 40+ patients, reducing pain scores by an average of 4.2 points on the VAS scale.
- Implemented cognitive rehabilitation protocols for mild TBI patients, including memory strategy training and executive function exercises.
- Maintained 100% documentation compliance within 24-hour window using Epic EMR system.
EDUCATION
Master of Science in Occupational Therapy | University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA | Graduated May 2019
Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology | Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR | Graduated May 2017
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) | Oregon Occupational Therapy Association (OOTA)
How to tailor your occupational therapist resume for different settings
An occupational therapist resume for a pediatric school district looks very different from one for an acute care hospital. Tailor your resume by emphasizing the clinical skills, patient populations, and documentation systems most relevant to each employer.
Acute Care / Inpatient Rehab
Emphasize FIM score improvements, fast-paced caseload turnover, discharge planning, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Highlight experience with post-surgical, stroke, TBI, and medically complex patients.
School-Based OT
Highlight IEP participation, sensory integration therapy, handwriting intervention, and teacher consultation. Quantify the number of students served and schools covered. Mention experience with autism, ADHD, and developmental delay.
Outpatient / Hand Therapy
Focus on splinting, orthotic fabrication, repetitive strain injury treatment, and post-surgical rehabilitation. Include custom splint types and outcome measures like VAS pain scores or grip strength improvements.
Home Health
Stress home safety assessments, fall prevention, caregiver training, and ADL/IADL independence in real home environments. Mention experience with geriatric populations, dementia care, and Medicare documentation requirements.
Early Intervention
Emphasize family-centered care, natural environment interventions, and developmental milestone tracking. Highlight experience with birth-to-three populations, feeding therapy, and sensory processing disorders.
Mental Health / Behavioral Health
Focus on life skills training, coping strategy development, group facilitation, and community reintegration. Highlight experience with trauma-informed care, DBT or CBT integration, and discharge to community settings.
Frequently asked questions
What should an occupational therapist resume include?
An occupational therapist resume should include your NBCOT certification, state license, clinical settings, caseload size, patient outcome metrics, ADL/IADL training experience, sensory integration skills, specialized populations, certifications, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
How do I write an occupational therapist resume with no experience?
Focus on fieldwork rotations, clinical internships, and volunteer work. Highlight ADL assessments, treatment planning, and documentation skills gained during Level I and Level II fieldwork. Include any relevant certifications like CPR/BLS and NBCOT exam scheduled date.
What skills should I list on an occupational therapist resume?
Key skills include ADL and IADL training, sensory integration therapy, fine motor coordination, cognitive rehabilitation, wheelchair and adaptive equipment assessments, home modification planning, hand therapy, neurorehabilitation, FIM scoring, documentation, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
What certifications help for occupational therapy resumes?
NBCOT certification, state OT license, CPR/BLS, SIPT (Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests), LSVT BIG for Parkinson's, Aquatic Therapy, Certified Hand Therapist (CHT), feeding therapy training, and NDT (Neuro-Developmental Treatment) certification are all highly valued.
How do I list NBCOT and state license on my resume?
Create a dedicated "Licenses & Certifications" section near the top. List NBCOT as "NBCOT Certified Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR) — License #XXXXXX" and your state license as "[State] State Board of Occupational Therapy — License #XXXX". Include expiration or renewal dates if current.
Should I include fieldwork on my occupational therapist resume?
Yes, especially if you are a new graduate or have less than 2 years of experience. List Level I and Level II fieldwork under a "Clinical Experience" or "Fieldwork" section. Include the setting, supervisor name, caseload size, and specific interventions you performed.
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