Resume template · Updated October 2026
Occupational therapist assistant resume template
Short answer
Leslie suits an occupational therapist assistant: experience prints before skills, so the patients you treat and the activities you run come first, and the calm layout fits clinics and rehab facilities. The fictional sample works in a skilled nursing and rehab facility, carrying out treatment plans for older adults returning home. Put your licence in the headline and replace the sample numbers with yours.
Download the occupational therapist assistant sample
Jessica is a fictional certified occupational therapy assistant. Replace every detail with your own before you send it.
The files are made in your browser by Resumity's own exporters, from this sample. The builder opens it as your own resume: click any line to replace it. Free plan, no watermark.
Why Leslie suits an occupational therapist assistant resume
Leslie prints a short summary, then Work Experience, then Skills and Education, under a centred header with one blue accent. Rehab directors read for licence, setting and caseload first, and this tidy experience-first layout keeps your clinical work at the top.
Second choice: Henrietta. Henrietta is plainer, with education right after the jobs, a fit for new graduates whose fieldwork is their main experience.
What goes in each section, in Leslie's order
Leslie prints its sections in a fixed order, the same in the PDF and the Word file. Here is that order for this sample, and what to put in each section.
- Professional Summary. Licence, setting (skilled nursing, hospital, school, outpatient), patient population and patients per day.
- Work Experience. Bullets on patients treated, activities of daily living training, adaptive equipment, home safety, documentation and teamwork with the supervising therapist.
- Skills. Treatment skills (ADL training, therapeutic exercise, cognitive strategies, splinting where allowed) and documentation software.
- Education. Accredited occupational therapy assistant program with the year and fieldwork settings.
- Certifications. Licence or certification with the state and year, plus CPR and any specialty training.
The sample resume as text
The same content as the files above, so you can copy a line or compare it with your own.
Jessica Romero
Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, Skilled Nursing and Rehab
Tampa, FL | jessica.romero@example.com | (813) 555-0148 | linkedin.com/in/sample-jessica-romero
Certified occupational therapy assistant at a skilled nursing and rehab facility, treating about 11 patients a day. Focus on helping older adults return home safely after surgery or illness.
Experience
Occupational Therapy Assistant, Bayshore Rehabilitation Center, Tampa, FL (07/2021 to Present)
- Treat about 11 patients a day under the plans of two occupational therapists, mostly after joint replacement, stroke or falls.
- Train patients in dressing, bathing and toileting with adaptive equipment, and teach caregivers before discharge.
- Run a weekly kitchen safety group so patients can practise meal tasks before going home.
- Complete daily notes on time and update the therapist on progress and safety concerns.
- Help set up home safety recommendations with the discharge planner.
Rehabilitation Aide, Gulf Coast Outpatient Therapy, Clearwater, FL (06/2018 to 06/2019)
- Prepared treatment areas and equipment.
- Helped patients move safely between activities.
- Kept supplies stocked and areas clean.
Education
Associate of Science, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Hillsborough Community College (05/2021)
Certifications
- Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA), National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (2021)
Skills
ADL training, Adaptive equipment, Therapeutic exercise, Caregiver education, Home safety, Electronic documentation system, Encouraging patients, Clear team updates
How to make the sample yours
Lead with licence and setting
Write your licence in the headline and name the setting in the summary. Settings differ a lot, so employers look for a match.
Show patient volume
Patients per day and the main conditions you treat, such as hip replacement, stroke or dementia.
Describe function gained
Patients returning home, needing less help with dressing or bathing. Independence regained is the result OT exists for.
Mention equipment and home safety
Adaptive equipment trained, home safety checks, caregiver teaching.
Show documentation and teamwork
Timely notes, communication with the supervising therapist and the care team.
Keywords to keep where they are true
Terms this kind of resume is usually searched for. Use the posting's exact wording, and only for work you have done.
- occupational therapy assistant
- COTA
- activities of daily living
- therapeutic activities
- adaptive equipment
- home safety
- caregiver training
- fine motor skills
- cognitive rehabilitation
- skilled nursing
- documentation
- treatment plans
Mistakes to avoid
- Patient names or details.
- Tasks outside your state's scope for assistants.
- No setting or patient volume.
- Claiming evaluations that only a therapist may do.
How the sample PDF reads in text extractors
We exported this sample with Resumity's PDF exporter in Chrome on 2026-10-29 and read the file back with three open-source text extractors. This shows whether software that turns a PDF into text can recover it; it is not a test of any commercial applicant tracking system. How we test templates.
| Extractor | Name, email, phone | Headings | Bullets intact |
|---|---|---|---|
| pdf.js 4.10.38 | All found | 5 of 5 | 8 of 8 |
| pdftotext (Xpdf) 4.00 | All found | 5 of 5 | 8 of 8 |
| pypdf 6.13.0 | All found | 5 of 5 | 8 of 8 |
Frequently asked questions
What should an occupational therapy assistant resume include?
Licence or certification, setting, patients per day, the conditions you treat and the function patients gained. Directors also check documentation habits and teamwork with therapists.
How do new graduates show experience?
List fieldwork placements with the setting, population and what you did. Add your exam date and licence once you have it.
Should I list rehab aide work?
Yes. It shows comfort with patients and clinic routines; keep it short once you have assistant experience.
Is this template right for school-based OT assistants?
Yes. Replace patients with students and describe fine motor, sensory and classroom work under the therapist's plan.
How do I stay within scope on my resume?
Describe treatment you carried out under the therapist's plan. Evaluations and plan changes belong to the therapist in most states.
How long should the resume be?
One page. Keep your licence and current setting near the top.
Will applicant tracking systems read this Leslie PDF?
The sample PDF read back with its contact details, all 5 section headings and all 8 bullets intact in three open-source text extractors (pdf.js, pdftotext and pypdf). Commercial systems such as Workday, Greenhouse or Taleo were not tested, and each employer configures its own.
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