Category: Uncategorized

Starting your search for an OT job can be a daunting task so I decided to make a list of what I looked for so that it could possibly help others.

Some things that were important to me-

I knew that in my first OT job I wanted mentorship. While I wasn’t picky about how much or what type, I just knew that I wasn’t quite ready to be thrown to the wolves and would be a lot more comfortable if I had someone to give me advice/guidance/answer questions.

Setting is a huge factor (and probably the biggest factor for most people). I, luckily, loved both my fieldwork settings so I was open to applying to both SNFs and outpatient pediatrics. The only settings I knew I didn’t want to start in home health or a school just because that usually involves flying solo.

I always looked for a job that provided benefits. Oddly, some jobs I looked at did not, but I need health insurance…

I also knew I wanted full-time hours. Some people might start their OT career working part-time or PRN and there is no right or wrong way to go, it just depends on what best fits your needs. I personally was looking for a full 40 hours a week.

I also wanted to work somewhere that offered services other than OT so i would have a chance to work with other disciplines. I really liked collaborating with PT and SLP during my fieldwork placements and learned a lot from them. I wanted my first job to provide similar opportunities.

No required evenings or weekends. One of my fieldwork placements had be there until 8pm some nights and I learned that it is much harder to run good treatment sessions at that time. I also applied to one job that had Saturday morning hours.

Opportunities for continuing education. Continuing education is required so a job that includes continuing education or a stipend to cover part of it would be great.

Some things that were not as important to me-

Location was not a huge factor for me. The county I grew up in has 2 hospitals, 1 outpatient center offering OT, and the school system (aka not a lot of job opportunities for OTs). I started my search by looking at jobs within a couple hours of home but ended up applying to some farther away as well.

I was also not too concerned about salary. I knew that I wold be able to support myself on the average OT salary so this was not really a factor as I searched for jobs.

Resumes are tricky. You are supposed to summarize your education, work history, and extracurricular activities in 1-2 pages to convince employers that you are 100% the person they need to hire.

Have you been staring at your resume for way too long and need a fresh set of eyes?

Are you a new grad and have no idea where to start when it comes to resumes, cover letters, and references?

Are you looking to change jobs and need to update your resume?

Or just want to keep your resume up to date?

If any of the above apply to you then you may benefit from a resume review.

If you would like me to review your resume, you can contact me on instagram at @beckyb.ot or by email at beckyb.ot17@gmail.com (just put “resume review”as your subject line)

I charge $15 for a review of your resume, cover letter, and reference page and accept payment via Venmo and PayPal.

I just need to know:

• If you are an OT or OTA
• New grad or experienced practitioner (and # of years of experience)
• If you are looking to work full-time, part-time, or PRN
• If you are applying to a specific setting
• If you would like me to review your resume, cover letter, or reference page (or all 3!)
• And if you have any specific concerns

If you don’t quite have a resume ready then you can check out my teachers pay teachers store for tip sheets and sample resumes, cover letters, and reference pages at https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Becky-B-Ot

After I have time to review your resume, I will return a revised copy with a document where I detail any changes I made as well as general comments!

I know how stressful creating a resume can be and hope this service can be of help to others in the occupational therapy community!

I usually try to do these posts at the very beginning of the month, but here we are 2 weeks in. Oh well.

May was a very exciting month as I graduated with my Master’s in Occupational Therapy!!

After graduation, I went to Nashville (longer post on Nash coming soon) and then buckled down for boards studying.

And now it is June!

I decided to do one quote for the summer, instead of one for each month.

So my quote for the summer is:

This summer will include boards, moving to North Carolina, and starting my first job. A lot of unknowns. However, I am going to remind myself to embrace it as I will only be at this point in m y life once.

How in the world is it May?

2019 has flown by.

I will always remember April 5, 2019 as the day I accepted my first OT job. Might seem kinda weird but I have been dreaming of becoming an OT for years and accepting a job made it a reality.

And it was a job that I never thought I would take. And it is amazing. And outside my comfort zone. And makes me smile ear to ear whenever I think about it.

And now it is May. Which means it is officially the month that I will graduate with my Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy.

And holy heck.

I am so excited. With just a hint of nervousness.

So in May, I will tell myself the quote below. And as I receive my degree and reach a major life goal, I can tell myself that anything is possible. That after completing the toughest 5 years of my life, I can really do anything I put my mind to.

Happy OT month! (aka the best month of the year!)

I decided to compile a list of some easy & fun ways to spread the word about our amazing profession this month!

1. Post on social media. There are a lot of different challenges going on this month that some of us are participating in on our OT instagram accounts. But what about your personal accounts? Post a cute pic on insta, tweet an OT quote on twitter, and change your profile picture on facebook to a temporary OT one this month.
2. Read an OT magazine and then leave it somewhere. Bring it on a plane ride or while you sit in the waiting room for an appointment, and then leave it for someone else to read. Then they’ll have a chance to learn about OT and maybe it will back its way into the hands of someone who could benefit from OT.
3. Wear an OT t-shirt. I own at least 10 articles of clothing that say OT on them. Pick one out and wear it to the gym, the grocery store, where ever you go and maybe it’ll be the perfect conversations starter.
4. Reach out to OTs you know and thank them! That OT you shadowed, your previous supervisor, anyone OT you know that helped you in some way. Send them a text or email wishing them a happy OT month and letting them know how grateful you are for them.
5. Build your OT arsenal of treatment ideas and resources. I have a collection on instagram of saved pictures I want to use in OT, but you could also have a folder of images on your phone. When you find something great, share it with others and save it!