Occupational Therapist resume example

Choose the right format for an Occupational Therapist resume

Recruiters spend about seven seconds on a first scan (Ladders eye-tracking study, 2018), so a clean chronological format works best. List your most recent position first, keep margins between 0.75 and 1 inch, and use a single readable font like Calibri or Georgia at 10–12pt. Two pages are acceptable once you have more than five years of experience; one page is fine for new graduates or those coming straight out of a fieldwork placement.

Use clearly labeled sections so applicant tracking systems (ATS) used by hospital networks like HCA Healthcare or Kaiser Permanente can parse your file. Save as a PDF unless the posting explicitly requests a Word document. Avoid tables, text boxes, and headers embedded in the document footer — these break ATS parsing and can cause your license number or certifications to disappear from the extracted text.

• Chronological order for experienced OTs; functional or hybrid only if you are changing specialties
• File name: FirstName-LastName-OT-Resume.pdf
• Section order: Contact info → Summary → Licensure → Experience → Skills → Education → Certifications

Write a professional summary that targets the specific OT role

Your summary sits directly below your name and contact block. It should be three to four sentences that name your specialty, years of experience, one or two measurable achievements, and the setting you work in — acute care, pediatric outpatient, skilled nursing, school-based, or home health. Avoid vague openers like 'dedicated professional.' Recruiters reading for a pediatric sensory integration role need to see that specialty in the first line.

Example: "Licensed Occupational Therapist (OTR/L) with 7 years of experience in pediatric outpatient settings specializing in sensory processing disorders and fine motor development. Consistently maintain a caseload of 45+ patients per week while achieving a 92% goal-attainment rate across IEP-aligned treatment plans. Certified in the Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT) and trained in DIR/Floortime. Seeking to bring evidence-based pediatric OT practice to the outpatient clinic team at Children's Health."

Write work-experience bullets that show outcomes, not just duties

Each bullet should follow an action verb → intervention or system → measurable result structure. Avoid listing job duties copied from a position description. Hiring managers already know OTs conduct evaluations and write SOAP notes — show what your work produced. Use numbers wherever possible: caseload size, discharge rates, productivity percentages, patient satisfaction scores, or program outcomes.

Pull data from your productivity reports, department dashboards, or annual reviews. Even estimates with context ('approximately,' 'average of') are more persuasive than no numbers at all.

• Reduced average length of stay by 1.3 days for post-surgical orthopedic patients by implementing a standardized ADL retraining protocol across a 22-bed acute care unit.
• Grew a school-based OT caseload from 38 to 67 students over 18 months by collaborating with special education coordinators to identify unserved students qualifying under IDEA Part B.

Skills and certifications recruiters and ATS systems look for

Include a dedicated skills section with both clinical competencies and the specific assessments, frames of reference, and software platforms you use. ATS systems at large health systems keyword-match against the job description, so mirror the language in the posting. List certifications separately with the issuing body and expiration or renewal date.

Specialty certifications — such as hand therapy (CHT) or low vision — can set you apart for senior roles. If you use documentation platforms daily, name them explicitly.

• Assessments: COPM, FIM, KELS, BOT-2, SIPT, AMPS, Allen Cognitive Level Screen
• Frames of reference: Biomechanical, Sensory Integration, Model of Human Occupation (MOHO), Cognitive Disabilities
• Documentation platforms: Epic, Cerner, WebPT, Raintree
• Certifications worth listing: CHT (Hand Therapy Certification Commission), SIPT certification, CAPS (Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist), NDT, LSVT BIG
• Soft skills to name specifically: interdisciplinary team collaboration, caregiver training, IEP/IFSP development

Education, licenses, and extras that complete the picture

List your degree (MOT, MSOT, or OTD), institution, and graduation year. If you graduated within the last three years, include your GPA if it was 3.5 or above and note any Level II fieldwork distinctions. Your NBCOT certification (OTR or COTA) and state license number must appear on the resume — many hospital credentialing teams check both before passing the file to the hiring manager. List every active state license if you hold more than one.

Add a separate line for continuing education courses that are directly relevant to the target role, particularly if you lack a formal specialty certification. Membership in AOTA or a state OT association signals professional engagement and is worth a single line. If you have published, presented at AOTA Annual Conference, or contributed to program development, add a brief Publications or Presentations section at the bottom.

• Format: Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD), University of Southern California, 2019
• License line: OTR/L — California License #XXXXXXX, expires 12/2027; NBCOT Certified
• Include CPR/BLS certification with expiration date — many facilities require it at hire

Mistakes to avoid

• ×Listing 'NBCOT certified' without including your actual license number forces recruiters to make an extra verification step and often gets your application deprioritized.
• ×Using productivity language like 'maintained high caseload' instead of a specific number undersells your capacity — many OT roles have explicit productivity targets, so showing you met or exceeded them matters.
• ×Omitting the clinical setting from each job entry (acute care, SNF, outpatient, school-based) makes it impossible for a recruiter to quickly assess whether your experience matches the open position.
• ×Copying the same generic summary and skills section across every application instead of mirroring the specialty language in each job posting causes ATS keyword mismatches and lower ranking in applicant queues.

Frequently asked questions

Should I include my NBCOT number on my OT resume?

Yes, include both your state license number and your NBCOT certification status. Many hospital systems and school districts run a credential check before forwarding your resume to the hiring manager, and having the number visible speeds up that process. Format it clearly under a 'Licensure' heading near the top of the document.

How long should an Occupational Therapist resume be?

One page is appropriate for new graduates and OTs with fewer than five years of experience. Two pages are standard once you have multiple settings, specialty certifications, or program development work to document. A third page is rarely justified unless you have an extensive publication or presentation record.

Do I need a different resume for school-based OT versus hospital OT jobs?

Yes, and the differences go beyond swapping a few words. School-based roles require you to emphasize IEP and IFSP experience, IDEA Part B knowledge, collaboration with special education teams, and assessments like the BOT-2 or SIPT. Hospital roles prioritize FIM scoring, discharge planning, productivity metrics, and EMR platforms like Epic or Cerner. Tailor your summary, skills section, and bullet emphasis for each setting.