Occupational Therapist resume example. Plus the keywords recruiters search for.
An occupational therapist resume that shows function gained — ADLs, safe discharges and caregiver training — across acute care and inpatient rehab, with the NBCOT, license and treatment keywords rehab managers search for.
Reviewed by Nazir Elmurodov · Updated
/ The example
Occupational Therapist resume example.
Priya Raman
Occupational Therapist, OTR/L
Raleigh, NC · priya.raman@email.com · (919) 555-0136
Summary
Licensed occupational therapist with 5 years in acute care and inpatient rehabilitation. I help adults after stroke, brain injury and joint replacement get back to dressing, bathing and cooking on their own, and I train families so the gains last at home.
Experience
Occupational Therapist, Inpatient Rehabilitation, Crabtree Valley Rehabilitation Hospital · Aug 2023 – Present
- • Evaluate and treat a caseload of 8–10 patients a day after stroke, spinal cord injury, brain injury and orthopedic surgery
- • Write measurable goals and plans of care, then lead ADL retraining, neuromuscular re-education and upper extremity therapeutic exercise
- • Started a structured caregiver training session in the week before discharge; family-reported confidence with transfers at discharge rose from 58% to 81% on our unit survey
- • Recommend DME and home modifications and coordinate discharge planning with case management, PT and speech-language pathology
- • Document evaluations and daily notes in Epic the same day and follow Medicare documentation guidelines
Occupational Therapist, Acute Care, Neuse River Medical Center · Jul 2021 – Jul 2023
- • Evaluated 10–12 patients a day on medical, surgical, cardiac and ICU units and made discharge recommendations for home, rehab or skilled nursing
- • Added a MoCA cognitive screen to evaluations for older adults, helping the team catch cognitive deficits before discharge
- • Fabricated resting hand and wrist orthoses for patients with stroke and burns
Education & certifications
Master of Science in Occupational Therapy, Capital Pines University (ACOTE-accredited), 2021 · OTR (NBCOT) · North Carolina occupational therapist license · BLS
Skills
Occupational therapy evaluation · ADL retraining · Plan of care · Goal writing · Neuromuscular re-education · Therapeutic exercise · Cognitive screening · Orthotic fabrication · DME recommendations · Caregiver training · Discharge planning · Epic
Priya Raman
Occupational Therapist, OTR/L
priya.raman@email.com · Raleigh, NC
(919) 555-0136
Summary
Licensed occupational therapist with 5 years in acute care and inpatient rehabilitation. I help adults after stroke, brain injury and joint replacement get back to dressing, bathing and cooking on their own, and I train families so the gains last at home.
Experience
Occupational Therapist, Inpatient Rehabilitation — Crabtree Valley Rehabilitation Hospital
Aug 2023 – Present
• Evaluate and treat a caseload of 8–10 patients a day after stroke, spinal cord injury, brain injury and orthopedic surgery
• Write measurable goals and plans of care, then lead ADL retraining, neuromuscular re-education and upper extremity therapeutic exercise
• Started a structured caregiver training session in the week before discharge; family-reported confidence with transfers at discharge rose from 58% to 81% on our unit survey
• Recommend DME and home modifications and coordinate discharge planning with case management, PT and speech-language pathology
• Document evaluations and daily notes in Epic the same day and follow Medicare documentation guidelines
Occupational Therapist, Acute Care — Neuse River Medical Center
Jul 2021 – Jul 2023
• Evaluated 10–12 patients a day on medical, surgical, cardiac and ICU units and made discharge recommendations for home, rehab or skilled nursing
• Added a MoCA cognitive screen to evaluations for older adults, helping the team catch cognitive deficits before discharge
• Fabricated resting hand and wrist orthoses for patients with stroke and burns
Education
Capital Pines University (ACOTE-accredited)
Master of Science in Occupational Therapy · 2021
Certifications
OTR (NBCOT)
North Carolina occupational therapist license
BLS
Skills
Occupational therapy evaluation, ADL retraining, Plan of care, Goal writing, Neuromuscular re-education, Therapeutic exercise, Cognitive screening, Orthotic fabrication, DME recommendations, Caregiver training, Discharge planning, Epic
Why it works
The OTR/L credential, settings and caseload are clear in seconds, and the bullets show outcomes OT managers value — goals, caregiver training, safe discharges — with documentation habits that keep a department compliant.
Use this as your starting point
Opens in the editor with every section filled in. Swap in your own details and download a PDF or Word file free.
Start from this exampleSample resume. Names, companies and figures are illustrative.
/ Summary examples
Three summary examples. Pick the one closest to you.
Two or three lines: your level, your field and one result.
- New graduate
New occupational therapy graduate from an ACOTE-accredited master's program with Level II fieldwork in inpatient rehab and outpatient hand therapy. NBCOT exam passed and North Carolina license pending.
- Experienced
Licensed occupational therapist with 5 years in acute care and inpatient rehab. I treat 8–10 patients a day and built a caregiver training session that raised family confidence with transfers from 58% to 81%.
- Senior
Senior occupational therapist with 12 years in neuro rehab. I mentor new graduates, supervise fieldwork students and lead our stroke program's ADL and upper extremity protocols.
More for other jobs and situations (no experience, career change, senior): resume summary examples.
/ Bullet points
Bullet point examples. From duty to result.
Turn duties into results: what you did, how, and what changed.
Caseload
Instead of: Treated patients
Write: Evaluated and treated 8–10 inpatient rehab patients a day after stroke, brain injury and orthopedic surgery
Outcomes
Instead of: Helped families
Write: Raised family-reported confidence with transfers at discharge from 58% to 81% with a structured caregiver training session
ADLs
Instead of: Worked on daily tasks
Write: Led ADL retraining and neuromuscular re-education toward measurable goals in each plan of care
Discharge
Instead of: Helped with discharge
Write: Recommended DME and home modifications and coordinated discharge planning with case management and PT
Cognition
Instead of: Checked memory
Write: Added a MoCA cognitive screen to acute care evaluations for older adults
Orthotics
Instead of: Made splints
Write: Fabricated resting hand and wrist orthoses for patients with stroke and burns
/ Keywords
Keywords and skills for occupational therapists.
These come up often in occupational therapist job posts. Include only the ones you can back up in an interview, and use the exact wording from the post you're applying to.
- Occupational therapy evaluation
- ADL retraining
- Plan of care
- Goal writing
- Neuromuscular re-education
- Therapeutic exercise
- Cognitive screening
- MoCA
- Orthotic fabrication
- DME recommendations
- Home modifications
- Caregiver training
- Discharge planning
- Epic
- Medicare documentation
- OTR (NBCOT)
- Occupational therapist license
- BLS
/ ATS tips
ATS tips for occupational therapists.
Write OTR/L only if you hold both
OTR means you passed the NBCOT exam and keep your certification current; the L means you hold a state license. If your license is pending, write OTR and "license pending" instead.
Name your settings
Acute care, inpatient rehab, skilled nursing, outpatient, schools and home health are different jobs. Say which you work in and the diagnoses you treat most.
Show function, not just tasks
Goals met, safe discharges or caregiver confidence show what your treatment changed for the patient.
List assessments and interventions by name
ADL retraining, neuromuscular re-education, orthotic fabrication and cognitive screens like the MoCA are common screening terms.
Mention documentation
Same-day notes, Medicare guidelines and the EHR you use matter to a rehab manager who answers to auditors.
How does your occupational therapist resume compare?
Free ATS score, missing keywords and fixes in about 10 seconds.
/ Questions
Occupational Therapist resume FAQ.
Writing the cover letter too? See Priya's cover letter, annotated
What credentials does an occupational therapist need?
An entry-level master's or doctoral degree from an ACOTE-accredited program, a passing score on the NBCOT certification exam and a license in the state where you practice. NBCOT certification and the state license are separate, so list both.
Does it matter whether my degree is a master's or an OTD?
Both are accredited entry-level routes to practice. List your degree as awarded. If you did a doctoral capstone relevant to the job, a short line about it can help.
How should a new graduate OT list fieldwork?
List each Level II fieldwork placement like a job, with the setting, weeks, caseload you reached and the interventions you led.
Should I list continuing education?
Yes, when it's relevant to the role, such as a certification course in hand therapy, neuro rehab or lymphedema. Only list specialty credentials you've earned.
How long should an occupational therapist resume be?
One page for most clinicians. Two is fine with 10+ years, specialty certification, teaching or program development to show.