5 tips to sharpen your CV as an occupational therapist

Looking to get your foot in the door as an occupational therapist? Check out our tips below and discover how to make your CV shine in an ever-competitive industry. 

1.Formatting matters

Let’s start with some savvy formatting tips that will help your CV stand out to recruiters. 

Firstly, as a OT your CV should follow a traditional format with your experience laid out in reverse chronological order. In terms of length, make sure the document is no longer than two pages (we don’t want recruiters getting bored!). 

From here, your CV should look a little bit like this:

-Name and current title in bold

-Contact information 

-Summary

-Core competencies (optional but handy for those switching to non-traditional roles)

-Clinical experience 

-Education 

-Additional experience (optional) 

Also ensure you are consistent with your choice of font. We recommend using something basic like Arial, Cambria or Calibri so that your application can be read easily by screening software programmes. 

2.Tell your story 

Captivate your reader with something unique in the summary section of your CV. This only needs to be a short paragraph but make it count! Cover the core characteristics that make you the perfect fit for the job here and detail your prior experience, as well as what you’re looking to gain out of your next role. It might be worth tailoring this section each time you apply for a new role to closely match the job description. 

3.Highlight your areas of expertise 

Be specific about your experience in terms of the types of patients you’ve looked after and the environments in which you’ve worked. For example, “Provided one-to-one care to patients with asperger’s syndrome,” or “Managed a caseload of geriatric patients with fractures, hip and knee replacements…”. For extra brownie points, note any occasion where you went above and beyond in your role. 

4.Don’t forget to list soft skills 

Being an occupational therapist requires patience, empathy and everything in between. Alongside your impressive professional experience, try to sprinkle your CV with elements of your personality which make you *human*. 

5.Keywords are…well, key!

Although it may take a little extra effort, it will certainly pay off to do some keyword research. This is because keywords often play a crucial role in the recruitment process – especially where screening software is involved to filter applications down to the most relevant. Start by mirroring the wording used in the job description and then expand your search either organically (which words would you search when looking for a candidate to fill this role?) or using an online tool. 

So, now your CV is ready to go, why not browse our careers page?