How To Write An Occupational Therapist Resume Objective

Everyone has certain activities that they carry out daily, such as job-related tasks, artistic work or writing, that define them. An occupational therapist helps people become proficient at independently carrying out such activities despite any medical or other frailties. If you are applying for the role of an occupational therapist, one of the most notable parts of your resume is your career objective. In this article, we define a resume objective for an occupational therapist, discuss the importance of writing it, explain how to write one and share some examples.

Related: Top Careers In Physiotherapy (Job Opportunities And Salary)

What Is An Occupational Therapist Resume Objective?

An occupational therapist resume objective is a brief statement that summarises the candidate's experience level and skills, along with the primary career goals, in a few concise and informative sentences. It highlights your professional aspirations and achievements so that the recruiter can see if you are a good match for the company. It usually follows the header of your resume and gives a quick overview of your career and proficiencies before the detailed resume.

Importance Of A Resume Objective For Occupational Therapists

A well-drafted resume objective can help you attract the recruiting manager's attention and gain you a competitive advantage, which may lead you to get shortlisted as an occupational therapist. The objective statement gives recruiters the first impression of you before they read the rest of your resume. Mentioning your relevant skills and accomplishments can also help the recruiting managers understand the benefits you can offer to the company as an occupational therapist.

Consider listing the achievements which may help you demonstrate your proficiency in executing the responsibilities the role at the company specifically entails to add value to your candidature.

Related: Career Objective: Definition, How To And Examples

How To Write An Occupational Therapist Resume Objective

You can use the following steps to write a resume objective to demonstrate yourself as an effective and professional occupational therapist to potential employers:

1. Determine your primary goal

Before you write a career objective, be clear about your short-term and long-term career goals. Once you know these, ensure they match your preferred industry requirements. This can help make your resume objective more professional and indicate your awareness of the job duties. Ideally, your career objective highlights the goals that you can achieve for the company or employer besides stating your personal goals. To achieve this, think about the company's primary goals and how you can help them achieve those and consider adding them accordingly.

For example, if your goal is to become an award-winning occupational therapist in the next three years, it says very little about what the company gets from that and more about you. Instead, think about how one becomes an award-winning occupational therapist. To win such an accolade, you are required to be empathetic and desirous of helping people achieve their goals first to draft a convincing and persuasive resume objective.

2. Use a couple of adjectives

As this is a concise description of yourself and your goals, you can use a few relevant adjectives. These adjectives may describe your personal and professional qualities that relate to your job and experience aptly. These adjectives can attract the reader's attention and help them understand your experience level and how committed or passionate you are about your work. Adjectives also arouse emotions to get the reader more interested in reading further. You can list adjectives that possibly describe you and then pick two or three pertinent to the job.

3. Use adverbs to describe your intended actions

Adding appropriate adverbs before actions more clearly depicts the intentions and motivations behind them to the reader. For instance, instead of writing, 'searching for a role in occupational therapy,' you can say, 'actively searching for a role in occupational therapy.' This shows the recruiter how much more eager you are for the opportunity and also indicates your commitment to getting the job.

4. State your level of experience

Hiring managers often have specific requirements for the candidate's level of experience for a job. This makes it important that you mention the experiences you have garnered previously. If you are a fresher, you can include some of your notable achievements or accomplishment of your academic career to show your suitability for the job. Consider using lucid and understandable language to ensure you convey the information to the recruiting managers effectively.

Related: What Is Relevant Experience? (With Examples And Tips)

5. Personalise it

To attract the attention of the recruiting managers, customise your resume to match the role for which you are applying. For example, you may write, 'experienced occupational therapist with over 10 years experience, looking to help sports persons manage their injuries better.' For a company that caters to sports personnel, this shows you intend to help their clients using your skill set and experience, which makes you a well-suited candidate. Also, mentioning the name of the company that you aspire to work for in this paragraph can be an effective way to get their attention.

6. Review and edit for clarity and brevity

Keep things simple and precise in this section. Look for and fix any language or grammatical errors to convey your sincerity and professionalism. This also helps you identify any unnecessary information. Consider omitting them to ensure your resume objective is informative and concise. You can also ask a friend or family member to review the statement. Use their feedback or constructive criticism to enhance your resume objective.

Tips For Writing A Resume Objective

While writing a resume objective, you may refer to the following tips:

• Avoid redundancy. Avoid repeating information that is redundant or similar to what you have already mentioned. The goal is to share as much relevant information as possible in a few words.

• Avoid vagueness. Anything that does not instantly tell the reader what you are talking about is vague. Share more specific details rather than general information. For instance, you can specify the skills and proficiencies related to the job or industry you like the most, rather than simply claiming to be a passionate occupational therapist.

• Keep it brief. Recruiters go through large volumes of resumes every day to shortlist desirable profiles. They want to get a quick overview of who you are. So, keeping it brief is crucial to ensure they can scan all relevant information.

• Highlight the benefits for the company. Remember the reasons the company wants to hire someone for this role and draft your pitch around those reasons. You can do this by finding out how your goals match theirs.

• Add a personal touch. Customising your resume and its elements goes a long way in making your profile more noticeable to the recruit. For example, you can include the company name and job title to make it specific.

• Remain consistent. List skills you are an expert in, as interviewers may ask you related questions to test your efficiency with that ability. Ensure you prepare instances to support your answers to validate better your ability to fulfil the responsibilities the job entails.

Examples Of Resume Objectives

Here are some examples of career objectives for an occupational therapist resume based on experience:

For experienced professionals

As an experienced occupational therapist, you can easily highlight your experience in this section using words like experienced, expert, and mentioning the key professional achievements and skills. This helps the recruiter understand your profile better. This can help them assess your knowledge and whether you can work independently enough. The requirements, though, may depend on the organisation.

Example: "Experienced occupational therapy with a decade of experience successfully working with various clients, seeking full-time employment within the sports industry."

For students

If you are currently a student looking for apprenticeship opportunities, you probably lack enough experience to quote on your resume. In such a case, you may highlight the certifications, training and internships you have completed to affirm your suitability for the role. You can even include volunteer experience in this section.

Example: "Highly motivated, qualified and passionate occupational therapy student recently graduated from Winston Medical School seeking an apprenticeship as an occupational therapist with Jehovah Medical Practice."

Related: Writing A Resume With No Experience

For entry-level candidates

As an entry-level occupational therapist, you may not possess significant professional experience but have the desired educational qualifications. You may include a combination of your skills and qualifications. This may show that you have the required knowledge, skill set, practical experience, and a keen desire to learn and progress further.

Example: "Highly motivated, certified and meticulous occupational therapist with a year of experience seeking a full-time position with Emerald Hospital to refine my practical skills and expertise and expand my professional network."

Related: 12 Types Of Occupational Therapist Jobs (Salary And Skills)