How to Get a Job: Advice for the New OT and OTA
So, you’ve passed all your classes, walked across the stage, and received your degree. You’ve studied diligently for the NBCOT and have passed that final exam. You have called up your state licensure board and are now a licensed practitioner in occupational therapy. But now what?
As occupational therapy becomes more popular, so too does the field. The job market is becoming increasingly competitive as more OT and OTA programs open across the country. When I graduated years ago, all I had to do was move back home. There were plenty of offers and positions available for an OT willing to work the job. But that’s not the case now that there is an OTA program 10 minutes down the road from my home. As you prepare for a lifelong career in occupational therapy, finding success in a competitive job market is crucial. Here are my 5 tips for how to stand out from the crowd!
#1 Research the Job Market
Understanding the job market in the area you want to live and work in is more important than ever. Preferably long before you graduate, start checking in with the people you know who work in the therapy field. Ask around and get as much information as you can about the job market. Ask:
“Who’s hiring?”
“Which companies are planning on expanding?”
“What employers are expecting to hire during the next year?”
“Who offers part-time or PRN work?”
Quite often, if you ask a company if they are hiring they will simply say no, not at this time. However, if you begin your research before you graduate, this gives the employer time to put you down on their call list. An unexpected loss of an employee, a therapist, going on maternity leave, or sudden growth in clients are all things that can leave an employer scrambling for a new hire. And if they know that you are going to be ready and available in that given timeframe, they will most likely call you before ever spending money on a job posting.
Don’t let a simple “no” stop you.
Ask if they have a PRN call list or if they have other facilities that might be within driving range and if they may be hiring in the near and distant future. Doing your research and having as much information on the job market is key to making your time between graduation and employment as efficient as possible.
#2 Write an Engaging Cover Letter
The cover letter is something I have seen maybe twice in all my time hiring therapists. It is so important but very few actually use it. In fact, it is often typical that the resume I get is a single-page PDF file. But an applicant who writes an engaging cover letter lets me know they’ll likely go above and beyond the work that has been assigned to them. A cover letter allows an employer to know more about the therapist than a list of facts. And as a new graduate, there’s typically not a lot separating you from the rest of the applicants in terms of what is on your resume.
Every January, after the local OTA program graduates, we get a handful of resumes from various applicants throughout Southwest Arkansas looking for work. And aside from a couple of extracurriculars or what high school they went to, everything for the last three or four years looks fairly identical. They went to the same college, took the same classes, graduated with good grades, and had roughly the same kind of clinical experiences. But the cover letter allows applicants to shine as individuals. Pouring your heart into your cover letter lets potential employers know how passionate you are about the field.
Using the right keywords can make all the difference in the world.
This is a big one, by the way. Simply checking the company’s Facebook page or website can give you an insight into what they find important. Look for words like “trustworthy,” “excellence”, “passionate,” etc. Companies like using these words in their advertising because it creates a word association in the consumer’s mind. And you should too! Finding these keywords that the company uses and putting them in your cover letter creates that same word association and tells potential employers that you are the IDEAL candidate for a job position. It’s important to make sure your cover letters are specific to every employer you’re applying to.
If I ever received a resume cover letter that talked about how much someone loves adult rehab, and I’m a pediatric school-based occupational therapist, that resume will probably go on the bottom of my pile. Make that your resumes and cover letters are more specific and oriented towards the employer you are aiming for.
Make sure you invest in quality paper.
When looking at the stack of resumes on my desk, it is those printed on quality stationery that stands out. There’s no reason you should be printing such an important document on cheap printer paper. When for a few more bucks, you can get quality stationery at a place like Walmart. It really makes all the difference.
#3 Show Up in Person
Disclaimer: I’m a hard guy to track down. My job takes me across five different counties. So, a majority of the conversations I have with applicants happens via email or phone calls, simply because I am not at an office.
In today’s digital age, I cannot stress the importance of going to potential employers in person.
Every year, shortly after our local therapy program graduates its class, I get a dozen or so emails and texts from COTAs looking for work. But those emails might sit in my inbox until a position opens up. And to me, at least, it is just a name and a .pdf file. However, if one of these applicants were to show up at my office in person, that shows that they’re going above and beyond what all their other classmates are doing. Delivering your quality resume (and cover letter) in person at the facility and asking to talk to the hiring manager shows that you are doing more than all the other people who had just simply sent in an electronic file.
Even if the company tells you to fill out an online application, a visit to that facility may be key to allowing that hiring manager to see who you are in person. Because as therapists, we are a “person-first” job. What is on that paper might not matter as much as the way you can interact with other people. To best articulate that, show up and demonstrate competency, good social skills, and the ability to express yourself in clear, concise language. This gives them a better insight into who you are as a therapist than what a piece of paper might tell them. Also, this puts a face to the name in their inbox. And that helps you stand out as they go through applicants in the future.
#4 Check Back In
Ninety percent of the time, when you submit your resume and talk to a hiring manager, you will be told that “we’re not hiring at this time, but we’ll keep you in mind”. This is a very common response when looking for your first job in any field. But the phrase “keep you in mind” often means they will stick your resume in a folder with all the other resumes that they have. And they will go through those resumes in whatever order they stuck them in when a position opens up. So, even if you showed up in person with a quality resume, you may be left at the mercy of whatever resumes they pull out of that stack first, should a position open up.
To prevent this, check back in with whoever you talked to. This is a great way to stay fresh on that hiring manager’s mind. A good rule of thumb is one week after your first contact. Simply call back and thank them for their time and let them know that you are still available should they need you. This can refresh their memory of who you are as a person, especially if they have been talking with several applicants. Also, and I can’t stress this enough, thanking them for the time they took out of their day to talk with you in person is a great way to show gratitude and that you greatly appreciate their busy time.
#5 Work in the Interim
This tip is based on where you live and the work that is available to you. But I have known therapists who had to wait for six months to a year before finding a therapy job. And depending on where you live, that wait could be longer. Sitting back and idling waiting because you cannot find a therapy job greatly reduces your overall income. Every month that passes that you remain unemployed is a month of income that you will never get back. My advice is to find odd jobs to help hold you over until that therapy gig comes along. Jobs like waiting tables, mowing lawns, or even checking back in with former employers to see if they could use some help. This is a good way to help pad your income a little bit so you’re not hurting financially by the time a job rolls around.
For a lot of people, this is a hard thing to do. They have a college degree, and an entry-level, minimum wage job can seem demeaning. But money is money. Look for jobs that are in the field that you’re going to go into. If you want to work in public schools, look for substitute teacher gigs. If you want to work at a hospital, see if they’re hiring rehab techs. Because while that might not be the best use of your skills, knowledge, and degree, it still gets you in the door of the facility or company. And when the position comes up, you’ll already be familiar with that company and are easier to fit into the position than hiring somebody who’s not trained.
If the company isn’t hiring, ask about volunteer opportunities.
I cannot stress this enough. Between graduating and starting your career as a therapist, it is nearly inexcusable to sit at home and do nothing. You have time and lots of it. Use it wisely. Use it effectively and use it in a meaningful way. Consider the rehab hospital you want desperately to work at, but they’re not currently hiring. See if they wouldn’t mind you coming down to the recreation room and reading to the clients. A lot of public schools have room for volunteers to come in and talk or read to the kids. One summer, I volunteered with a pediatric aquatics program. I spent my summer helping the therapists who were working with kids in the pool at the sportsplex.
Because every time you are working a minimum wage job, volunteering your time, meeting people face to face, or doing your research, you are making personal connections with those in the job market. They now know who you are, and they can put a face to the name. By volunteering your time, you can demonstrate your value and your worth as a therapist long before they ever hire you. These kinds of connections are important in any industry. I can’t tell you how many jobs I’ve had over the years simply because I knew the right people. And you’re never going to meet the right people by sitting at home, waiting by the phone, or clicking refresh on your email over and over and over.
Welcome to the Profession!
Finding a job as a new graduate can be a long, exhausting process. But if you go above and beyond what your other classmates (who are now competition) are doing for the limited job openings, you will stand out from the crowd. Because you are not simply looking for a paycheck anymore. This is a career that you are passionate about. This is a client-centered profession. One where you, as an individual, can help change the world for the better. And your ability to relate to others is paramount towards your future as a therapist. You must demonstrate that to every employer who will listen. And even if you get a job that you’re not 100% happy with, work that job with all of your heart and soul. But always keep your eyes and ears open.
Continue to do that research. Continue to call and talk with other people who work in the field that you’re more interested in. I have been involved in the hiring process of therapists for several years now, and only one of them responded to any kind of job posting. The rest were all word of mouth. They got the jobs because I knew they existed. Because they reached out on their own, independently of a job offer or posting, to let me know they’re interested in working for us. They talked with me in person. They had the right network connections, people who vouched for them and said what kind of therapists they were.
If you are a new grad who is reading this message, I congratulate you!
Therapy school, regardless of what level of education, is a grueling experience. And you did it! You persevered, you survived, and you passed. Now begins the hard part. Welcome to the big leagues. I wish you all the best in your endeavors to become the best therapist that you can be.
