How To Write a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Resume

To write a certified occupational therapy assistant resume, demonstrate your background supporting licensed therapists in helping patients during rehabilitation. Emphasize your ability to educate patients, report treatment progress, and recommend changes to care plans. In this guide, we’ll provide valuable tips and advice to help you translate your career into a winning resume.

  • Entry-Level
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior-Level
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1. Craft an outstanding profile summarizing your certified occupational therapy assistant qualifications

If you want to make an early good impression on the hiring manager, create a short but memorable profile summarizing what you’re bringing to the table for the company. A tight summary at the top of your document lets you showcase the most important aspects of your professional career and grab the reader’s attention.

Start by listing your years of experience and three to four skills that demonstrate your knowledge of occupational therapy and patient care. Be sure to tailor your profile to the organization you’re applying to, as this can help differentiate your application from the competition during the application process.

Profile Example #1


Attentive Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant with 7+ years of experience. Work focused on assisting patients with basic stretches and exercise activities to restore health and return to daily life.

Profile Example #2


Energetic Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant with 5+ years of experience. Help patients work toward and achieve greater physical mobility to improve their daily quality of life.

2. Add a compelling section featuring your certified occupational therapy assistant experience

When describing what you did in your previous job experience, emphasize defining accomplishments. This can be hard, particularly for those who are just starting down their career path. To make this easier, answer questions that put a definitive numerical value on your work, such as “How many patients did you serve?” or “What was your success rate?” You can also ask, “Did this save your employer time and money?” Using somewhat concrete numbers can stand out more than just a list of performed duties.

Call attention to successful work relationships and collaborations. Occupational therapy isn’t done on your own; there are typically at least a few other people in charge of care and patient outcomes. Make it clear you can interface effectively with both occupational therapists and patients in a medical setting.

Professional Experience Example #1


Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, ABC Hospital, New York, NY 2019 to Present

  • Carefully adhere to occupational therapist’s treatment plan and schedule for each individual
  • Complete regular assessments of patients’ mobility levels
  • Actively engage with and educate clients’ spouses, guardians, and family members at all stages of the recovery process

Professional Experience Example #2


Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, LMN Rehab, Philadelphia, PA 2019 to Present

  • Collaborate closely with and under supervision of occupational therapist to set and implement viable plans of care
  • Continually monitor individuals’ progress toward health goals, and revise care plan to help optimize outcomes
  • Attend regular case meetings to review patients’ progress with the broader health team

3. Include certified occupational therapy assistant-related education and certifications

Certification is obviously the name of the game in this field — it’s even the first word of the job title. Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) is the most common one for occupational therapy assistants. It is administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). COTA certification demonstrates a level of knowledge and expertise in the field of occupational therapy.

This also serves as a verification of an individual’s commitment to professional development and continuing education in the field. Having a COTA certification can be beneficial to both employers and clients. It demonstrates that employers use qualified professionals with up-to-date training in their field. For clients, having access to a certified professional ensures quality care from someone who has been trained and tested on their knowledge and skills related to occupational therapy.

Education

Template

  • [Degree Name]
  • [School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] | [Graduation Year]

Example

  • Associate Degree – Occupational Therapy Assistant
  • Kingsborough Community College, New York, NY, 2015

Certifications

Template

  • [Certification Name], [Awarding Organization], [Completion Year]

Example

  • Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA), the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) | June 2010

4. Outline your most useful certified occupational therapy assistant skills and proficiencies

To generate interviews during your job search,  include appropriate keywords and industry terms that match the job description. Companies utilize applicant tracking systems (ATS) to scan resumes for key skills and action verbs. If your document fails to meet these benchmarks, your application may be rejected before the hiring manager has a chance to evaluate your experience. Tactically integrating these keywords into your profile, work experience, and skills section also sends a clear message to employers you’re the ideal fit for the position.

Below are key skills and action verbs you may encounter while applying for certified occupational therapy assistant positions.

Key Skills and Proficiencies
Achieve Adhere
Advise Attend
Collaborate Document
Educate Engage
Guide Implement
Improve Instruct
Maintain Monitor
Optimize Oversee
Restore Review
Revise Support

How To Pick the Best Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Resume Template

When choosing the best resume template for a certified occupational therapy assistant, it should be professional and highlight your skills and experience in the field. A clean and simple design will make your resume look professional and easy to read. Avoid using too many colors or fonts, as this can make your resume look cluttered and unprofessional. Select a font such as Calibri, Arial, or Times New Roman. It’s also recommended to save your resume in PDF format unless the job ad explicitly asks for a Microsoft Word document.

Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples

  • Entry-Level
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior-Level

Joseph Corbin
123 Carpenter Street, Philadelphia, PA 12345
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]

Profile

Energetic Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant with 5+ years of experience. Help patients work toward and achieve greater physical mobility to improve their daily quality of life.

Professional Experience

Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, LMN Rehab, Philadelphia, PA
2019 to Present

  • Collaborate closely with and under supervision of occupational therapist to set and implement viable plans of care
  • Continually monitor individuals’ progress toward health goals, and revise care plan to help optimize outcomes
  • Attend regular case meetings to review patients’ progress with the broader health team

Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant PRN, OPQ Hospital, Philadelphia, PA
2017 to 2019

  • Assisted clients in performing therapeutic activities and using rehab equipment safely and effectively
  • Provided regular updates on patients’ progress, advising on further updates to treatment plan

Education

Associate Degree — Occupational Therapy Assistant
Philadelphia Community College, Philadelphia, PA, 2017  

Key Skills

  • Activities of Daily Living
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Equipment Instruction
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Patient Monitoring
  • Physical Mobility
  • Treatment Planning & Updating

Frequently Asked Questions: Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant Resume Examples and Advice

What are common action verbs for certified occupational therapy assistant resumes?-

Certified occupational therapy assistants do more than assist. They also educate (patients), document (treatment progress), and advise (on changes to plans of care). In the list below, you’ll find these and other strong resume verbs to relate to your varied work.

Action Verbs
Achieve Adhere
Advise Attend
Collaborate Document
Educate Engage
Guide Implement
Improve Instruct
Maintain Monitor
Optimize Oversee
Restore Review
Revise Support
How do you align your resume with a certified occupational therapy assistant job description?-

According to Payscale.com, certified occupational therapy assistants make $48,690 per year, on average. Certified occupational therapy assistants provide assistance to occupational therapists in helping patients return to normal activities. In this hands-on role, you may be tasked with educating patients, reporting treatment progress, and advising on changes to care plans.

Tailoring your resume to the job description will help you generate positive results during your job search. The best way to accomplish this is by integrating keywords directly from the posting into your profile, skills section, and work experience.

For example, if the posting is for a job working with geriatric patients, and you have four prior years’ experience with that age group, you might update your intro line to something like “Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant with nine years of experience including four years working with geriatric patients.”

What is the best certified occupational therapy assistant resume format?-

The combination format is best for certified occupational therapist resumes because it allows you to feature your relevant skills and work history in a clear and organized way. This can demonstrate your qualifications and achievements to potential employers, as well as highlight your career progression and professional development.

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Expert Advice
Include a cover letter with your resume

Once you’re done with your resume, a good way to finish it before sending it off to your prospective employer is to add a cover letter. This is a great opportunity to speak directly to the hiring manager and make a case for why you’re the best candidate for the job.

Remember, a cover should be fairly succinct. Don’t exceed more than 400 words — 250 to 300 is ideal.  For more information and ideas, view our physical therapist assistant cover letter examples.

Jacob Meade Headshot

Jacob Meade

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, ACRW)

Jacob Meade is a resume writer and editor with nearly a decade of experience. His writing method centers on understanding and then expressing each person’s unique work history and strengths toward their career goal. Jacob has enjoyed working with jobseekers of all ages and career levels, finding that a clear and focused resume can help people from any walk of life. He is an Academy Certified Resume Writer (ACRW) with the Resume Writing Academy, and a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches.

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