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Occupational Therapist skills for your resume and career
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted Experts
Dr. Nathan Tenhundfeld Ph.D.,
Dr. Nathan Tenhundfeld Ph.D.
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical occupational therapist skills. We ranked the top skills for occupational therapists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 22.6% of occupational therapist resumes contained patients as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an occupational therapist needs to be successful in the workplace.
15 occupational therapist skills for your resume and career
1. Patients
Here's how occupational therapists use patients:
- Performed numerous evaluations and interventions, and successfully established collaborative goals and treatment plans with patients and the interdisciplinary team.
- Provided evaluation and treatment to patients with acute hand/upper extremity injuries, chronic hand/upper extremity problems/disorders and repetitive strain injuries.
2. Rehabilitation
Here's how occupational therapists use rehabilitation:
- Assisted the facility rehabilitation coordinator with delegated responsibilities
- Managed outpatient occupational therapy rehabilitation program.
3. Home Health
Here's how occupational therapists use home health:
- Treated patients as an occupational therapist in acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, pulmonary rehabilitation, outpatient, and home health settings
- Provide caregiver education on dementia care and home health aide training/supervision in order to maximize carry- over and patient recovery.
4. Patient Care
Patient care entails the diagnosis, recovery, and control of sickness as well as the maintenance of physical and emotional well-being through the use of healthcare providers' services. Patient care is described as services provided to patients by health practitioners or non-professionals under guidance.
Here's how occupational therapists use patient care:
- Participate in performance improvement activities designed to identify and resolve problems affecting patient care outcome and to improve quality of care.
- Conducted Occupational Therapy evaluations, determined individualized patient goals and implemented patient care to adult/geriatric population in a skilled nursing facility.
5. COTA
Here's how occupational therapists use cota:
- Provide therapeutic services, supervise COTA Responsible for all power mobility evaluations Responsible for facility restraint reduction Responsible for all wheelchair positioning
- Managed rehabilitation therapy team which consisted of Physical therapist/assistant, Speech therapist and COTA.
6. Occupational Therapy
Here's how occupational therapists use occupational therapy:
- Acted as senior level liaison between program director and occupational therapy staff to ensure clients were receiving appropriate occupational therapy interventions.
- Provided direct in-patient Occupational Therapy evaluation and treatment to the following patient populations: orthopedic, medical surgery, and general medical
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Here's how occupational therapists use adaptive:
- Complete comprehensive Occupational Therapy and home evaluation including identification of safety issues and recommendation of any required adaptive equipment and supplies.
- Provided home assessment and recommended adaptive equipment and/or home modification needs to maximize safety of patients in their own environment.
8. OTR
Here's how occupational therapists use otr:
- Reviewed available resident information of evaluation performed by OTR & the impact of this information on the assessment and treatment process.
- Served as a Clinical Instructor (CI) for both COTA and OTR student(s) to foster self-development.
9. Occupational Therapy Assistants
Here's how occupational therapists use occupational therapy assistants:
- Supervised occupational therapy assistants in therapeutic intervention.
- Provide supervision/consultation for certified occupational therapy assistants.
10. Physical Therapy
Here's how occupational therapists use physical therapy:
- Collaborated closely with physical therapy and speech therapy in order to maximize patient outcomes and provide a team approach to rehabilitation.
- Participate as an active member of a multidisciplinary team including nursing, physical therapy, speech and language pathology and psychology.
11. SNF
SNF is a kind of nursing home perceived by the Medicare and Medicaid frameworks as meeting long haul medical services needs for people who can work autonomously after a restricted time of care.
Here's how occupational therapists use snf:
- Worked in a SNF setting providing individualized OT evaluation/ treatment intervention using a variety of specialized approaches.
- Provide Occupational Therapy evaluation and treatment per physician orders at SNF geriatric population
12. Treatment Programs
Here's how occupational therapists use treatment programs:
- Administered functional and standardized assessments and developed specific treatment programs with patients to accomplish team and discipline specific goals.
- Planned and organized individualized treatment programs for compensation, maintaining or restoring ability to perform activities of daily living.
13. Adaptive Equipment
Any tool, device, or machine that is for the purpose of improving or assisting in daily living is called adaptive equipment. These devices are generally used by people that have short or long-term disabilities.
Here's how occupational therapists use adaptive equipment:
- Splint fabrication, wheelchair evaluations/selection, adaptive equipment selection/fabrication and some sensory integration activities were among my related job duties.
- Performed Home Visits targeted at preventing environmental hazards and adaptive equipment recommendations to increase safety and reduce risk of falls.
14. Discharge Planning
Here's how occupational therapists use discharge planning:
- Evaluate potential rehab patients, develop and implement tailored treatment plans, oversee rehab/restorative dining, participate in interdisciplinary discharge planning.
- Performed intervention planning, client-centered intervention implementations, electronic documentation, and discharge planning for patients with physical and cognitive disabilities.
15. Compassion
Here's how occupational therapists use compassion:
- Exhibited compassion, flexibility and patience each day to ensure successful learning environment.
- Demonstrated compassion and empathy with both patients and their families while demonstrating fiscal responsibility for the company.
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What skills help Occupational Therapists find jobs?
Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.
What skills stand out on Occupational Therapist resumes?
Dr. Nathan Tenhundfeld Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Human Factors, University of Alabama in Huntsville
Strong analytical skills are a must. This includes both logic and reasoning skills, but also data analysis skills. For many jobs, the ability to collect and scientifically evaluate data will be vital, if not an absolute necessity. Similarly, a strong understanding of experimental methods can put a candidate in a great position to be able to help a company evaluate existing programs and chart a path forward for new ones. Finally, I would say that a strong ability to write is critical. Those graduates who are able to effectively and persuasively communicate in writing are setting themselves up for success at any company and allowing the company to leverage them for increasingly important tasks.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Occupational Therapists?
Dr. Nathan Tenhundfeld Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Human Factors, University of Alabama in Huntsville
Technical skills like the ability to perform statistical analyses are critically important for most Psychology-related jobs. This allows a candidate to collect and analyze data but also to interpret and understand other existing data. A strong statistical background can also help set a candidate apart from their peers in the application process. This includes understanding when and how to use various parametric and nonparametric statistics to be able to answer questions regardless of the data one is working with.
What soft skills should all Occupational Therapists possess?
Dr. Julie Estes
Assistant Clinical Instructor, Northeastern State University
Many soft skills are essential such as:
-Energy and enthusiasm for your field, loving what you do, and wanting to make a difference in clients' lives.
-Strong interpersonal skills and knowing how to relate to people from different backgrounds and cultures.
-Being sincere and knowing how to show empathy and compassion toward clients going through difficult challenges in their lives.
-Organizational skills: knowing how to organize a daily schedule in any setting is essential due to time constraints such as productivity. Allowing time to make sure each client is seen while sometimes working around others' schedules such as physicians, teachers, other therapists. OTs need to be present and provide treatment for each client while not disrupting the workflow of others, such as physicians, teachers, or other therapists.
-Flexibility, being prepared for each day (client, meetings, etc.), but knowing that things can change in an instant and having a backup plan. Going in with a plan A, but knowing you may have to use plan B, C or D. We work with people from all walks of life and stages of life; being okay with knowing that your plan may not go as expected is essential.
-Problem solving, we are professional problem solvers. The Department of Labor's ONet OnLine categorizes occupational therapy as an "investigative occupation." We look at an individual's daily routine, goals, and environment, identify barriers, and plan treatments that help modify, build, or restore daily living skills and independence.
-Energy and enthusiasm for your field, loving what you do, and wanting to make a difference in clients' lives.
-Strong interpersonal skills and knowing how to relate to people from different backgrounds and cultures.
-Being sincere and knowing how to show empathy and compassion toward clients going through difficult challenges in their lives.
-Organizational skills: knowing how to organize a daily schedule in any setting is essential due to time constraints such as productivity. Allowing time to make sure each client is seen while sometimes working around others' schedules such as physicians, teachers, other therapists. OTs need to be present and provide treatment for each client while not disrupting the workflow of others, such as physicians, teachers, or other therapists.
-Flexibility, being prepared for each day (client, meetings, etc.), but knowing that things can change in an instant and having a backup plan. Going in with a plan A, but knowing you may have to use plan B, C or D. We work with people from all walks of life and stages of life; being okay with knowing that your plan may not go as expected is essential.
-Problem solving, we are professional problem solvers. The Department of Labor's ONet OnLine categorizes occupational therapy as an "investigative occupation." We look at an individual's daily routine, goals, and environment, identify barriers, and plan treatments that help modify, build, or restore daily living skills and independence.
What Occupational Therapist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Charles Westerberg Ph.D.
Brannon-Ballard Professor of Sociology, Beloit College
For students taking a gap year, I think they should focus on building up their social capital networks. They should get as much exposure and face time as possible in fields that will give them access to people who can vouch for them. This might not be precisely the sort of position they are looking for, but it should provide them with access to relatable skills and contacts. To do this, students should call and email relentlessly. You never know when you will get a break. Passivity is not an excellent way to create gaps for yourself.
What type of skills will young Occupational Therapists need?
Dr. Eva Moya Ph.D.
Professor, The University of Texas
Graduates of the social work profession need to be able to work with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and mobilize communities to bring about social, economic, political, or environmental change, in addition to being involved in social policy development.
Skills in research, to study social issues, with the intention of developing social policy or micro-level approaches to practice to improve people's lives, and training in relation to multiculturalism, cultural competence, cultural humility practice is vital.
Key skills include:
Skills in research, to study social issues, with the intention of developing social policy or micro-level approaches to practice to improve people's lives, and training in relation to multiculturalism, cultural competence, cultural humility practice is vital.
Key skills include:
- Collaboration
- Critical thinking
- -Ethics in evidence based-practice
- Assessment, intervention, and evaluation
- Social work competencies to inform behaviors.
- Administration and management
- Community practice
- Policy practice
What technical skills for an Occupational Therapist stand out to employers?
Julie Seidle Ph.D.
Instructor & Research Associate, Colorado State University
As a community-based practitioner and employer, I look for a practitioner that has a strong foundational knowledge of OT and the technical skills needed for the practice setting. But I am also looking for someone who has strong interpersonal skills and demonstrates openness and flexibility to an ever-changing practice space. I enjoy working with practitioners who are creative with their skill set and can adjust to a variety of client needs. Practitioners also need to be able to take initiative and work well with all levels of the client system.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about Occupational TherapistList of occupational therapist skills to add to your resume
The most important skills for an occupational therapist resume and required skills for an occupational therapist to have include:
- Patients
- Rehabilitation
- Home Health
- Patient Care
- COTA
- Occupational Therapy
- Adaptive
- OTR
- Occupational Therapy Assistants
- Physical Therapy
- SNF
- Treatment Programs
- Adaptive Equipment
- Discharge Planning
- Compassion
- ADL
- PET
- Medicaid
- Program Development
- Splints
- Nursing Home
- Family Education
- Excellent Interpersonal
- Speech Therapy
- Autism
- Acute Care
- Inpatient Rehabilitation
- Physical Disabilities
- Hand Therapy
- MDS
- Functional Mobility
- Senior Care
- Discharge Summaries
- Dexterity
- Therapeutic Interventions
- SLP
- English Language
- Excellent Time Management
- IEP
- Developmental Disabilities
- Early Intervention
- Orthotics
- Excellent Organizational
- Home Management
- Good Interpersonal
- Social Work
Updated January 8, 2025
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Updated January 8, 2025