Occupational Therapist CV Example (2026)
Most occupational therapist CVs score below 39% on ATS systems. See exactly why yours might be failing. 64% never reach a recruiter.
What Clinical Directors and Rehab Managers Look for in Occupational Therapist Resumes
Occupational therapist hiring in 2026 faces a persistent credential-identification problem: ATS systems at hospital networks and outpatient rehab organizations filter for NBCOT certification, OTR/L designation, and state licensure before reading a single clinical bullet. Candidates who abbreviate their credential inconsistently — writing 'OT' instead of 'OTR/L' or 'NBCOT Certified' — fail the initial filter even when they are fully credentialed. Your credential line must be complete: Occupational Therapist Registered and Licensed (OTR/L), NBCOT Certified, and your specific state license number if required by the job posting.
Productivity and caseload management metrics are the most underrepresented data points on OT resumes. Hospital systems track OT productivity against a daily billable unit target — typically 70-80% of a potential 32 units per day. An OT who maintained 78% productivity while managing a 20-patient caseload with an average FIM gain score improvement of 15 points has documented clinical efficiency and outcome quality simultaneously. Hiring managers at SNFs and inpatient rehab facilities evaluate these numbers because they translate directly to reimbursement rates under PDPM and RUGS-IV coding. If you have productivity and outcome data from your current or prior employer, use it.
Emerging specialty areas are creating premium hiring lanes in occupational therapy: driving rehabilitation, low vision, assistive technology (AAC, power mobility), hand therapy (CHT credential), and NICU specialist certifications command 15-25% higher salaries and are hiring in undersupplied markets. If you have completed specialized training or fieldwork in any of these areas, they should not be buried in a generalist OT resume — they should be featured prominently in your summary and in a dedicated specialty section. The competitive candidates in these niches are not applying for generalist positions; they are targeted by recruiters specifically.
What ATS systems actually see
Toggle between a typical occupational therapist CV and an optimized version. Notice what changes.
Generic descriptions and soft skills make this resume hard to scan and easy to ignore.
✗ 'Patient Care' and 'Compassionate' match zero ATS keywords. ATS needs CIMT, FIM, ADL/IADL, and EMR platform names.
✗ 'Used evidencebased interventions' is the OT equivalent of 'worked hard.' Name the protocol, the population, and the functional outcome measure.
✗ 'Treated patients with hand injuries' has no volume, no diagnoses, and no standardized outcome measure.
✗ 'Worked with physicians and PTs' shows no care coordination metric. Show the referral volume and the turnaround improvement.
✗ 'Evaluated children' is too vague. Name the assessments administered, the patient volume, and how results guided treatment.
✗ Hobbies waste space on an OT resume. Use it for specialty certifications (CHT, SCO), continuing education completions, or AOTA/state OT association memberships instead.
Natalie Reyes
Occupational Therapist
Phoenix, AZ · natalie.reyes@email.com · linkedin.com/in/nataliereyes
Professional Summary
Compassionate occupational therapist with experience helping patients improve their daily living skills and independence. Works well with multidisciplinary teams and is committed to patient-centered care.
Core Skills
Professional Experience
Banner Health Medical Center
Sep 2021 - PresentOccupational Therapist
- Provided occupational therapy services to patients with neurological and orthopedic conditions.
- Used evidence-based interventions to help patients with daily living activities.
- Documented patient progress and communicated with the care team.
Southwest Outpatient Rehab
Jun 2019 - Aug 2021Occupational Therapist
- Treated patients with hand injuries and upper extremity conditions.
- Made custom splints and orthoses for patients as needed.
- Worked with physicians and physical therapists to coordinate patient care.
Arizona Children's Hospital
Jan 2019 - May 2019OT Student Intern
- Helped occupational therapists treat pediatric patients.
- Evaluated children and wrote treatment notes.
- Participated in team meetings and learned about pediatric OT.
Education
Arizona State University
Occupational Therapy degree
Certifications & Awards
- NBCOT certified
- Arizona OT license
- Employee of the Month (2022)
Languages
English (Native) • Spanish (Fluent)
Interests & Hobbies
- Volunteer at adaptive sports programs
- Yoga
- Reading OT research
- Hiking
✗ 'Compassionate' matches nothing in ATS. No credential acronym, no caseload volume, no outcome metric. Invisible to most hospital ATS systems.
✗ 'Provided OT services' describes every therapist's job. Show caseload volume, diagnoses, productivity rate, and functional outcome measure.
✗ 'Documented patient progress' is a basic duty. Show the EMR system, the documentation volume, and the compliance audit outcome.
✗ 'Made custom splints as needed' has no annual volume, no orthosis types, and no safety outcome.
✗ 'Helped OTs treat pediatric patients' has no clinical hours, no diagnoses, and no population description.
✗ 'Participated in meetings and learned' is passive. Show the contribution made and the formal evaluation received.
✗ Vague duties like "Responsible for", soft skills like "Hard Worker", and buzzwords like "synergistic" — no keywords for recruiters to find. This resume gets buried.
Wondering if YOUR CV has these same problems?
Keywords ATS Systems Scan For
These are the exact terms recruiters and ATS systems filter by for occupational therapist roles. Missing even 2-3 can drop your score below the threshold.
ADL / IADL Evaluation & Training
Neurorehabilitation (CVA, TBI, SCI)
Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT)
Splinting & Orthotics Fabrication
Assistive Technology / AAC
Pediatric OT (Sensory Integration, NDT)
FIM / Barthel Index / COPM / DASH
Hand Therapy / Upper Extremity Rehab
Epic / Cerner / Meditech EMR
HIPAA Compliance
PDPM / Medicare Documentation
IEP Goal Development
Ergonomic Assessment
Adaptive Equipment Prescription
How many of these are on your CV?
Examples by Experience Level
Select your level. See the exact verbs, bullets, and metrics that ATS systems reward at each stage.
Action Verbs
Metrics to Include
- Daily Caseload (#)
- Billable Productivity (%)
- FIM / COPM / DASH Score Gains
- Annual Patient Volume (#)
- Orthoses Fabricated (#)
- Documentation Compliance (%)
- Referral Turnaround (Days)
Example CV Bullets
Ship independentlyManaged 18-patient acute care caseload including TBI, CVA, and SCI, maintaining 78% billable productivity and achieving average FIM motor gain of 14.2 points over 300+ patient episodes.
Implemented CIMT protocol for 35 CVA patients, reducing spasticity-related ADL limitations by 35% at 6-week COPM follow-up.
Fabricated 120+ custom thermoplastic orthoses annually with zero pressure sore or skin breakdown complications documented.
Are your bullets this specific?
Phrases That Get Occupational Therapists Rejected
Listing languages isn't enough. Context matters. "JavaScript" is good; "Built REST APIs with Node.js" is hired.
Provided occupational therapy services to patients.
Describes a job category, not a clinical achievement. Show caseload size, diagnoses treated, productivity rate, and functional outcome measure.
Managed 18-patient acute care caseload including TBI, CVA, and SCI diagnoses, maintaining 78% billable productivity and achieving an average FIM motor gain of 14.2 points over 300+ episodes.
Used evidence-based approaches to help patients with daily activities.
'Evidence-based approaches' is generic. Name the specific protocol, the patient population, and the validated outcome measure you used to prove improvement.
Implemented CIMT protocol for 35 CVA patients, reducing spasticity-related ADL limitations by 35% as measured by COPM performance scale at 6-week follow-up.
Documented patient progress notes and treatment plans.
Every OT documents. Name the EMR system, the documentation volume, and the compliance outcome.
Documented daily SOAP notes and discharge summaries for 18 patients in Epic EMR, achieving 100% documentation compliance in 4 consecutive Joint Commission preparedness audits.
Compassionate therapist who builds strong therapeutic relationships.
Self-assessed soft skills are ATS-invisible. Replace with caseload data, outcome scores, and patient satisfaction metrics.
Outpatient OT with 350+ annual hand therapy cases; average DASH score improvement of 28 points at 8-week discharge across carpal tunnel, rotator cuff, and Dupuytren's diagnoses.
Made custom splints for patients.
No annual volume, no splint types named, and no safety outcome. Fabrication skill is proven by volume and zero-complication records.
Fabricated 120+ custom thermoplastic orthoses annually including resting hand, figure-8, and dynamic extension splints with zero pressure sore or skin breakdown complications.
Worked as part of a multidisciplinary team to coordinate patient care.
Teamwork is an expectation, not an accomplishment. Show the care coordination metric: time from referral to evaluation, or discharge timeline improvement.
Coordinated care with 8 orthopedic surgeons and 3 PT colleagues, reducing post-surgical referral to initial OT evaluation from 12 days to 5 days through shared scheduling protocol.
Recognize any of these on your CV?
Certifications That Boost Your ATS Score
Include the full name AND the acronym. ATS systems may scan for either.
Frequently Asked Questions
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