ATS Resume Guide for Occupational Therapist: Keywords, Skills, and Optimization Tips
Occupational Therapist resumes are screened by healthcare ATS systems for specific treatment modality keywords, setting experience, and credentialing terms. Generic rehabilitation language scores poorly against job descriptions that require named approaches and population expertise. This guide covers the ATS keyword requirements for OT positions.
Critical Keywords for Occupational Therapist
These are the keywords that ATS systems most commonly screen for when evaluating Occupational Therapist resumes. Missing more than 30% of critical keywords typically results in automatic rejection.
Important Keywords
These keywords strengthen your application but are less likely to be hard filters.
Nice-to-Have Keywords
Technical Skills
- Comprehensive occupational performance assessment
- Individualized treatment plan development and execution
- ADL and IADL training and adaptation
- Upper extremity evaluation and rehabilitation
- Custom splint fabrication and fitting
- Cognitive and perceptual rehabilitation
- Adaptive equipment selection and training
- EMR documentation (Epic, Cerner, PointClickCare)
Soft Skills That Score Well
- Patient and family education on therapeutic activities
- Interdisciplinary team collaboration
- Cultural competence in treatment approaches
- Patient motivation and therapeutic rapport building
Relevant Certifications
These certifications commonly appear in Occupational Therapist job descriptions and can improve your ATS score by 5-15 points.
- OTR/L (Occupational Therapist Registered/Licensed)
- NBCOT Certification
- State licensure
- CHT (Certified Hand Therapist) for hand therapy specialists
- BLS certification
Experience Requirements
Most Occupational Therapist positions at the mid level require 1-6 years of relevant experience. Resumes that fall outside this range face scoring penalties from ATS systems that use experience matching.
Education Requirements
- Master's or Doctoral degree in Occupational Therapy from ACOTE-accredited program
- Level II fieldwork completions
- Continuing education in specialty areas
See how your resume scores against ATS systems
Check Your ATS Score Free →ATS Optimization Tips for Occupational Therapist
- Include OTR/L after your name in the resume header
- Specify clinical setting: acute care, inpatient rehab, outpatient, home health, school-based, SNF
- Name assessment tools used: FIM, COPM, AMPS, sensory profiles
- List patient populations served with caseload numbers
Common Resume Mistakes to Avoid
- Not specifying OT practice setting which is a primary ATS filter in healthcare
- Using only general therapy language without naming OT-specific assessments and interventions
- Omitting productivity metrics and caseload numbers
- Not listing state licensure information
Sample Optimized Bullet Points
These bullet points demonstrate how to incorporate keywords naturally while showing measurable impact:
- Maintained caseload of 8-10 patients daily in acute inpatient rehabilitation, achieving average FIM score improvement of 25 points at discharge
- Developed and implemented upper extremity rehabilitation protocols for post-surgical patients, improving grip strength outcomes by 30% compared to previous standard of care
- Fabricated 200+ custom orthoses annually for patients with hand and wrist injuries, achieving 95% patient compliance rate
- Trained 50+ family members and caregivers on home exercise programs and adaptive equipment use, reducing 30-day readmission rate by 12%
Strong Action Verbs for Occupational Therapist
Common ATS Systems for Occupational Therapist Roles
Employers hiring for this role frequently use these ATS platforms. Understanding their specific quirks can give you an edge.