101 Career Guide: Everything You Need To Know To Become an Occupational Therapist

Do you want to pursue a career that helps people directly? Are you looking to work in the health and social care sector? Then, occupational therapy could be your calling.

Compassionate. Rewarding. Thriving– These are just some of the many words we’ve used to describe the remarkable field of occupational therapy. Not only does this outstanding area of work come with a promising paycheck and job outlook, but it also comes with excellent job satisfaction.

These stands be especially true among Occupational Therapy Assistants (OTAs), whose career ranks #1 on the list of US News of best healthcare support jobs. Again, the employment prospects of occupational therapists are projected to increase 17 per cent from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations. Again, the national average salary for an Occupational therapist is $80,952 in the US, whereas, in the UK, it ranges between £ 32,306 to £39,027.

Learning about becoming an occupational therapist can help determine if it’s the perfect career path for you. In today’s well-detailed post, we will walk you through certain essentials like how you can train, what you need to be accepted as an undergraduate in this subject area and the benefits of pursuing this field that will enable you to make an advantageous career move shortly.

Let’s get started!

Occupational Therapy: A Quick and Brief Overview

According to the best minds associated with occupational therapy assignment help services, occupational therapists enable people to overcome physical or mental challenges, helping them to leave as independently as possible. The term ‘occupational’ indicates everyday practical activities that people do in their lives to function and live freely. It is a remarkable branch of healthcare combined with social care, which focuses on the physical and mental health of points and their overall well-being.

The key objective is to offer people and communities practical support and advice so they can live their lives to the fullest. Your job will also be to empower people and develop confidence in facing the challenges of various healthcare environments. To succeed in this unique line of work, you need to be empathetic, understanding, a brilliant listener and a communicator apart from being adaptable to the needs of various patients.

Let’s now take a look at the primary responsibility and duties of an Operational Therapist-

  • Meeting with patients to discuss various challenges and symptoms
  • Reviewing medical records to get a comprehensive description of issues impacting patients
  • Creating various treatment plans for patients to complete at home
  • Assess progress and adjust plans as required
  • Hold various therapy sessions with patients in a clinic, hospital or home.
  • Take vital notes and relay information to other medical professionals.

Why Study Occupational Therapy? The Crucial Reasons  

For those of you considering pursuing a degree in Occupational Therapy but still needs convincing, take a look at this segment. Here we have compiled a compelling list of reasons that will enable you to understand how studying occupational therapy can offer you a prosperous career-

  • Job Outlook Is Bright and Filled With Brilliant Opportunities

By far, occupational therapists or occupational therapy assistants are one of the fastest-rising careers worldwide. A close look at occupational therapy assignment forums and the Bureau of Labour Statistics, these jobs are expected to grow by a massive 40% between 2014 and 2024. Starting salaries for occupational therapists range from GBP 24,000 to GBP 30,615. With experience, this can easily increase to GBP 31,365 to GBP 37,890 while consultants can earn 45,753 GBP to GBP 62, 2001.

This implies with an occupational therapist degree under your belt; you will be remarkably positioned to bring home a decent paycheck every week. And, there remains excellent room for increased earning potential.

  • Programs Are Convenient and Flexible

Undeniably, occupational therapy is the best career to pursue nowadays. However, if you cannot commit to a full-time Bachelor’s degree and 24 weeks of fieldwork experience, an occupational therapy program might be the best for you. These my assignment help programs are flexible too and offer a faster track to a job.

  • Excellent Graduate Prospects

If you look closely at the Occupational therapy subject table, you will see that most universities have an exceptional graduate prospects score. Again, most institutions have at least 85% of their students employed within six months of graduation.

  • Gratifying Career

A fulfilling job is what anyone requires at the end of the day- both monetarily and mentally. While it is a daunting path but it can be highly satisfactory when one realizes there can be nothing better than helping others carry forward their lives in a better way and empowering them to a large extent.

  • Evolving Profession

The profession of occupational therapists is continuously evolving, which indicates being innovative all the time and thinking-out-of-the-box. Modifications are always made in educational environments, and occupational therapists make it possible. They are always required for inventing and reinventing.

Essential Steps to Become an Occupational Therapist

  1. Acquire A Bachelor’s Degree

The first step in becoming an occupational therapist is to complete a bachelor’s degree in a related field. We recommend you consider pursuing a degree in health sciences, biology, kinesiology, or physiology. While pursuing a bachelor’s degree, you can gain additional experience outside the classroom. If possible, you can work or volunteer for an occupational therapy clinic or the OT unit of the hospital. Your work experience could help you apply for a master’s degree by demonstrating a passion for the industry.

  1. Earn A Master’s Degree

After earning a bachelor’s degree, you can apply for Masters in Occupational Therapy. These programs can last two to three years. Find a program that the Occupational Therapy Association approves in your country to ensure you become a registered therapist once you graduate.

While completing the degree, you’ll acquire clinical experience by travelling to various medical facilities and shadowing licensed OTs.

  1. Ace The National Board For Certification Of Occupational Therapists Exam

Upon completion of your formal education requirements, you will require passing the NBCOT Occupational Therapist Registered Exam to become a certified therapist. This is a 4-hour exam that you’ll near to appear. If you pass the exam, you can receive OTR certification and are now eligible to apply for your state license. This certification will remain valid for 3 years.

  1. Acquire An Occupational Therapy License

Occupational therapists must acquire a license in the state or country where they plan to practice. Licensure requirements vary between countries or states, but they typically need an NBCOT score, academic transcripts and a background check. Licensing fees can also vary, ranging from around $50 to $240. There can also be additional fees for things like fingerprinting and temporary licenses.

To keep your licensure updated, occupational therapists must take continuing education units. Furthermore, they can get enrolled in doctoral degrees to become specialists and acquire specialisation certifications.

  1. Choose A Specialty And Gain Specialty Certifications

Though it’s not necessary, there are nine crucial areas within the field that you can specialize in by gaining relevant certifications. You can hone your expertise in the below-enlisted areas-

  • Ageing-patient related issues
  • Paediatric care
  • Mental disabilities
  • Patient motor skills
  • Patient independence outside the home
  • Patient access to useful home equipment
  • Impaired-vision rehabilitation
  • In-school care

Each specialization will require you to pass an exam to receive a certification. These certifications can help expand the job opportunities available to you and to increase your earning potential.

Final Thoughts,

Without a shade of a doubt, an Operational Therapist is perhaps one of the most rewarding professions, with countless opportunities available to those who pursue it. As the demand increases, this implies there are multiple opportunities along with adequate job security. After finish your program and accreditations, you will be ready to enter the workforce, where innumerable opportunities await you. The field is always evolving, making it an impeccable choice for those who like to be challenged at work.

Surely it takes adequate work and ultimate dedication to get there. Still, those that pursue this path will find themselves leaving school for an outstanding career helping others make a meaningful and lasting difference.

Author Bio

Amily Parker is an eminent career coach. A proud member of MyAssignmenthelp.com, she is famous for bringing smiles to the face of many with her unique write my assignment solutions.

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