Career Options in Occupational therapy


A relatively new job in the list of job options, the role of an occupational therapist is today and integral position in any organization, particularly in the industrial sectors. The main reason why this sector mandatorily needs an occupational therapist is because it is a sector in which there are many potential health and safety hazards present, especially due to the presence of industrial machinery which are highly complex. The job of an occupational therapist can differ from industry to industry and also depending on the type of workplace it is. Also depending on the level of the therapist, the role is likely to vary. Occupational Therapists or OTs as they are more commonly referred to have to deal with all kinds of physical, emotional and psychological disturbances that a person faces in the workplace.

Eligibility

In most cases, the highest level of education in the field of occupational therapy is a postgraduate degree, which is the minimal requirement for a person to become an Occupational Therapist. To be eligible for the role of the OT Assistant an Associate Degree in Occupational Therapy and for that of the OT Aide, a high school diploma would be the minimal requirements for eligibility. Besides, the academic qualifications, training is also an essential requirement for the job.

Required Skills

The skills required to become an occupational therapist would differ according to the three roles of the OTs job. Some of the general skills required are:

  • Assessment of performances of people in the organization and providing orientation programs to help them cope up with the stress of the work
  • High level of critical thinking, logical reasoning, problem solving and decision making skills.
  • Ability to identify workers’ emotional and psychological conditions through observations and talk.
  • Leadership qualities, ability to coordinate a team and Time management
  • Ability to use the learning and training materials and use them in their day to day affairs in the work as well as impart education to others to follow the training.
  • High interpersonal and negotiation skills

  • Ability to use resources judiciously and pragmatically.
  • Evaluating skills to identify areas for improvement and enable procedure for the same.

How to become an Occupational Therapist?

Apart from the academic qualifications, the Occupational Therapist should undertake hands –on training to be eligible for a job of an OT.

Job Description

Basically the role of an occupational therapist is to carry out duties that help the patient overcome the difficulties in conducting their duties at the workplace. The OTs work with all the age groups of people and both genders have their own specific problems in the work which are dealt with by the Occupational therapist. They recommend changes either in the environment in the work place or personally.

Career Prospects

Though they might start out on a slightly lower level, once they have gained experience, the occupational therapist is highly valued and hence the prospects are really bright. Starting from an Intern, they can move up to the Consultant level, in which case it is one of the most envied jobs.

Salary

The salary of the occupational therapist is a very lucrative one and the more the experience and knowledge gained the salary gets better accordingly.

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