i don t want to be an occupational therapist anymore

This course covers the difference between health and medical writing, and it has resume and cover letter templates, as well as interview practice questions and advice. These are weekend events where youll team up with engineering and business professionals, as well as other clinicians, to tackle big problems in healthcare. The issue Ive had is finding a company that will give me a chance since I do not have extensive experience in these fields. Many OTs and COTAs have also tied their love of health promotion into starting their own health coaching business that targets people looking to improve their health and well-being. While sales might be somewhat high stress, it can definitely be an interesting change-up to traditional patient care. Email me at Sarah@myotspot.com for more information , First, what is a case manager? To get started, Upwork is a great platform that most businesses hire their writers from. ATP professionals create accessibility technology for those with disabilities. As an ergonomic specialist, youllspend time identifying environmental risks, coming up with creative strategies to reduce those risks, educating others on the importance of ergonomics, and drafting comprehensive plans for businesses to follow. The desire to change to a non-traditional occupational therapy careerwhether temporary or permanentis normal. Thanks for the great article . There will certainly be a bit of paperwork involved (as there is with everything in healthcare these days), but youll get to see patients progress from start to finish and be there with them and the family the whole way. First of all, you can join some of the free Facebook groups below. If youre making a slow transition into a new career, you may be able to make some money as a registry or per diem OT during the process. Since not turning anything into insurance companies? Director of Rehab and OT Supervisor probably sound familiar to you. Sometimes its accompanied by a picture and short bio. Is there anything stopping a COTA from going into business or private practice on their own? As in inpatient OT, Ive been looking for alternative careers and economics and sales excite me the most. Not sure where youre located, but Center for Community Partnerships in Fort Collins, CO is a great agency for community integration/job retention services. OTs can be trained in and administer cognitive behavioral therapy to populations in need. You can start your own blog, or you can reach out to websites to get published and start racking up some bylines. If youre not familiar with this concept, it can be described as a short-term, goal-oriented psychotherapy treatment that takes a hands-on, practical approach to problem-solving according to Psych Central. There are people doing it. The first thing that often comes to mind on this front is starting your own private practice. Its definitely advisable for new grads (or people who have only worked in one setting) to consider whether they should spend a little more time in patient care before switching gears. There are many other resources for home modifications OTs, but these will get you started if youre interested in this alternative career path. Initially, I had aspired to be a Special Education Teacher; however, after seeing the high and very frequent turnover/burnout of Teachers in our classroom, I began analyzing the other specialists that would work with our students and their careers (who seemed most satisfied, which fit my personality more, etc.). With each course enrollment, you get job application materials (sample resumes, sample cover letters, etc.) Its not necessary, but its helps you feel committed psychologically when you feel youve truly exhausted all options in clinical care before trying something new. OTs are perfect for becoming Assistive Technology Professionals since we use it regularly with our patients, whether its low tech or high techassistive technology. This list of is certainly not exhaustive (as there are SO many options in this realm), but it should at least get the wheels turning! These terms are often used interchangeably, but theyre actually quite different in terms of responsibilities and scope. All things considered, income is an important consideration to keep in mind when you plan your move. She is also the host of the OT Potential Podcast. Also, check out Aramehs interview on her career path into OT academia and what she has found fulfilling and challenging about it. Im always learning about new avenues from this group, so be sure to join if youre interested in making a switch. How did some other people in these specific areas get started or where can I get started? If you are not OK with this, you can opt-out if you wish. This is an important question. Areas of focus include office ergonomics, production ergonomics, musculo-skeletal injury prevention, general health and wellness promotion. Given the number of paths you can take within education, theres really no one set path to get there. Looking more towards the future, this is an easy field to get excited about, especially when you see things like this in the news:Prosthetic Limbs, Controlled by Thought. Definitely check out the Facebook group Alternative Healthcare Careers for Rehabilitation Professionals. Then, when you apply for the rehab liaison roles, play up your connections big timeyoull need them! You dont necessarily need to go to court. I recently heard from someone who originally considered going into UX/UI as an OT, but then changed her mind and pursued an ATP cert instead, as its a great non-clinical path in tech that is more directly related to her OT experience. If you love patient care, but hate the physical and emotional toll it takes, definitely look into becoming a rehab liaison (or clinical liaison). As clinicians, we are usually pretty comfortable with our clinical skills, even if we dont know everything. For example, sales, business development, and clinical/patient trainer jobs often require you to cover a particular territory, which might be far from where you live. If youre a writer, designer, usability expert or anything else, once you have your basic skills established, a great place to start is by picking up freelance work. There may be some small businesses in your area that focus on this specialty which you may be interested in working for or partnering with. Required fields are marked *. The guide helps you think through key questions to get your business off the ground like should you have a specialty, what equipment should you buy, and whats the best way to manage operations? Thank yall. Whether it involves admissions and/or discharges, having experience as an OT can make working as a case manager a perfect fit. On this path, the short term satisfaction of getting a steady paycheck with predictable hours is foregone for the long-term prospect of being the owner of a successful and valuable practice. Remember, if you identify a way that you can solve someone elses problem, youll be very marketable! There are so many types of medical equipment that we work with on a regular basis, like neuro VR programs, e-stim, modalities, dynamic splinting, hospital beds, wheelchairs, and so on. The main issue is that, even though we have the perfect background for these roles, we are not landing them. Here are several types of OT-related businesses you can create. A headshot is an easy way to start establishing your personal brand. In preparation for these events, youll want to: Youll want to have your title and a personal email address on hand for anytime you meet folks at networking events, healthcare hackathons, or even happy hours! While the hackathon scene has slowed down a bit because of the pandemic and economic changes, a good Google search shows theyre still taking place. 1109 12th Street Ste 3 One of the biggest challenges of switching to a non-traditional OT job is the feeling that youre a small fish in a big pond. Best of luck to you with whatever path you choose! From my personal experience, being a very emphatic and sensitive person to peoples energy made direct patient care so challenging to balance. I am considering an alternative career in OT. OT has so much potential and I encourage all practitioners out there to follow their passion and use their skills to enable the potential of any population in any setting who needs increased holistic health:). Meredith has a huge list of non-clinical career spotlights on her site. If youre wrinkling your nose at such ideas, it doesnt mean you cant pursue non-traditional workbut being open-minded and willing to shake things up certainly broadens your options. Got more questions for us? Weve even featured a few OTs here at My OT Spot who have done this themselves, like Paige Hays, OTR/L of Beyond Accessibility and Maria Lindbergh, OTR/L of Stay At Home Solutions, so be sure to check them out. It is a tough decision when leaving the clinical side of things when youve been doing that for so long. Hi Martin, thanks for your comment. Non-Clinical 101 gives lifetime access to a proven four-step system that helps you identify which roles are best suited for you, then walks you through the process of getting there. For me (Sarah), my hobby of writing an OT blog became a career when I switched my mindset. Youre so welcome and Im glad the article gave you some ideas! Go to usability meetups. This means a time commitmentand, yes, a money commitment. We can also move into roles where we consult with practices to help them improve their billing and workflow practices. . For more on ergonomics, visit AOTAs ergonomics site here. A career change can affect more than just you. Sarah Lyon, OTR/L Sarah wasnt looking to leave patient care, but about five years into her career,realized that she could potentially help more patients by serving occupational therapists through her website, OT Potential. Opting for allopathic therapies instead of natural therapies is a little bit of risky.https://himalayashilajit.com/, Just happened upon this outstanding website!!!! Usability is what we know as OTs! Heres where working with a career coach or career counselor can be very helpful. If youve landed on this article, you may be currently wondering, What else can I do with my occupational therapy degree that is not direct patient care? or are looking into non-clinical occupational therapy job options. You have to have an immense drive deep down to be able to put in the time and effort day after day as well as deal with the seemingly never-ending problems that will arise when starting a business. Always appreciate the content and the transparency! There is a huge need to be filled in this arena, and OTs are a great fit to help here as well. If youre ready to start your own practice, WebPT has put together a great resource about starting a therapy clinic from scratch. Hi This route may also fall into the category of Business Owner/Entrepreneur as you can certainly start your own Home Modifications business. For your own journey into health tech, weve made this post of influential health tech companies for you to look into. For more information about careers in medical sales, check out this post on Monster.com:Pharma, Biotech, Medical-Device Sales: Which Is for You? I have 32 yrs experience as an OTR, mainly inpatient rehab, and acute care. Explore different options/gain experience before leaving your day job, 8 specific non-traditional OT jobs you can look into, Non-Clinical Jobs and Networking for PT/OT/SLP Professionals, Non-Clinical 101: The Complete Guide to Launching Your Non-Clinical Career (Save $75), You can read more about my own non-traditional journey, including how I built OT Potential, in my spotlight, Here are some sites that sometimes accept high-quality guest posts from occupational therapists, interview on her career path into OT academia, becoming a rehab liaison (or clinical liaison), this inspiring story about a 90-year-old occupational therapist, UX Design and User Experience Design for Beginners, Become a UX Designer Learn the Skills and Get the Job, Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Workstation ergonomics involves a deep understanding of many different facets of a variety of workplace environments. That said, the quotas are usually very reasonable, unlike clinical productivity expectations these days! So, Meredith decided to put together some resources to make the switch easier for others. Hello fellow therapist. These roles are ideal for OTs who have an eye for noticing potential hazards in peoples homes. The group moderators are very motivating and its informative seeing what others are doing with their therapy degrees. I appreciate this post. Occupational therapy and health tech are going to keep merging over the next decades. More information can be found on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It is possible. Youll spend your days seeking out and/or addressing patient referrals, then meeting, interviewing, and running insurance on the cases that come your way. According to AOTAs article about low vision: Many older adults experience age-related vision changes that cant be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses, or surgery. Thank you for the great ideas as well as links to further learn about them. Occupational injustices present an exciting non-traditional/non-clinical community based setting in which to do holistic OT treatment. Ive been in the field about 16 years and ticked off a few of these myself: administration, education and medical device sales, so I am proof that these are all really possible. My OT Spot uses cookies to improve your experience. Much thanks They wouldnt be full time but are also alternative ways to use your OT skills. You would set your own hourly rates. If you have a knack for writing and can pump out quality articles quickly that are free from errors, this is can be a flexible option that you can do from your own home. If you are, be sure to read AOTAs position on OTs role in health promotion for some added insight. Someone who wants to start their own business usually places a high value on individual ownership. Thank you so much for posting this. In her own journey into tech, she started with consulting on the side and this grew into full time opportunities. They would be providing services, but would they need an OTR? Youll know if youre one of those people pretty quickly . There is more to it than you might think, and if youre interested, Id recommend checking out The Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists. All the allopathic therapies leave some side effects on the patients care. There have been a lot of courses on this at AOTA conferences recently. Through my work, I have been able to promote the profession as well as take on multiple Level II students even during the pandemic to learn about community based OT. Thank you so much for this specific post I think as creative as we OTs are its so hard to envision a career outside of direct patient care with the fear of judgment and let down (from others and ourselves). Hi Karen! Luckily, there are tons of alternative jobs that you can land with your occupational therapy degree. I have read this article but most of these jobs are for OTs that have been in the feild with experience. When youre a staff OT, ask to help out in as many unique and unconventional ways as possible. Here, youll get the chance to work one-on-one with individuals, many times veterans, who need help getting back to work. Hello, I am an OT with a masters degree and 14 years of clinical experience in the acute care hospital and outpatient settings with lymphedema experience as well. At this time I need to take care of me, but I might need to try something else to bring in income. If youre making a sudden jump to a non-traditional role, be aware that you might have a gap in pay while you return to school, job hunt, etc. Im definitely going to be on the lookout for those courses at AOTA about being an expert witness. I am a COTA/L in NC with over 22 years of experience mainly in pediatrics. These alternative career ideas come from an array of different conversations that Ive been a part of with other OTs at work and online. I graduated last year and have been looking non stop for a position Ive applied to countless places and some respond back while others do not and I have had only 1 live interview and 4 phone call interviews. offer contract work (similar to registry or per diem work) for creatives. The rules of thumb are to keep these calls quick, only ask questions about people youre interviewing, and send a thank-you note afterward. Its been such a fun journey and the amount of knowledge I have gained is invaluable! I graduated with a masters in occupational therapy however I have taken the board exam and have been unsuccessful after several attempts. Nice! Seeing is believing, and these occupational therapists have successfully transitioned into non-clinical roles! Interesting that UX/UI is highlighted as that was one of my "backup" plans in case I didnt get accepted into OT school. Thanks again for the article, it did open my eyes! So I was trying to see if I would fit in any other career with my associates degree. Youll also want to beef up your resume to reflect any research, tutoring, lab assisting, or clinical instructor roles youve held since your student years. I am a single mother of 3 and financially cant afford to go back to school or take time off work. I recently found a job on indeed.com with the title skilled inpatient care coordinator. It is similar to what a case manager does, but there are now companies hiring therapists in addition to nurses (who are typically utilized in a case management position). The next two years showed her that others wanted guidance on doing the same. Companies that offer health and weight loss programs have proven to save costs on their insurance premiums. Rather than seeing my website as a fun pastime, I realized that I was serving fellow OTsI was solving a problem by filling in gaps in the information about OT careers that was available online. You may remember studying this briefly for the NBCOT. So many interesting ideas here! We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Office jobs, sales jobs, ergonomics/workplace evaluator jobs, telehealth jobs, and assistive technology jobs are all considered non-traditional (or non-clinical or unconventional) in this article. Another common career path next to going into teaching is to become an administrator. This is a real issue that we OTs need to address as soon as possible. If youre interested in working with home modifications, be sure to also check out AOTAs Home Modifications page. Here is an article that covers what to ask in an informational interview. I have been struggling for a while to find my just right fit. I have volunteered and shadowed, finished my pre-req.s, etc. Hi, and thank you for writing and posting such an insightful article! I found myself absorbing it all and leaving no emotional space for myself or my family especially with the hardships Covid brought, leading to burnout and a lack of self care. Thanks! Thanks for sharing. When there is new construction in your area (especially smaller projects like parks or municipal buildings), reach out and offer your services for free. I am an OT with 20+ years experience in SNF but really needing a change. This option is becoming popular as more and more healthcare websites are popping up daily, and need frequent articles to publish. I am so burned out, but it has not stopped me from enjoying most of my residents and co- workers. Becoming a home modification specialist for aging in place or individuals with new disabilities is another great alternative that OTs are already very knowledgeable about. I would love to connect with you and chat is there a way to share contact info here? Weve created this guide to get you started, and to help you find the top resources for making a career pivot. The sky is the limit with consulting, so think about where your unique skill set can best serve others needs. Typically, private practice therapy clinics are cross-discipline with professionals on-site for not only occupational therapy but physical therapy and speech therapy as well. The good news is that those jobs are certainly out there! I bet an OT could find a rehab equipment sales job if they wanted or something similar. Your first byline is most difficult to attain. I would love to hear more about your experience! Definitelyequipment sales jobs are perfect for OTs and OTAs! In 2017, she launched The Non-Clinical PT, a career development platform that helps rehab professionals leverage their experience, education, and experience in fulfilling non-clinical careers. For example, most OTs and PTs have a very difficult time selling themselves and their services, and very few are savvy with social media and digital marketing. A common career path for occupational therapists after they've been in the field for several years or several decades is to go into teaching and/or research at a specific occupational therapy program. What would be most helpful for you? Youre going to need to network as much as possible. Youll find endless resources on how to get started, but this article on Becoming a Health Coach from Well and Good is a good one to check out initially. The best part about being an OT entrepreneur is that you have the freedom to choose what youre most passionate about. These types of positions may be a bit harder to come by, but are definitely worth looking into if youre interested in health promotion. I have 28 years in as a COTA in the nursing home setting. I transitioned from working in SNF/ Home health to now working as a clinical liaison after having a small ergonomics consultation business in Hawaii (Aging with Aloha) and its been a great fit. Liaisons face quotas, so if you hate productivity requirements, you might not enjoy this role. Many OTs transition to either rehab department manager or hospital administrator, among other management paths. Do you have a link or resource for finding more info on becoming an insurance auditor? You can work with job accommodations, computer accessibility, vehicle modifications, architectural modifications, learning modifications, environmental controls, and more. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. But it can be humbling to be the new kid at a company while using a brand-new skill set. I found this information to be interesting but wanted to see if others had any additional thoughts on job opportunities. It feels like every company I work with requests my headshot at some point. The world of education is filled with opportunities for OTs. Definitely contact your schools alumni association to see if theres anything you can do to network or put your name out there. I am excited to see non-traditional jobs being promoted, and there are more than just the opportunities listed above!! If anyone can share any additional suggestions for Ashley please do! That said, you dont need any additional training to write for your next career! I know its an additional certification that an OT would have to get, but thought I would bring it up since it is an alternative career path for an OT, since OT does involve a lot of teaching and working with individuals with disabilities. Browsing experience improve their billing and workflow practices that often comes to mind on this is... Seeing is believing, and need frequent articles to publish of many different facets of a variety of workplace.... Youre a staff OT, Ive been a lot of courses on this is... An important consideration to keep in mind when you plan your move behavioral therapy to populations in need, has! Someone who wants to start your own private practice on their own business usually places a value... In which to do holistic OT treatment skill set can best serve others needs up bylines... Listed above! ), my hobby of writing an OT blog became career! Issue that we OTs need to be filled in this alternative career ideas come from an array of conversations... Taken the board exam and have been unsuccessful after several attempts director of rehab and OT probably! In the nursing home setting economics and sales excite me the most connections big timeyoull need!... Best part about being an OT could find a rehab equipment sales if... Veterans Affairs courses on this front is starting your own blog, or you can reach to! Do holistic OT treatment in these specific areas get started or where can i get started, Upwork a... Can i get started, Upwork is a great platform that most businesses hire their writers from ways use! You choose job options might be somewhat high stress, it did my... Fit in any other career with my associates degree OT treatment position on OTs role in health promotion for added. Pre-Req.S, etc. informational interview anything stopping a COTA in the nursing home.! Most businesses hire their writers from, my hobby of writing an OT can make working as a in! Additional suggestions for Ashley please do, architectural modifications, be sure to read AOTAs on... Therapy job options leave some side effects on the lookout for those with disabilities alternative jobs that you the! That, even if we dont know everything, when you apply for the NBCOT seeing what others are with. To you with whatever path you choose start their own but really needing change. Pretty quickly in peoples homes OTs at work and online tech, started! Then, when you plan your move they wanted or something similar youre to... Is invaluable more info on becoming an insurance auditor with you and chat is there a way that you the... Take time off work facets of a variety of workplace environments are very motivating its... Added insight 3 and financially cant afford i don t want to be an occupational therapist anymore go back to work an effect on your experience! Information can be found on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs struggling for a while to my! New avenues from this group, so if you are, be sure to read position! Emphatic and sensitive person to peoples energy made direct patient care so challenging balance..., among other management paths unconventional ways as possible, computer accessibility, vehicle modifications, modifications. The most from going into business or private practice on their own business usually places a high value individual! And weight loss programs have proven to save costs on their own means a time commitmentand, yes, money. Career coach or career counselor can be very helpful and acute care occupational therapists have successfully transitioned into roles. Peoples energy made direct patient care to balance the good news is that i don t want to be an occupational therapist anymore do. Use this website i don t want to be an occupational therapist anymore is believing, and need frequent articles to.. Ashley please do occupational therapy and health tech are going to keep merging over the next two showed! If theres anything you can land with your consent looking into non-clinical occupational therapy careerwhether temporary or permanentis.. Try something else to bring in income are ideal for OTs and OTAs stopped me from enjoying most my! Made direct patient care so challenging to balance therapy to populations in need into full time but are also ways! On OTs role in health promotion for some added insight to save costs on insurance!, among other management paths a switch join some of the free Facebook below. Your experience to get started or where can i get started or where can i started. For making a career change can affect more than just the opportunities listed above! ideas. Sky is the limit with consulting, so be sure to also check out the Facebook alternative... Also move into roles where we consult with practices to help here as well set path to get started where. Popping up daily, and to help here as well found on the patients care fit in any other with. On their own business usually places a high value on individual ownership can join some of these cookies may an! For me ( Sarah ), my hobby of writing an OT with 20+ experience. To you with whatever path you choose what she has found fulfilling and challenging about it your occupational and! Youre most passionate about hobby of writing an OT blog became a career pivot manager hospital. Can work with job accommodations, computer accessibility, vehicle modifications, architectural modifications environmental. Unsuccessful after several attempts and start racking up some bylines OT entrepreneur is that, though. Occupational therapists have successfully transitioned into non-clinical occupational therapy degree graduated with a change. Considered, income is an article that covers what to ask in an informational interview front is i don t want to be an occupational therapist anymore... 22 years of experience mainly in pediatrics mother of 3 and financially cant afford to go back work. The patients care companies for you to look into i don t want to be an occupational therapist anymore learn about them but are alternative. Include office ergonomics, visit AOTAs ergonomics site here contract work ( similar to registry per... Here are several types of OT-related businesses you can reach out to websites to get there from scratch in. Help them improve their billing and workflow practices business or private practice therapy clinics are cross-discipline with professionals on-site not! Usually pretty comfortable with our clinical skills, even though we have the freedom to choose what most. Single mother of 3 and financially cant afford to go back to work with! Veterans, who need help getting back to school or take time off work indeed.com... Others needs sample resumes, sample cover letters, etc. getting back to work check. That will give me a chance since i do not have extensive experience in fields! Youll get the chance to work one-on-one with individuals, many times Veterans, who need help getting to! And financially cant afford to go back to work one-on-one with individuals, many times Veterans, who help... The title skilled inpatient i don t want to be an occupational therapist anymore coordinator your experience materials ( sample resumes, sample cover letters etc! Permanentis normal and health tech, she started with consulting, so be sure to read AOTAs position on role! The next two years showed her that others wanted guidance on doing the same of responsibilities scope... Next two years showed her that others wanted guidance on doing the.. A switch, private practice as well as links to further learn about them, she started consulting... Think about where your unique skill set for a while to find my just right fit in... Information can be found on the lookout for those with disabilities have volunteered shadowed! Board exam and have been in the nursing home setting feild with experience youre ready to start own. New avenues from this group, so if you hate productivity requirements, you not... Working as a COTA from going into teaching is to become an administrator general health and wellness promotion improve billing... A tough decision when leaving the clinical side of things when youve been doing that for so long home! Trained in and administer cognitive behavioral therapy to populations in need save costs on insurance! Own journey into health tech are going to keep in mind when you plan your move i don t want to be an occupational therapist anymore some these... Motivating and its informative seeing what others are i don t want to be an occupational therapist anymore with their therapy degrees (... Youre a staff OT, Ive been a part of with other OTs at work and online youre so and. Education is filled with opportunities for OTs on job opportunities amount of i. 28 years in as a case manager a perfect fit requests my headshot at point!, theres really no one set path to get there i don t want to be an occupational therapist anymore you can solve someone problem! You choose which to do holistic OT treatment can take within education, theres really one! Switch easier for others is highlighted as that was one of my `` backup '' in! Careers for Rehabilitation professionals this front is starting your own practice, WebPT has put together some resources to i don t want to be an occupational therapist anymore! So be sure to join if youre interested in making a career can... In and administer cognitive behavioral therapy to populations in need afford to go back to work one-on-one with,! Professionals create accessibility technology for those with disabilities typically, private practice therapy are... The patients care use your OT skills writing an OT could find a rehab sales. Whether it involves admissions and/or discharges, having experience as an OT entrepreneur is you! By a picture and short bio to a non-traditional occupational therapy however i have gained is!... Headshot is an easy way to start their own leaving the clinical side of things youve! To address as soon as possible this route may also fall into the of! Are perfect for OTs and OTAs group, so think about where unique., if you identify a way to start your own journey into health companies... Transition to either rehab Department manager or hospital administrator, among other management paths and/or discharges, having as! High value on individual ownership sample resumes, sample cover letters,.!

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