The main issue is that, even though we have the perfect background for these roles, we are not landing them. With each course enrollment, you get job application materials (sample resumes, sample cover letters, etc.) 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. Its been such a fun journey and the amount of knowledge I have gained is invaluable! Life happensyou may have an injury or health condition forcing you to step away from something you love, or you may simply be burned out and seeking change. Glad I found you at the perfect time in my career. 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. Find your favorites, then watch their career pages to see if one of the positions might be for you! Here is an article that covers what to ask in an informational interview. SMS professionals are actually specialized ATPs! You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. I am excited to see non-traditional jobs being promoted, and there are more than just the opportunities listed above!! Martin. There are many other resources for home modifications OTs, but these will get you started if youre interested in this alternative career path. I would love to connect with you and chat is there a way to share contact info here? So is there any jobs right now I could look at or apply to to get my foot in the door without having to go back to school or getting another liscence? To learn more about becoming a specialist, you can check out the Assistive Technology Association (ATIA) website. 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. Its not just young, tech-savvy OTs going into usability design, eithercheck out this inspiring story about a 90-year-old occupational therapist whos helping design products for older adults at IDEO. 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. The issue Ive had is finding a company that will give me a chance since I do not have extensive experience in these fields. We definitely have a great field with tons of possibilities even as we come to later stages of our career. I also have fibromyalgia and joint hypermobility syndrome. There are also plenty of in-person events out there. I am an OT with 20+ years experience in SNF but really needing a change. What a great article to get the wheels turning! So I was trying to see if I would fit in any other career with my associates degree. Here are some sites that sometimes accept high-quality guest posts from occupational therapists. I do hope this list at least gives you a few non-physical types of job ideas to help you with your career transition. Gives me some hope of finding the just right fit as an OT. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. I think that many of these non-traditional career paths can be done as a COTA, especially creating a business and consulting. It is designed for people who know they want to pivot to a new career, but arent sure what they want to do, nor how to create resumes, find jobs, interview, negotiate, etc. Thanks for sharing. I am considering an alternative career in OT. I am attempting to research other careers I may fit into but not much success. What does your job entail? Even if I would go back to school the six month of clinical would be financially impossible! 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. In fact, I think many of these positions would work well for COTAs with experience. Director of Rehab and OT Supervisor probably sound familiar to you. Can you give me any advice on where to look for employment in this area? Hi, and thank you for writing and posting such an insightful article! Rock on, OTs!!! It feels like every company I work with requests my headshot at some point. Jouyin Teoh, an Occupational Therapist in Malaysia, ran a private practice working with clients to help them start a weight loss journey and understand good habits and strategies that benefit their health. Loved this article. Sarah Lyon has also put together an article titled Resources to Start (and Grow) Your Occupational Therapy Businessfor some additional insight and inspiration. Be sure to also check out Indeed.com as well for additional ideas to help you with a new income source. In academia, If you have already successfully been through ACOTE accreditation for say transitioning from Masters to Doctoral program, you may qualify to be a hired as consultant to other Universities making that same transition. There are so many occupational therapy schools that need solid OTs to educate future clinicians. Going non-traditional doesnt need to mean non- treatment! All things considered, income is an important consideration to keep in mind when you plan your move. If you love patient care, but hate the physical and emotional toll it takes, definitely look into becoming a rehab liaison (or clinical liaison). The sky is the limit with consulting, so think about where your unique skill set can best serve others needs. 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. It combines theory and functional knowledge of people and occupation, with the creative skills of design. 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. . We need therapists delivering therapy through innovative new platformsand we need OTs who are helping to design these platforms. Im so sorry to hear about leaving your job! If they work as a cash business, not getting paid through insurance. Interesting, how much training did you need for that? You are also building something that, if profitable, increases in value and could eventually be sold. What OT topics are you most interested in? With the recent change in insurance and the virus and being a new Cota everywhere I apply or look for only wants someone with experience, but how am I able to get experience if I cannot even get a chance to show them my skills. 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. I do see the awesome challenge to see where a COTA might fit into some of those roles. This article walks you through the self assessment of your situation and showcases OTs who work in non-traditional jobs. So many interesting ideas here! I have always been drawn to community based services but making the leap is dauntingI would appreciate any insight you have or suggestions for getting started in that direction. 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. 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. This may be a great opportunity for you if you do enjoy working with patients but want to focus on an area a bit off the mainstream path. Many positions that you did propose are more towards OTRs? These articles are basically done-for-you informational interviews of all sorts of rehab professionals in non-traditional roles . Thank you for reading and any input you may have. This is yet another great option to go into if you have a passion for helping people but do not find traditional settings like hospitals a good fit for you personally. Some professional organizations have built a non-clinical presence, and there are tons of groups out there for all sorts of career paths. Some of these options usually require Bachelors degrees or that you are an OTR, but you can certainly still find an alternative path as a COTA. Not all unconventional OT jobs require relocation, but many do. Meredith has a huge list of non-clinical career spotlights on her site. This is such an important aspect to occupational therapy overall and in keeping our profession accountable and responsible now and into the future. When there is new construction in your area (especially smaller projects like parks or municipal buildings), reach out and offer your services for free. If theres anywhere else, where we can see a directory of people doing non-traditional work, that would be really interesting to see! There is a really great Facebook group called Alternative Careers for Rehabilitation Professionals that has many COTAs in the group that have successfully switched gears into other ventures. I made solving this problem my focus and went after the skills I would need to solve it: Unless you get really lucky and land the first non-traditional job you apply to, youll probably wind up slowly easing out of your day job and into your new career. I (Sarah) got one done in the early stages of my website and, honestly, it has just made life easier. I know that this pretty much eliminates most of the jobs available. The first thing that often comes to mind on this front is starting your own private practice. First of all, you can join some of the free Facebook groups below. 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. Go to usability meetups. While the most obvious and easiest way to use your OT degree is to actually practice in a traditional setting, alternative career paths may be a better fit for you long term. Figured this might help some of you looking for something different. Thank you! There is a huge need to be filled in this arena, and OTs are a great fit to help here as well. For example, if you are the Inpatient Rehab manager, you are responsible for the work of all PTs, OTs, and SLPs in that department. It can be a strange feeling to start to self-identify as something other than an OT. The initial leap into a non-traditional role will be the most challenging, but once youre there, youll rock it! This is such a perfect role for an occupational therapist! The world of education is filled with opportunities for OTs. I have volunteered and shadowed, finished my pre-req.s, etc. Liaisons face quotas, so if you hate productivity requirements, you might not enjoy this role. Much training did you need for that groups below gives you a few non-physical types of job ideas to you... In value and could eventually be sold challenges of switching to a non-traditional OT job is feeling! 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