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Graduation season is upon us and that means many occupational therapy students will soon be applying for their first job! This is a very exciting time, but as someone who has recently relocated and gone through the interview process, I understand that it can also be a stressful time. I have moved and changed jobs five times in my eight year career, so I'll let you guess how many times I have interviewed :) Over the years, I've discovered that the key to interviewing is to have stories to tell. Each question that is asked of you is an opportunity to tell a story about your experience and your values. In most instances the interviewer just wants to get to know you (just as you probably want to get to know more about the potential employer). In the OT world, rarely is the interviewer trying to trick you or catch you off guard. With that said, below are some common interview questions for OT positions. I recommend practicing your answers (or stories) for each of these questions out loud prior to your interview. Note: There will always be a question or questions that you are not prepared for. That's okay. As long as you are prepared for some common questions and have some stories prepared, you should be able to handle the unexpected questions. Common Interview Questions for Occupational Therapy Jobs: Why did you decide to become an OT? This is almost a guaranteed question. Be prepared to answer it concisely. This is not the time to go on a long monologue about why you chose OT as a career and how you think OT is the greatest career ever (even though it is). Why do you want to work here? Do your research before you show up for your interview. Know why you want to work at this specific school/facility/hospital. Your answer should not be because you want a job. You have to show them that you want this job. Tell me about your work / fieldwork experiences. What population did you work with? What assessments are you familiar with? This is a straightforward question, but be prepared to answer it concisely. The interviewee doesn't want to know every last detail of your work or fieldwork experience, but they do want to know what makes you qualified for this job. Highlight your experiences that are most applicable to the job you are interviewing for. Be prepared to share ages and diagnoses of clients you have experience with, as well as assessments and practice frames of reference that you used. What qualities do you bring to a team? You can also think of this one as, "What are your strengths?" Be prepared to answer this in one way or another. The interviewer may directly ask you what your strengths are, but I've found that it tends to get asked in a more general "What do you bring to the team?" kind of way. This is a great opportunity to set yourself apart from other applicants. You may have had a unique experience that others have not had, so this is your chance to speak up and share it! What do you think your references will tell us are areas in which you could improve? This is a sneaky way of finding out what you think your weaknesses are. It's okay, no one is perfect and everyone has areas to improve. The tricky part is to be aware of your weaknesses and have an explanation for what you are doing to improve them. It's also good to have a story about how you overcame one of your "weaknesses." What would be your ideal OT department? This question is asking you what your values as an OT are. Reflect on your experiences and think about what you liked or disliked about each. This will help you figure out what an ideal OT department would look like for you. Tell me about a time you have had to advocate for occupational therapy. I don't know if this is a common question, but I was recently asked this question and it caught me off guard a little bit, so I wanted to add it to the list, so you can be better prepared than I was. Unfortunately, in many work environments, OT is still not fully understood, so think about a time that you had to explain the value of OT in the work or fieldwork setting. Tell me about a time that you went above and beyond. This one is always uncomfortable for me, because 1) I feel like I always go above and beyond and 2) I don't like to talk about how great I am, which is basically what this question is asking you to do. It's easiest for me if I have one particular story in my head that I am prepared to share if this question or a similar one comes up. Tell me about a challenging situation and how you handled it. I've found that this is often a three part question: 1) a challenging situation with a co-worker, 2) a challenging client, and 3) a challenging family member. Again, have some stories ready to share. Where do you see yourself in five years? The trick to this one is to be both clear and vague at the same time. Maybe you don't see yourself staying with this particular employer for five years, but now is not the time to say that. Share your career goals, which might include specialty training, gaining a leadership position, or participating in research. Do not say something like, "I hope to be a stay at home mom in five years" even if that is your goal. Make the interviewer feel like they fit into your five year plan. Why should we hire you? This usually comes toward the end, so be ready to sell yourself. I know it can feel uncomfortable, but this is your opportunity to highlight all of your strengths, why you would be a good fit for this particular company, and you can also throw in anything else that you want to tell the interviewer that they didn't ask you. Do you have any questions? This is almost always the last question at an interview. Don't ever answer this question with, "No." Always have questions. I like to go into an interview with a list of questions that I have. Many of my questions are the same from interview to interview, and these general questions often get answered during the interview process. You always want to show that you did your homework prior to the interview, so it's good to scour their website or social media pages to come up with some questions that are specific to the site. I'll cover specific questions to ask a potential employer next week. What is your salary expectation? I've found that this question is not really asked all that frequently, but it's better to be prepared for it, rather than having no idea what to say. Do your homework prior to the interview using sites like salary.com or the Advance for OT Salary Survey results. You may get away with saying something general, like "a competitive salary" or "it's negotiable," but I've found that they employers that ask this question usually want a number, or at least a range. Salaries vary based on location, experience, and practice setting, so use the websites above to help get an idea of what can be expected in your area. Fun questions: I have mixed feelings on the use of "fun" questions in a an interview, but I guess overall they are harmless. The interviewee is just trying to get to know you a little bit and maybe see how well you think on your feet when thrown off guard. In my experience, I've been asked a "fun" question in about half of my interviews. Here are a few examples of fun questions that I have been asked: What is the most recent book you read? I read a LOT of books, so this should be an easy question for me, but I often blank whenever someone asks me this question, whether it's in an interview or just casually. Maybe because I read so many books (and so quickly) that I tend to forget the name of books? I actually nailed this question during one interview. I had recently read a Joyce Carol Oates book and one of the interviewers was a big fan of hers. I got lucky, because many people probably have no idea who that author is and if they do, it may make me look a bit odd due to the nature of the topics she writes about. What would you bring to a staff potluck? This one totally caught me off guard, and I'm not sure why. OT departments always have potlucks. They just do, so consider it part of your new career. I guess we all love food. I usually use staff potlucks as an opportunity to make something I've been wanting to try, but haven't had a chance to do so. What's your favorite Blizzard flavor? Nailed it! Pumpkin pie. And I taught the interviewers about a flavor they were not familiar with. (This question is obviously very regional, because I don't think Dairy Queen exists in all parts of the country.) Are you a xx fan or xx fan? Maybe it's just me that gets this question because I've moved around so much. "Are you a Packers fan or a Broncos fan?" "Are you a Giants fan or a Patriots fan?" "Are you a Red Sox fan or Dodgers fan?" My response is usually along the lines of "Ummm...neither. I mean, I guess I'm a Red Sox fan. Yes, obviously I love the Red Sox. And the Patriots, too. And there's a hockey team here, right? Yeah, the Bruins. I love the Bruins." And then I tell them that I don't actually watch sports because I grew up in Iowa, where there are no professional sports teams, so my family just wasn't into sports. And then that usually turns into a conversation about how corn, not potatoes is grown in Iowa, and Iowa is located right in the middle of the country, you know, the flyover states, and so on..... If these "fun" questions stress you out, don't worry. These are not worth losing sleep over. I think "fun" questions are a sign that you're doing well in the interview, and they just want to get to know you a little better in a less formal way. I've never not gotten a job offer because of my answer to the "fun" questions. In fact, I think I've always been offered a job at the interviews that asked one of these questions. P.S. Tips for preparing for an interview. Good luck with your interviews! Have any other common questions to add to the list? Please share in the comments below!

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Interviewing is more than just answering questions. You want to be prepared to ask questions, too! Remember, the interviewer is trying to figure out if you are a good fit for the position, but you are also trying to figure out if the position is a good fit for you. Ideally, many of these questions will be answered during the interview, but just in case they're not, these are things you'll probably want to know about a potential job. How many OTs work here? Is it a big team? Will you be the only OT? Are there OTs with more experience or specialty practice areas that you can learn from? How long have you been working here? I always like to find out what the staff turnover is like. Generally, places that have low staff turnover are very proud of it and will start to rattle off how long each person in the department has been there. That's a sign that it's a good place to work. Higher turnover isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just something to be aware of. Who will I report to? This will give you an idea of how the company is structured and how much supervision you can expect. What is a typical caseload size? This is just good information to have. If they give you an unclear answer, that may be a red flag. What does a typical day look like? As we know, there is no such thing as a "typical" day in OT. But, they should be able to tell you the hours of the job, approximate number of clients seen in a day, number of treatments vs evaluations, meetings, etc. What is the population that is served? This might seem obvious based on the setting and the homework you did prior to showing up for the interview, but it's helpful to ask about age ranges and specific diagnoses. It might turn out that the population served is much more specific (or general) than you anticipated. What assessment and evaluation tools are used? It's good to know what is used and this is also an opportunity to share your familiarity with the tools used by this site. How is documentation completed? This includes both written vs computerized, as well as all at once (at the end of the day) vs after each client. You can also ask about progress reports, re-evaluations, and discharge notes to find out how frequently you will be required to do those. Always, always, always do your research before your interview! Check out the company's website, Facebook page, etc. Be sure to ask a question that is specific to your interests, as well as a question that is specific to the company. Here are a few that I usually ask: I noticed on your website that you have a program in XXX. What is the role of OT in this program? Do you accept fieldwork students? How do you support career growth? How do you support continuing education requirements? P.S. Common interview questions. Do you have any questions you would add to this list? Please share in the comments below!

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Today I am so excited to have first year OT student, Lauren of Gotta Be OT, share a day in her life. If you are considering a career in OT and have been wondering what the student experience is like, then this is the post for you! Take it away, Lauren! As a first year OT student, I spend most of my time in the classroom learning the foundational concepts of OT in various practice settings and with various populations. Because my schedule varies so widely, I thought it would be helpful to discuss less of the hourly breakdown for my day, and more of what I spend my days doing – or the occupations of an OT student, if you will! If you are planning to attend OT school, here is what you can expect to experience: 7 – 8:30 AM Wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast (sometimes!), and travel to campus. Because I take a bus to school, I use the 10-15 minute commute time to review homework readings, check email, organize my to-do list and plan my schedule for the day. 8:30 or 9 AM to 3 or 4 PM My classes typically begin at 8:30 or 9 AM, and I spend most weekdays on campus. In my program, I typically have only two classes per day and they range in length from 2 to 4+ hours long, depending on the topic and content. Because there is such high variability in course layout, time, and content among all of the many OT schools, I have included descriptions of the most common activities OT students engage in during their in-class time. Lectures and Discussion: Much of my time is spent listening to professors outlining and explaining various topics related to occupational therapy. We view Powerpoints, watch videos of clinical scenarios, and discuss readings and homework. During lecture, we are learning the foundational concepts and skills that will provide the framework for the more “hands-on” work we will do to begin applying these ideas in practice. Group Work: Being able to work well in a group is CRUCIAL to your success in OT school (and anywhere else!). Many people who enter OT programs are frustrated by the amount of group work that is required, but the purpose of it is to help students understand the importance of collaboration, working on a team with other professionals, and how their own personality and skills can both help and hinder them as members of a team in their program and in the future. Be prepared to spend a lot of your time working with your classmates to brainstorm, problem-solve, critique, and develop ideas! Practical, Hands-on Lab Work: This is my favorite part of my classes! A few times each week, we get the chance to administer assessments, conduct evaluations, and practice skills like transferring, interviewing, and client handling we’ve learned about. Occasionally we take field trips to local businesses or practice settings to learn about how what we’re learning in class will apply in “the real world.” Although the lab work doesn’t leave you feeling 100% confident about your abilities, it does give you experience with the various skills an entry-level OT is expected to demonstrate and an important understanding of how difficult many of these skills can be to master! Guest Speakers: I love the hands-on lab activities, but having guest speakers in my classes is my second favorite part of being an OT student! We have had parent panels, OT consumers with disabilities, experienced practitioners, and others come speak to us, and getting their first-hand perspective on what it means to be in any of these positions is a great help for students and soon-to-be new practitioners. Research: Most programs require students to complete a master’s thesis, final research presentation, or other product in order to earn their degree. This looks different on each campus, but you can expect that a high-quality OT program will have students actively engaged in researching an area of interest for a final presentation, designing, implementing, and writing up the results of an independent research project, or participating in a faculty research project. Student Presentations: We spend a great deal of time giving formal and informal presentations throughout the semester. It may be a quick 5 minute oral presentation about a topic you were assigned to research briefly in class, or a lengthier presentation about a particular concept or practice model that you spent weeks researching with people outside of class. Either way, you can expect to see Powerpoints, Prezis, and handouts all the time! 12-1 PM (Lunch) During our 1-hour lunch break, I typically eat lunch, catch up on readings, and/or chat with classmates. On some days I attend professional development or academic events on campus, which is a good way to get a break from class, and the presenters are always informative and enjoyable. 4 – 10 or 11 PM After class, the work continues! I spend 2-4 hours per night doing readings, emailing various people, working on homework assignments, completing projects, and/or researching for class. Additionally, I might have meetings outside of class time to work on group projects with classmates, communicate with my instructors, and organize upcoming events. Because OT school is a very demanding (but rewarding!) endeavor, it’s important to maintain a good work-life balance. At least two nights per week I am involved in leisure activities like my dance classes and Bible study that allow me to interact with people who aren’t in my program, take a break from the books, and relax. It’s vital to build in time for fun to avoid excessive stress and fatigue that can lead to burnout. BONUS: Fieldwork Days All first year OT students have some kind of Fieldwork I (FWI) experience during their first few semesters, although the structure of this fieldwork experience varies greatly by program. In my program, I have had weekly FWI experiences since starting school in the fall, and multiple fieldwork assignments to go along with them. Although what I’m doing on each fieldwork day has varied significantly, here’s a general breakdown of what my classmates and I do on fieldwork days: Observe and practice documentation skills Observe occupational therapy interventions with clients Practice and develop professional written and verbal communication skills via in-person exchanges and email Research interventions, tools, and topics of interest from fieldwork site Assist occupational therapist with interventions Plan (and often implement) interventions with clients Collaborate with other professionals (PTs, teachers, SLPs, etc.) Complete fieldwork assignments Discuss fieldwork experiences and problem-solve with classmates and fieldwork coordinator Overall, the life of an OT student is a constantly changing and often challenging one! Flexibility and positivity are key, and they keep me going on days when I feel like I can’t read another word, write another sentence, or look at another research article. But even after a long day at school, I go to bed knowing that I’m following my dream, and I’m happy to be exactly where I am! Best of luck on your OT journey! Resources For more information about how other OT students occupy their time, you can check out these links: “Life as a VCU OT Grad Student” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waVcKqqLZ_U The “itsmyOT” Youtube Channel has a lot of helpful videos about one student’s journey through OT school. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDwQphTASm6S1qTlecJOfIA Note: I am not a student at VCU or the program that “itsmyOT” attends, but these videos may be helpful to you as you research OT schools and learn more about what attending a master’s level OT program could be like. About Lauren: My name is Lauren, and I am a first-year occupational therapy student at a top research university in the Southern United States. I started blogging a year ago to help increase awareness of the OT profession and provide information to potential OT students, and I’ve had a great time writing, researching, and getting more involved in OT ever since! After I graduate, I hope to work with military veterans, service members, and families to help them engage successfully in meaningful occupations – at least that’s the plan for now! In my free time, I enjoy bellydancing, talking with friends, traveling, and spending WAY too much time on OT-related websites. Connect with Lauren: Blog: Gotta Be OT Twitter: @gottabeOT Email: gottabeOT1 [AT] gmail [dot] com PS - Lauren will be at the AOTA Conference in Nashville, so be sure to look her up!

Whether your occupational therapy (OT) career started years ago, or you are considering applying for an OT master’s or doctorate program, you need to know where the best resources are. Learn Occupational Therapy with Picmonic. Picmonic has tools and guides to help you study more efficiently, retain information and pass your exams, but we believe knowing the resources to help you make career choices, stay fresh on topics to help your patients, and learn about what’s new in your field is a great way to stay on top of your game. So, along with Picmonic for OT, we are sharing

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Goal Writing, SMART goals, COAST goals, RHUMBA goals, ABCD(E) goals, Intervention Approaches, Sensory Integration, NDT, Compensatory Model, Adaptation, New OT, New OT Grad, New OT Practitioner, Rehab, Rehabilitation, Acute Rehabilitation, Acute Rehab, Inpatient Rehab, Adult Rehab, Acute Therapist, Acute, ICU, Occupational Therapy, Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapy, Physical Therapist, Speech Therapy, Speech Therapist, Fieldwork I, Fieldwork II, Clinicals, Clinical Rotations, OT School, Graduate School, Neuro, Medical Student, Study Guide, ICU Nurse, Spanish for Medicine, Spanish Translation, Printable, Fieldwork II, Fieldwork 2, Fieldwork These goal writing tips will walk you through: ✔︎ Appropriate vocabulary to use when goal writing, and what to avoid ✔︎ How to create goals in various settings, within the 3 most common different intervention approaches for pediatrics ✔︎ Examples of goals within each intervention approach ✔︎ Simplifies the goal writing process for OT students and new OT practitioners ✔︎ Role delineation for goal writing ✔︎ Goal writing formats using 4 acronyms (SMART, COAST, RHUMBA, and ABCDE) ✔︎ Goal bank for 9 various types of common pediatric OT goals

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