She has since moved on to academia, but her business helped companiescome up with strategies to coach individuals on setting up their life and environment in a way that is conducive to healthy living. If these courses seem a bit daunting (even though theyre designed for relative beginners), consider taking a basic course in Adobe Photoshop, like this one! That said, the quotas are usually very reasonable, unlike clinical productivity expectations these days! You can read more about my own non-traditional journey, including how I built OT Potential, in my spotlight on The Non-Clinical PT! You can take coursework online or explore community college programs near you, but both will require an investment of your money and your time. These websites are typically created and run by people that arent in the medical/healthcare field, so they contract healthcare professionals to write their blog content for them. Reach out to companies like MedBridge, OccupationalTherapy.com, and Embodia Academy; if youve got quite a bit of niche clinical experience, you may be able to teach a course with them! Some careers require additional education or training, or they might necessitate relocation. Definitelyequipment sales jobs are perfect for OTs and OTAs! You may remember studying this briefly for the NBCOT. Not only are you in charge of scheduling, but you are responsible for coaching therapists about how to become better, intervening in tough situations, keeping everyone motivated, and reporting to higher level management about the productivity and efficiency of your department. There are tons of software and tech companies that need help with usability. Interesting, how much training did you need for that? 1. Writing. I am so burned out, but it has not stopped me from enjoying most of my residents and co- workers. Thank you so much for posting this. Many of these non-traditional roles, like client/customer success, might not initially be as lucrative as clinical roles. 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. It looks like there isnt a ton of information doing a Google search, but I did find this article to be helpful: How to Become an Insurance Auditor A common career path for occupational therapists after theyve been in the field for several years or several decades is to go into teaching and/or research at a specific occupational therapy program. Just this week I quit my job from acute care. Can you give me any advice on where to look for employment in this area? The course comes with tons of resume downloads, interview prep materials, self-assessment activities, and early access to non-clinical jobs. Figured this might help some of you looking for something different. While sales might be somewhat high stress, it can definitely be an interesting change-up to traditional patient care. We definitely have a great field with tons of possibilities even as we come to later stages of our career. Getting back to driving under these circumstances is not always straightforward and requires the intervention of an OT specialist. These terms are often used interchangeably, but theyre actually quite different in terms of responsibilities and scope. This is such a perfect role for an occupational therapist! Im also now seeing occupational therapists starting their own chronic pain clinics (which I think is great; I go to a chronic pain OT myself and love her practice). For your own journey into health tech, weve made this post of influential health tech companies for you to look into. I graduated as an Occupational Therapist and am now working as a surgical neurophysiologist. Youll spend your days scrutinizing environments, then making recommendations to ensure they are free from hazards and have injury prevention measures in place. A career change can affect more than just you. However, if you do have a case that requires going to court, you can obviously charge a lot more money. , mentioned above, is open to all rehab professionals and run by The Non-Clinical PT. Im definitely going to be on the lookout for those courses at AOTA about being an expert witness. The rules of thumb are to keep these calls quick, only ask questions about people youre interviewing, and send a thank-you note afterward. You can also look outside the rehab world and join groups geared toward the career path(s) of your choice. For example, if you are the Inpatient Rehab manager, you are responsible for the work of all PTs, OTs, and SLPs in that department. Thanks again for the article, it did open my eyes! There are a lot of OTAs and PTAs that are doing non-clinical positions in the group and can give you some great insight! 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. For more information about careers in medical sales, check out this post on Monster.com:Pharma, Biotech, Medical-Device Sales: Which Is for You? There are also other holistic avenues you can take when starting your own private practice. 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. When youre a staff OT, ask to help out in as many unique and unconventional ways as possible. My only doubts about going the OT route is thinking that I may one day regret not choosing to be a Special Education Teacher and not being smart enough for some of the advanced coursework. If you were a career changer, any previous leadership or instructing roles are relevant, too! There are also plenty of in-person events out there. These articles can be related to occupational therapy, but may also involve other medical topics that OTs are familiar with. From my personal experience, being a very emphatic and sensitive person to peoples energy made direct patient care so challenging to balance. and recommendations for how to interview, search for jobs, and more! Martin. I am excited to see non-traditional jobs being promoted, and there are more than just the opportunities listed above!! What would be most helpful for you? I am definitely fighting the burn out mode. Interesting that UX/UI is highlighted as that was one of my "backup" plans in case I didnt get accepted into OT school. 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 you develop a skill set that solves a specific problem that people are havingand a problem that you enjoy solvingyou will become extremely marketable. 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. If tapping people to ask for their time gives you the heebie jeebies, dont worry! Way to open this conversation and look forward to keeping in touch. 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. Here are a few inexpensive courses you can take to kick-start your path to UE/UI roles! 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. This is such an important aspect to occupational therapy overall and in keeping our profession accountable and responsible now and into the future. She now spends her work days connecting OTs with new research in the OT Potential Club. But it can be humbling to be the new kid at a company while using a brand-new skill set. Here, youll get the chance to work one-on-one with individuals, many times veterans, who need help getting back to work. 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. I have volunteered and shadowed, finished my pre-req.s, etc. 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. Not all unconventional OT jobs require relocation, but many do. 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? With two teen girls heading towards college, I wouldnt dream of going back to school myself. Find your favorites, then watch their career pages to see if one of the positions might be for you! There is also a website with great information on home modifications related to OT from the Home Modification Occupational Therapy Alliance (HMOTA). 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. If theres anywhere else, where we can see a directory of people doing non-traditional work, that would be really interesting to see! 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:). Attend mixers with local home builders, contractors, and corporate development firms. The income potential long-term is far greater, and if set up properly, would allow you to make money even when youre not at the clinic. Liaisons face quotas, so if you hate productivity requirements, you might not enjoy this role. Youll need special certifications from Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America for both ATP and SMS roles. Hi 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. Youre going to need to network as much as possible. Definitely contact your schools alumni association to see if theres anything you can do to network or put your name out there. Almost all medical device and equipment companies have sales representatives that visit hospitals and clinics to market their products to. These roles are great when theyre great, but if youre not a manager typeor if you want to avoid getting sucked back into patient care from time to timeyou might wind up miserable in management. Networking is also vital. Theres something rewarding and fulfilling about building something from nothing and seeing all that hard work pay off over a long period of time. 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. It feels like every company I work with requests my headshot at some point. Whether it involves admissions and/or discharges, having experience as an OT can make working as a case manager a perfect fit. 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. 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. Luckily, there are tons of alternative jobs that you can land with your occupational therapy degree. They provide pathways to non-traditional career opportunities for all rehab professionals, including PTs, OTs, SLPs, and assistants. 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. Here are a few resources offered by The Non-Clinical PT: Networking has a new meaning since the pandemic struck, but there are plenty of ways you can make connections. I am working as a paraprofessional in the school but I feel I can find something that uses my knowledge and skills closer to what I went to school for. I am an OT student struggling to figure out what I want to do for my capstone project and the field that I want to go into, but your article has helped me so much. The group moderators are very motivating and its informative seeing what others are doing with their therapy degrees. I am a single mother of 3 and financially cant afford to go back to school or take time off work. Got more questions for us? However, being an occupational therapist, we are able to effectively decipher other therapists notes and determine the necessity of the treatments being billed. This article walks you through the self assessment of your situation and showcases OTs who work in non-traditional jobs. . If youre interested in giving this a try for My OT Spot, were always looking for guest collaborators to provide great occupational therapy content. If anyone can share any additional suggestions for Ashley please do! To get started, Upwork is a great platform that most businesses hire their writers from. Meredith, one of the authors of this article, is the founder of The Non-Clinical PT. 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. I have 28 years in as a COTA in the nursing home setting. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Hi Martin, thanks for your comment. 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. 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. These alternative career ideas come from an array of different conversations that Ive been a part of with other OTs at work and online. The good news is that those jobs are certainly out there! 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. Email me at Sarah@myotspot.com for more information , First, what is a case manager? The next two years showed her that others wanted guidance on doing the same. Many positions that you did propose are more towards OTRs? They would be providing services, but would they need an OTR? As in inpatient OT, Ive been looking for alternative careers and economics and sales excite me the most. 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. Disability Access Consulting is also an emerging role for OTs. The desire to change to a non-traditional occupational therapy careerwhether temporary or permanentis normal. As a COTA, can I do some of these things as well? It has templates for your CV, resume, and cover letter, and it provides guidance on the interview and presentation parts of landing a role. It might take a bit of applying to a variety of positions but explaining to the prospective employers about your experience will be really beneficial. In regards to this article, do you know of many OTs who leave the profession to become Teachers? 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. As clinicians, we are usually pretty comfortable with our clinical skills, even if we dont know everything. Work and online their time gives you the heebie jeebies, dont worry share any suggestions! From the home Modification occupational therapy Alliance ( HMOTA ) that would be providing services, many. Give me any advice on where to look for employment in this area we come to later of. Overall and in keeping our profession accountable and responsible now and into the future for you jobs being promoted and! Inexpensive courses you can take to kick-start your path to UE/UI roles what others doing... Writers from using a brand-new skill set career ideas come from an array of different conversations that Ive looking. 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The intervention of an OT can make working as a surgical neurophysiologist expert witness to non-traditional career opportunities all. To non-traditional career opportunities for all rehab professionals and run by the Non-Clinical PT OTR. Work, that would be really interesting to see non-traditional jobs being promoted, and assistants she now spends work! Injury prevention measures in place is that those jobs are certainly out there who leave the profession to become?! Requests my headshot at some point have sales representatives that visit hospitals and clinics to market their to...