Therapist Occupational Resume Guide

Introduction

Crafting an ATS-friendly resume for an occupational therapist in manufacturing in 2025 requires clear keyword integration and a structured format that aligns with ATS parsing algorithms. The goal is to highlight your expertise in occupational therapy within manufacturing settings, making your resume easily scannable for both ATS and human recruiters. Proper keyword placement and role-specific language are essential to increase your chances of landing interviews.

Who Is This For?

This guide is designed for experienced occupational therapists seeking roles in manufacturing facilities worldwide. Whether you’re transitioning from healthcare, returning to work after a career break, or applying for a specialized position within industrial environments, this advice will help you tailor your resume. If you have several years of experience, focus on emphasizing skill depth, relevant certifications, and industry-specific accomplishments. For those in regions with regulated health standards, highlight compliance knowledge and safety protocols relevant to manufacturing.

Resume Format for Therapist, Occupational (2025)

Use a clear, straightforward layout to enhance ATS readability. The most effective structure typically includes the following sections, in this order:

• Summary or Profile
• Skills and Keywords
• Professional Experience
• Certifications and Licenses
• Education
• Additional Projects or Professional Development (if applicable)

A one-page resume suits most experienced professionals, but if you have extensive relevant experience or certifications, a two-page format is acceptable. Prioritize including a dedicated section for industry-specific skills or keywords, especially if you have multiple certifications or training programs. Avoid overly decorative layouts, tables, or text boxes, as they can hinder ATS parsing.

Role-Specific Skills & Keywords

In 2025, occupational therapists in manufacturing should demonstrate expertise with specialized tools, safety standards, and industry-specific practices. Incorporate these keywords thoughtfully:

• Ergonomic assessment and intervention
• Industrial safety standards (e.g., OSHA, ISO 45001)
• Workplace injury prevention
• Functional capacity evaluation (FCE)
• Rehabilitation program development
• Assistive technology implementation
• Ergonomic equipment setup
• Return-to-work planning
• Patient/client assessment
• Documentation and compliance
• Interdisciplinary team collaboration
• Injury case management
• Work hardening and conditioning
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes and workflows

Use these keywords naturally within your skills section and experience descriptions to increase ATS visibility.

Experience Bullets That Stand Out

Your experience section should focus on quantifiable achievements and responsibilities that demonstrate your impact. Here are examples:

• Conducted ergonomic assessments for manufacturing line workers, reducing musculoskeletal complaints by ~15%.
• Developed and implemented injury prevention programs in compliance with OSHA standards, leading to a 20% decrease in workplace incidents.
• Collaborated with safety teams to redesign workstations, improving worker comfort and productivity.
• Managed return-to-work cases for injured employees, facilitating recovery and minimizing downtime by ~10 days on average.
• Delivered client-specific functional capacity evaluations, supporting occupational health decisions for over 100 workers annually.
• Trained manufacturing supervisors on ergonomic best practices, enhancing safety culture and reducing ergonomic risk factors.
• Documented compliance with industry safety regulations, ensuring audit readiness and adherence to legal standards.

Highlighting your role in injury prevention, safety, and functional assessments makes your resume more compelling.

Related Resume Guides

• Occupational Therapist Resume Guide
• Sports Therapist Resume Guide
• Art Therapist Resume Guide
• Occupational Hygienist Resume Guide
• Therapist Sports Resume Guide

Common Mistakes (and Fixes)

• Vague descriptions: Instead of “performed assessments,” specify what assessments and outcomes, e.g., “Conducted ergonomic evaluations, reducing injury risk.”
• Overloading with generic skills: Focus on industry-specific skills like “Work hardening” or “Return-to-work planning,” rather than broad soft skills.
• Poor formatting: Use simple, consistent headers and bullet points; avoid graphics or nested tables that ATS struggles to parse.
• Lack of keywords: Incorporate keywords naturally within your experience and skills sections; avoid keyword stuffing.
• Long paragraphs: Keep descriptions concise with action verbs and metrics to improve readability and ATS scoring.

ATS Tips You Shouldn't Skip

• Use clear, descriptive section headers (e.g., “Professional Experience,” “Skills”).
• Save your resume as a .docx or PDF, depending on employer instructions, ensuring compatibility with ATS.
• Include relevant keywords in multiple sections, especially in the skills list and experience bullets.
• Use standard job titles and industry terminology to match ATS keyword searches.
• Avoid using graphics, text boxes, or unusual fonts that can confuse ATS parsing.
• Maintain consistent tense: past tense for previous roles, present tense for current roles.
• Use logical spacing and avoid excessive abbreviations; spell out acronyms at least once.

Following these guidelines will help your resume stand out in the ATS screening process as an experienced occupational therapist in manufacturing environments in 2025.