Occupational Therapist Cover Letter—Sample for OT Jobs

Looking for an OT job with better pay, hours, or benefits? An occupational therapist cover letter that puts you a cut above the competition will help you on your way.

Caio Sampaio, CPRW
Caio Sampaio, CPRW
Certified Professional Resume Writer, Career Expert
Occupational Therapist Cover Letter—Sample for OT Jobs

All the daily challenges of being an occupational therapist suddenly feel worth it when a patient progresses. 

Get that feeling every day: land a job with an employer that appreciates your talent by writing an outstanding occupational therapy cover letter to match your resume. 

In this article, you’ll get:

  • A sample occupational therapist cover letter that you can copy, adjust, and use. 
  • Step-by-step instructions on how to write an occupational therapist cover letter that will land you more interviews.
  • Tips on describing your skills and accomplishments on an occupational therapist cover letter. 

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Looking into other jobs as well? Need more cover letter examples? Take a look at this list, with samples and tips for specific professions: 

Need help finding what you're looking for? Check the full list: Best Cover Letter Examples

Occupational Therapy Cover Letter Sample

Harrison Barrett

Licensed Occupational Therapist

770-684-6658

harrison.barrett@reslab.com

Seattle, 05/20/2023

Ariel Fleming

Hiring Manager

Seaview Medical Center

Seattle, WA 94245

Dear Ms. Fleming, 

As a licensed occupational therapist with 8+ years of experience looking to move into an inpatient role, I was thrilled to see the job opening at Seaview Medical Center. While at Shoreline Health, I managed caseloads of up to 50 patients with consistently positive results. I’m eager to apply my skills and expertise towards providing the highest standard of care to Seaview Medical Center’s long-term care patients. 

I gather you are looking for someone who can not only carry out existing treatment plans but also develop OT programs while considering individual patients’ needs and goals. I’m happy to report that in previous roles, I was able to achieve the following: 

  • Developed 110+ treatment programs for patients, with 92% reaching their OT goals within the expected timeline.
  • Maintained detailed documentation on strategies for treatment, including assessment information, goals, methods, and any alterations made due to the patient’s progress or response. 
  • Provided patients and their families with educational information, details about support systems, and other resources for home programs to support the main OT plan. Received 98% positive feedback. 

As it happens, I’ve been waiting for a suitable opening at Seaview to appear. I deeply admire your Center’s dedication to providing holistic, all-encompassing care that places the well-being of each patient at the heart of everything it does. OT is most effective when combined with a broader health plan, and I would cherish the opportunity to become an asset to your multidisciplinary healthcare team. 

Would you be available for a call sometime next week? I’d love to discuss this role and the skills I can offer to Seaview Medical Center in more detail. 

Best regards, 

Harrison Barrett

Licensed Occupational Therapist

Harrison should have no trouble getting an interview, right? 

And neither will you—

Let’s go over your own cover letter’s treatment plan. It won’t hurt a bit! 

If you haven’t finished your resume or are looking for ways to improve it, check out this article later: Occupational Therapy Resume—Full Guide & Examples

How to Write a Cover Letter for Occupational Therapy Jobs

Occupational therapists help injured or disabled patients to recover the skills they need in their daily lives. OTs assess patients and then develop and implement treatment plans. An occupational therapy cover letter should outline how your experience has prepared you to succeed in this role.

Here’s how to write an OT cover letter just like that: 

1. Format Your Cover Letter for Occupational Therapist Jobs

Before the recruiter even reads your cover letter, they’ll form an immediate impression based on how it looks—

Make sure it’s a good one by following these cover letter formatting tips

  • Left-align all contents to make your text easier to read. 
  • Set the margins of your cover letter page to one inch on all sides and use 1.15 line spacing—this will give your text some breathing room. 
  • Pick a professional font for your cover letter, like your resume font
  • Write around 4 paragraphs on one page—the recommended length for a cover letter
  • Include a business-style cover letter heading—your details, the place and date of writing, and the recipient’s details. 

Alright—

Now that your cover letter looks professional and ready to win jobs let’s see how to fill it with impressive content! 

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2. Open With an Achievement to Catch the Reader’s Attention

Patients sure appreciate it when you remember their names, right? It’s this kind of personal attention that distinguishes professionals who genuinely care. 

The same principle can apply to your cover letter greeting—no one likes to be called ‘Dear Sir/Madam,’ but most people will appreciate seeing their name in your application. 

So, address your cover letter directly to the person reading it. If the job ad doesn’t mention the name of whoever’s responsible for recruitment at the organization, research online or simply call and ask. 

Then, in the opening paragraph of your cover letter, grab their attention by mentioning a professional accomplishment that shows your value from a mile away, ensuring that they keep reading!

Expert hint: If you specialize in one area of OT and your specialty matches the job you’re applying for, mention it immediately—you’ll stand out from other candidates with more general experience. 

3. Outline Your Strengths in the Second Paragraph of Your Occupational Therapy Cover Letter

In the second paragraph of your cover letter, do your experience justice—

Outline a few of your most relevant accomplishments that match the job. For ideas on what to include in your cover letter, look at the job advertisement—it should mention the skills and experience the employer is looking for. Select the most applicable tasks and accomplishments from your professional history to show that you’re the perfect match for the job. 

You can use bullet points if you want—it will help you save some precious space on the page and give your cover letter a more organized look. Include numbers to quantify your achievements when possible and provide them with some context. 

4. Explain What Excites You About This Particular Job

The BLS predicts around 10,100 occupational therapist openings annually in the U.S. alone in this decade. That’s a lot of jobs—

Why do you want this particular one? 

In the third paragraph of your cover letter, outline your motivation behind applying. Try to focus on neutral topics (not money or convenience) like the organization’s values, achievements, approach to care, or opportunities for growth it offers to its OTs. If you’re unsure what to say, research their website and pick a thing or two that you like about them. 

Although complimenting the company helps here, that’s not the whole point—the reason your motivation is important is because it lets the recruiter know you’re in it for the long haul. Hiring a new employee is costly and time-consuming, so every employer will prefer candidates who appear willing to stay for a few years. 

5. End Your OT Cover Letter on a Strong Note

Nearly there, and look at the progress you’ve made! 

End your cover letter with an offer to discuss your skills further—it lets the reader know there’s even more you can offer the company. If you’re confident, ask for a meeting or call outright—it won’t hurt and might work! 

Once you’ve finished, include a formal closing—like Best regards or Yours sincerely. Sign your cover letter with your full name, and if you can, include a digital signature for an extra-professional look. 

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Key Points

Here’s a quick recap of how to write an effective occupational therapy cover letter: 

  • Use the proper format for your document and address it directly to the person responsible for recruitment. 
  • Open your cover letter with an eye-catching achievement to encourage the recruiter to read on. 
  • Tailor the middle paragraph of your cover letter to the job, describing the experience and accomplishments that prove you’ll succeed in this role. 
  • Mention why you want to work at this particular organization. 
  • End on an offer and sign with your full name. 

Thanks for reading! Do you have any questions about writing your occupational therapist cover letter? Perhaps you don’t think a cover letter for occupational therapy jobs is necessary? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below!

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At ResumeLab, quality is at the crux of our values, supporting our commitment to delivering top-notch career resources. The editorial team of career experts carefully reviews every article following editorial guidelines, ensuring our content's high quality and reliability. We actively conduct original research, shedding light on the job market's intricacies and earning recognition from numerous influential news outlets. Our dedication to delivering expert career advice attracts millions of readers to our blog annually.

Caio Sampaio, CPRW

Caio is an expert in professional development and holds a certification in resume writing. He has accumulated 4+ years of experience in this field. His approach is to merge entertainment concepts with resumes, thus making your application more captivating.

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