Get the latest episodes and subscribe to the Career Week podcast on Apple Podcasts. Make sure you don't miss an episode!

Guest Profile:

Amy Pietro, Occupational Therapist

Studied Psychology at University of Iowa and then received a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy at Creighton University

Things to keep in mind for people who want to work in occupational therapy:

Occupational therapy is a combination of science and art

You need to understand who the client is and how to work with them, as it is a unique relationship

A key is to get people back to doing what is most important to them, which could be eating or playing video games

Separating work and personal life is very challenging, especially as you become close to the people you work with

There are times clients yell and get frustrated with the people who treat them, including occupational therapists. You cannot take it as a personal attack

You get to be creative in figuring out how to get the client back to doing what they love doing

There is a lot of paperwork that needs to be done

It is exhausting working in occupational therapy. The hours can be long and mentally draining

Working in a hospital, there is a need to work weekends and holidays, at times

Insights:

As part of Amy’s role, she helps rehabilitate people recovering from spinal cord injuries

What are the skills needed to complete an activity? Occupational therapists break down activities to truly understand how they can assist people get back to living the life that they want

Amy works very closely with physicians, speech therapists, physical therapists, case managers, and nurses

Helping people get to the point where they realize their life can go on is a very satisfying feeling

It can be competitive to find a job in a hospital

Shadowing people is a great experience to help you learn what it is truly like in the field and provides a variety of perspectives

Rapid Fire-Round:

What Amy wanted to be when she was a kid: Fire-woman

Best resource for career-related information: Career center

What helps Amy when she has a bad day at work: Gin and tonic

Amy’s favorite experience from her job thus far: Working with a fabulous, fun patient

Best part of Amy’s work day today: Having a Spanish speaking patient and sang and danced to Spanish music

Advice:

Talk to people with all different types of careers

Have fun with what you do and don’t take things too seriously

Why should someone want to be in occupational therapy

You get to be creative

Every day is different

You get to be on your feet all day

You can interact with people

Get in touch with Amy Pietro at [email protected].