In this episode, I reflect on my occupational therapy journey from one year ago till the present day.

It baffles me how different things are.. how so much can happen & how so much can change in just ONE year. Your OT trajectory will fluctuate, twist and turn, just like the narrative slope we know so well.

Follow along the journey on Instagram :)

(@once_upon_ot)

https://www.instagram.com/once_upon_ot/

In this episode, I discuss my variety of work experiences during occupational therapy school and balancing it all as a full-time OT student.

For some of us, working during OT school may be necessary while for others it may be optional; we all have our unique circumstances and situations. For me, I was living on my savings but knew that it likely would not suffice till the end of my 2-year program.

This ultimately led to my decision to work multiple part-time jobs that were flexible enough and fit around my school schedule.

Follow along Jordan's OT journey on Instagram :

@once_upon_ot

https://www.instagram.com/once_upon_ot/

In this episode, I answer the questions you sent me on Instagram (once_upon_ot). Keep an eye out for the next "question sticker" on my story for questions to be answered in a future episode.

Follow along the occupational therapy journey -

https://www.instagram.com/once_upon_ot/

Timestamps:

(0:24) "What makes OT different from other clinical jobs like nursing, PA, etc?"

(5:23) "What kind of support you wish you received during your grad school journey"

(12:09) "Ideas on how to make an NBCOT study schedule"

(20:08) "Navigating mentorship as a new grad would be a good one to hear about"

Don't forget to rate & follow the show! :)

On the fence about going to AOTA Conference as a current occupational therapy student?

In this episode, I reflect on the time I first decided to attend AOTA conference. It can be intimidating and overwhelming with all the novelty and energy in the air ... not to mention the costs associated with attending the event. I believe it comes down to your goals, ambition, and intentions as to why you would like to attend the conference in the first place. Only you can decide what is "worth it" to you based on where you are on your OT journey.

I hope that this episode can give you an idea of what to expect at AOTA Conference, especially as an OT student considering attending for the first time

Timestamps:

(0:55) 1st time navigating AOTA Conference in San Antonio, Texas

(5:30) Attending from the OT student perspective

(6:25) The most important part of conference (p.s. it's not the sessions!)

(8:36) Trying to meet people is key; but definitely easier said than done

(10:48) #1 spot to meet other occupational therapy students

(12:28) Yes, it's expensive. But here's why I decided to go

(13:51) Virtual vs in-person | EXPO hall experience

(16:24) What are your goals for going?

(17:31) Attending my second AOTA Conference in Kansas City, Missouri

(19:00) Am I attending AOTA Conference in Orlando, Florida this year?

(20:20) Overall advice if you are attending as an occupational therapy student

Follow Jordan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/once_upon_ot/

A huge professional milestone! It was honestly a challenging task securing this first job, especially as a new grad occupational therapist. For some reason I had the notion that once I graduated occupational therapy school, passed my NBCOT exam, and obtained my state licensure that securing my first job would be a seamless process.

In this episode, I discuss how I approached the OT job hunting period, how I modified it over time, and how I ebbed and flowed through the different phases during this job search. Overall, it was a transformative experience and ultimately it came down to 3 occupational therapy job offers out of numerous job applications.

Timestamps:

(1:08) Brief OT resume prep, using LinkedIn

(3:45) No response after sending out initial job applications

(4:23) Widening my job search parameters, theories & realizations of why I'm not getting any job offers

(7:30) Organizing OT jobs in tiers | Tier 1 (my "dream" jobs),

(9:10) Tier 2 (practical/stepping stone job) | adapting to change in timelines and plans

(12:00) Tier 3 (not actively pursuing)

(13:45) Demystify work/job benefits | health insurance, student loan forgiveness | what do you need and what do you want?

(14:53) Asking your level 2 fieldwork site/clinical instructor

(16:10) Working as an OT/PT rehab aide | staying afloat, honing my patient interaction skills, getting my foot in the door

(18:01) Applying to jobs is a full-time job!

(19:30) Finally hearing back | maintaining confidence during this time | the story of 3 job opportunities

(24:20) The dream job is out there | trusting the process

TLDL = Too Long Didn't Listen

(25:31) | Key takeaways

Follow Once Upon OT on insta:

https://www.instagram.com/once_upon_ot/

Thank you for reading along!

Are you applying to occupational therapy school soon? Trying to choose the best-fit OT school for you? My hope is that this podcast episode will help you decide which occupational therapy program(s) to pursue and what action steps you can take next in the process.

In this episode, I discuss my top 3 tips for applying to occupational therapy school. These are things I have done myself back when I was a prospective OT student and deciding which OT program to attend. It's a big decision & a BIG investment!; so with this episode I hope to facilitate that decision-making process for you by considering these perspectives as part of the application process.

MY TOP 3 TIPS:

1) Master the game of applying (0:42)

2) Attend info sessions and visit the campus (8:31)

3) Who are the OT Professors/educators? Who are the current OT students? (13:55)

Resource discussed in this episode:

• OTCAS - Occupational Therapist Centralized Application Service

https://otcas.liaisoncas.com/

"What occupies your time?"

In this episode, I discuss the occupational therapy lens and how I approach my own OT pitch/elevator speech. We have come a long way in promoting our profession, but in my daily life I still encounter some confusion and lack of awareness about what we do.

This podcast offers ideas on how to bring to life our OT pitch and create a lasting impression for the people we interact with.

Timestamps:

(0:34) What occupies your time?

(1:15) Activity Analysis

(2:37) My OT pitch and why

(3:19) What makes a memorable OT elevator speech?

(3:53) Burnout from always having to explain what we do

(4:25) Why the OT pitch matters

(5:44) Who are you pitching to and communicating with?

(7:59) Brief example of the OT lens in action with Jordan and his love for basketball

Referenced in this podcast

IG:

https://www.instagram.com/once_upon_ot

We all have stories, especially as occupational therapists (OT), here's mine.

Thank you for listening along as I verbally reflect on my occupational therapy journey. This is my first podcast episode and I'm excited to see where this new venture takes me.

so... WHY OT?

https://www.instagram.com/once_upon_ot