Physical Therapist Resume Examples (Vital Dos & Don'ts!)

psysical therapist resume
Created by CakeResume

“Those who saved my pain in the neck.” Physical Therapist’s job description was often succinct to an over-simplified explanation. 

Physical therapists are medical professionals (allied health professionals) that promote, maintain, and restore health! Certified physical therapists all carry the skills and education necessary to diagnose, prognosis, coordinate care for their patients. In certain countries, they are also referred to as physiotherapists and have authority for prescriptions to work alongside physical treatment (the United Kingdom will be an example).

Life is an unceasing war; job application is one of its deadly battles. A robust physical therapist resume (physiotherapist resume) serves as a strong move of preliminaries and first attack in combination: good and steady during application.

This article covers that tactics: from the fundamental structure of a physical therapist resume to the profound knowledge of how to write a resume for a new physical therapist… This article has it all!

How to write a professional medical coder resume

Step 1: Nail that physical therapy resume headline!

A resume headline (title) serves as a physical therapist candidate’s personal brand (a hashtag!) on his/her resume. The headline, placed below the candidate’s name on the resume, is the slogan or first sentence of the candidate’s pitch and story.

Effective Attacks on Resume for Physical Therapists ✨

Remember to check out physical therapist resume samples and attune the candidate’s profile with them. Although promoting individuality is a globally recognized value, there are still certain expectations for a candidate’s professional image.

Physical Therapy Resume Headline Examples:

  • Physical therapy student resume headline example: New graduate from University of Washington adept in developing customized treatment plans 
  • Entry-level physical therapist resume headline example: Dedicated physical therapist with 35 weeks of whole outpatient experience 
  • Sports physical therapist resume headline sample: Experienced sports physical therapy specializes in helping young athletes return to their passion

Step 2: Ace that physical therapist resumes professional summary!

Resume summary is the lengthened version of resume headline that often occurs on physical therapy resume templates and examples to layout a candidate’s capability and performances.

Effective Attacks on Physical Therapist Resumes Summary ✨

Use adequate adjectives before the professional title with two purposes in mind: 

  • Personalize the application & adds a tint of interpersonal warmth and connection to the physical therapist resume.
  • Be sure not to get too afloat and add phrases that are unnecessary/unrelated to the physical therapist job description for one’s resume. 

Sample Resume Summary for Physical Therapists

  • Physical therapy aide (PTA) resumes summary: Licensed PT with 5+ years of experience in an outpatient environment. Achieved 97% positive rating and 88% success to patient goals. 
  • Home health physical therapy resume summary: Physical therapist with 7+ years experience in inpatient facilities & home health environments. Specialized for elderly patients. Adept in tailoring the PT program.
  • Physical therapy internship resumes summary: Entry-level physical therapist with 26 weeks intern experience. Exposed to neurology, geriatrics, and cardiopulmonary patients in XX rehabilitation facility. 

Step 3: What skills to put on a physical therapist resume?

Skills are like the “weapon” and fighting techniques a candidate owns in this professional battle (of course, it will be less fatal and violent). 

Stay on topic! As said a million times, check out the physical therapy resume template or experienced resume samples for reference. The general job application board is also an excellent place to start. Find out what are the employers’ expectations & requirements, then match them with your own.

Must-Have Physical Therapist Skills: 

  • Patient-focused therapy
  • Interpersonal skills & communication
  • Acute diagnosis 
  • physical therapy intervention 
  • Knowledge in clinical sciences 
  • Treatment plan development 
  • Common specialized certification:
    • Neurology
    • Cardiovascular & Pulmonary
    • Geriatrics
    • Pediatrics
    • Women Health

Step 4: Throw away a prodigious physical therapist resume!

Do not write a prodigious physical therapist resume full of blabbers and nonsense. Match the profile with that of professional physical therapy resume(s) and present the candidate in the best light.

Step 5: Proofread and eliminate careless mistakes!

Think of all the efforts and time already put into crafting the physical therapist resume. Don’t let the parsimony engulf the rest. Be sure to proofread and eliminate careless mistakes.

CakeResume helps physical therapists build professional resumes! Start from choosing a suitable resume template & layout, you can learn from our step-by-step guide to make a perfect physical therapist resume for free.

What is the best resume format for a physical therapist?

The following list covers the most common and effective resume format for physical therapists.

➡️ Chronological: 

  • Documents the working experience in reverse chronological order. 
  • The safest choice to go for most, if not every, physical therapist resume. 
  • Advantage: clear & concise. Not much risk. 

➡️ Targeted:

  • Customized physical therapist resume format for a specific company/role. 
  • Higher opportunity cost (in terms of time and effort). 
  • Recommended for the candidates contemplating how to write a resume for a new physical therapist(s). The optimal format that shows determination and passion.  

➡️ Hybrid:

  • Combination of chronological & functional resume format. 
  • A double sword. This resume format has the potential to showcase both skills and experiences a candidate has in their physical therapy resume. However, it could be too lengthy and extensive if the candidate lacks concise language. 

➡️ Functional: 

  • Focus on the candidates’ physical therapist skills. 
  • The best scenario for those who just earned a certification without hands-on experience.  Recommended for professional-beginners (this is not a paradox!). 

How to make a physical therapy resume template?

A successful physical therapy resume template will uncompromisingly push the candidate further to the job! Resume templates are always in the thick of it! It offers a summarized version of all knowledge and valuable tips for the candidates, alluring lazy individuals to just copy and paste. 

However, be aware such action will be viewed as plagiarism. Templates are great for reference, not for stealing.

1️⃣ Word Editors:

Microsoft Word, Mac OS Pages, or Equivalent Editors

  • Basic formats of a physical therapy resume template:
    1. Font size: 12pt.  Varies between 10-16 font size for specific purposes (headings, titles, section titles, notes, etc.). 
    2. Font choice: the classics! Arial / Helvetica / Cambria / Times New Roman / Georgia / Calibri and more. Make sure they are easy to read and comprehend.
    3. Simple & clean design. Avoid extravagant graphic resumes! Make sure the physical therapy resume is ATS-friendly. 
  • Learn from past examples: use the physical therapy resume examples wisely. Diagnose it. Treat it. Learn from it.  
  • Mandatory sections for every physical therapy resume: 
    1. Contact method (phone/email/other information)
    2. Clinical skill sets/certifications / soft skills
    3. Past working experiences 

2️⃣ Handy Tools:

Online Resume Maker Makes Life Much Easier.

The creativity and desire to build a physical therapy resume from 0 to 1 is admirable. It requires strength, a perfect sense of what to include, design skills, and massive effort to complete the burdensome process. However, not everyone has the time and ability. 

Using an online resume builder does not diminish one’s integrity in both professional and personal fields  — it’s perfectly normal! 

After all, what matters is the content of the physical therapy resume. If there’s a tool to speed up the whole process so the candidate can spend as much time refining the contents, why not?

Cakeresume - The Best Resume Builder to Create Physical Therapist Resume(s)

Cakeresume is now one of the most used online resume builders. It offers free resume templates and physical therapy resume examples for its users, who can tailor their resume through a click-and-drag function! → Create My Resume 

Top 8 Physical Therapist Resume Dos and Don'ts

The Good:

✅ Distinguish between physical therapist resume & CV.

While the former refers to the application profile that is crafted for a specific role/company and is one-page max in length, the latter is used mainly in academic settings and serves as lengthy documentation of candidates’ various experiences.  


✅  Present quantitative data > qualitative data.

Numbers can help build a professional image (everyone likes measurable KPI!). 


✅  Adopt an ATS-friendly format.

An ATS-friendly is important to ensure one’s success during a job search. 


✅  Adopt active verbs.

It helps show initiative.


The Bad:

❌  Use the old-fashioned career objective statement.

Look for physical therapists, resume objective examples, and be sure to avoid the bads. It shows incompetence. 


❌  Send the physical therapist resume in Word Doc.

It's not suggested to send your resume in formats other than PDF documents. 


❌  Disclose personal information that may be sensitive to discriminative bias.

Do avoid blabbering on former employment.


❌  Overdecorate the physical therapist resume.

Avoid adding too many unnecessary colors, icons, and infographics to your resume.


Physical therapist Resume Sample 

William Wolf

PT with 11+ years of experience in sports-focused rehabilitation facilities 

Phone: (+2) 033-11222
Email: [email protected]
linkedin.com/in/williamwol   

Professional Summary

Certified physical therapist in outpatient facilities. Specializes in advanced treatments for athletes’ injury and rehabilitation. Adept in tailoring PT programs. Achieved 95% positive rating and 78% success to patient goals. 

Work Experience

Physical Therapist, YYY IF Sports Center

Sep 2017 - Present

  • Served 20 patients per week while managing a ten person team. Expert in alleviating common joints, sprains and strains pains through load management. 
  • Provided therapeutic, rehabilitative programs include active and passive range of motion, muscle reeducation, and massage. Received 90% positive scores & 98% success to patient goals. 

Physical Therapist, XGD Clinic.

June 2010 - June 2017

  • Handled 40 regular patients per week in outpatient physical therapy clinics. Improved 25%+ mobility for 95% of injured patients. Received 95% positive scores & 80% success to patient goals. 
  • Worked with patients suffering from conditions such as general injury, back pain, and sports injuries. Created individualized treatment and exercise program. 

Education

Doctoral Degree in Physical (DPT) and Occupational Therapy School, UCSD
2010

Skills

  • Knowledge in anatomy, sports, and physical therapy 
  • Sports and exercise rehabilitation plan 
  • Assessment & diagnosis
  • Therapy intervention 
  • DPT degree from UCSD 
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Communication 
  • Patient education 
  • Health care treatment 
  • CPR & first aid

--- Originally written by Julia Chu---

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