From University Student to Occupational Therapist - The Potential Ability Group (TPAG)

November 22nd, 2021Julia MasonNews & Information

In today’s blog we explore the transition from studying Occupational Therapy to becoming a new graduate Occupational Therapist. If you are nearing completion of your degree, then this one is for you. Transitioning from studying to providing Occupational Therapy is a big change and this blog explores things to consider and how to set yourself up for success.

For many new graduates Occupational Therapists, the transition isn’t just becoming an OT, but it is also working full time for the first time. Perhaps the most important skills when transitioning to the work force are time management and organisation. These include learning to prioritise and meet due dates for tasks on your to do list, managing and organising emails; to ensure you respond in a timely manner, and of course making sure your case notes are done every day.

Top Tips for Staying Organised

Develop a system for managing a to do list, whether it’s just a list, adding reminders to your calendar, setting aside time in your calendar, or using apps with reminder functions, like Trello. Keep all your tasks in one central location, work from this system daily, continuously adding and taking items off as they are completed (the best part!). You may wish to use a colour coding system to help organise and prioritise the items on your to do list. If you are having trouble working out where to start, make sure you discuss this with your supervisor for assistance with prioritising. Remember we have all been there and understand it is a learning curve!
Learn the functions of your email system, learning how to change the layout of your inbox and to create folders/labels for organising your emails will be a game changer. Find the system which works for you. Personally, I like to mark unread any emails which needs actioning. When you start working, you’ll have more emails than you ever dreamed of, so learning to manage them will serve you well.
Plan your week. At the start of every week review your to do list and then map out what needs completing that week, and when and where you will complete that task. This helps identify the need to re prioritise and not leave Friday afternoons as a mad panic to complete the week’s admin tasks.

Another change to working will be travelling to work, and if your job is community based like us, then there is travel between clients as well. Consider the impact of traffic on your commute especially in the first few weeks. Then think about how to get the best out of your travel time (while always focusing on the road of course). Is this the time to listen to a good podcast, or use Bluetooth to connect with family and friends, so you have more time for other things when you get home? Consider how travel time will add to your workday. One of the great things about TPAG and being community based, your travel home is included in your paid workday.

A key part to beginning your career as an Occupational Therapist is the supervision and support you will receive both formally and informally. Ensure to check with your future workplace on how you will be supported as a new graduate. I won’t list all the ways we provide support at TPAG, or I will be here until Christmas, but some key aspects are, having a formal line manager, large senior team with non-client facing time to support staff, reviews of written work, informal work ‘buddy’, weekly online team meetings, company platform to ask and share clinical questions and a friendly senior, admin and OT team always at the end of the phone. My biggest piece of advice for new graduates is to seek, ask, clarify, and question anything you are unsure about; in the right workplace there will be more than one person more than happy to help.

Now as I mentioned before transitioning to life as a working OT can be challenging (and rewarding) but remember this is what you have been working towards the last few years – it will be exciting too! OT’s are caring, kind and generous individuals who want what’s best for our clients. At TPAG we understand the importance of caring for yourself when you are caring for others and the impact on improved outcomes for our employees and our clients and that’s why work life balance is one of our core values. Some of the ways we live into this is providing paid self-care time during work hours, flexible working hours, TOIL accrual and part time working arrangements. During your grad year it will be super important to take care of yourself or risk of burnout or illness will increase.

If you are looking for your first job as an Occupational Therapist and are interested in working as a community based therapist in any of our regions (Southern Adelaide, Fleurieu, Adelaide Hills, Kangaroo Island, Riverland, Murray lands/Murray Bridge, Mallee or Coorong) be sure to check us out at TPAG 'Job Opportunities'.