When you are looking for an occupational therapy job, you will most likely still be in school. You will probably be finishing your master’s or PhD program and will need to find something to start paying off all those student loans. Occupational therapy assistant jobs or full-time jobs are very similar to other therapy jobs. It is your job to make others feel relieved and find a balance in their lives. It is your job to relieve their stress and help them find a healthy outlet for some of the pent-up emotions they have been bottling up. There are all kinds of methods to do this, but when you are working in occupational therapy, you will have more guidelines to follow than if you were to set up your own practice.
You will need a lot of schooling before you can apply for one of these jobs. Most people in this field have a PhD, which means you will most likely need to have the same if you want to compete with them. Many of them have also published a book or multiple volumes of their own studies. You might be required to do the same. They might not require it before they hire you, but they might require it in the near future in order for you to keep your job.
It is a very competitive field because there are not very many positions available in the first place. It is also a good career for you to pursue if you already work well with troubled people. If you have experience working with troubled teens or people with serious stress, depression, or anxiety, then you will have a better handle on the job once you have it. Most schools will require you to enter the real world and gain real world experience while going to school. They will give you credit for it as it will be part of one of the courses. There are many centers for addicts or troubled teens where students can go and practice dealing with the different problems and try working out solutions. If you have this kind of real world experience written down on your resume, it gives you an advantage when applying for the job.
Your salary will likely be high. Because of all the schooling and the difficulty of landing the job, you can expect well over $100,000 to start out. You will hold a PhD, so you should expect to be paid accordingly. This is definitely a perk and you will need a high salary to pay off all your student loans.
There are not many jobs in this field, but if you land one, you will be well rewarded for it!