Firstly, congratulations on graduating university and obtaining your Bachelor of Occupational Therapy degree! I hope you enjoyed the journey and feel welcomed into the wonderful world of Occupational Therapy (OT)!

Reflecting back on my now six years out of university and in the working world, here’s some little bits of advice I can offer to all my fellow OTs:

Prioritise good supervision in your first job: Everyone remembers their first proper job, working in the profession they’ve studied years to finally become apart of. The first year of work can often feel overwhelming and downright confusing as you navigate a million things that university did not teach you. A great team and the opportunity to have regular supervision with someone can make this transition unbelievably smoother. When searching for jobs, make sure to ask what supervision is like and how often you’ll receive it as a new graduate.

Keep a record of your professional development (PD): this is a SUPER important one! I spent a large chunk of time in 2022 consolidating my PD into one place, and I’m sure that task would have been much easier if I had just kept everything in the one place from the beginning of my career. I keep a track of mine on a Google doc where I can continually update it, and so far this has worked really well. When I first began working, AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Registration Agency) stated that we required at least 30 hours of PD per year between 1st of December and the 30th of November, but that has changed and is now 20 hours. Honestly, I probably do 100s of hours of PD every year, but what’s needed is reflection and application of what’s being learned. AHPRA now have a comprehensive and updated overview of what’s required for PD for OTs on their website. OccupationalTherapy.com has great online learning resources for PD – it is American based so some things are different, mostly when they discuss legislation. But I’ve learned SO much from the wide variety of PD on their site.

Don’t be afraid to work rurally: Australia is BIG! And there’s plenty of room for all of us. If you completed a rural placement during your university degree (if you’re still in university, I strongly recommend you have a rural placement if possible), you’d know that there are so many benefits to experiencing the rural life of an OT. For my final 10-week placement, I was in Mt Isa and Normanton in Queensland, and that was definitely my favourite placement by far. It really grew my confidence, and taught me a lot of OT and life skills that I am now able to apply to my current workplace.

Help out your fellow OTs: I remember one of my university lecturers told me in my first year that “OT friends are friends for life” – and I completely agree! Some of my closest friends are the ones I met at university and have met along my journey as an OT. We’re a unique bunch and OT I’ve found attracts a certain personality: we’re all helpers, we’re creative, we’re fun. I regularly call up my friends to seek their advice on any tricky cases, and I hope I can help them out in return when they need it.

Enjoy the increased pay, but be wise: Transitioning from eating Mi-Goreng noodles for dinner, to then actually being able to add avocado to your brunch is wonderful and well-earned in my opinion, after all those years of hard work. Remember to practice wisdom as you enjoy this new found financial boost; it can be tempting to spend all your pay cheque at once and then realise it’s another 13 days until you get paid again. We’ve been blessed with a financial boost, so why not help out others as well through programs such as child sponsorship through Compassion.
So give generously, save efficiently, spend wisely.

Find valuable resources: Finding a great resource or website is like striking gold, and it’s worth celebrating and sharing with friends and colleagues. A lot of my work is in paediatrics (children) and I have found great assistance through the many resources at Twinkl (and Twinkl is Australian – even better). The OT Toolbox has been super helpful as well. Joining Facebook groups can be of great benefit as well, and people are happy to help out. In Australia, the OT NDIS Providers Facebook page is a gift to us all!

Have fun and enjoy: This tip is probably the most important – have fun, enjoy the journey, don’t put too much pressure on yourself, ask questions, and keep learning! We will never reach perfection and knowing all there is to know about OT, and that’s a great thing! So keep going, keep thriving, and enjoy.

Working as an Occupational Therapist is wonderful! I’ve loved my years and look forward to learning more and more as I continue to work alongside clients and clinicians.

Colossians 3:23 – Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.

Love, Gracie