Going to school to be an OT but in the meantime I would like to be a rehab aide?

[cammmiam]

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Alright so i'm starting my bachelors and in the meantime i'd like to be a rehab aide which i know at least at one hopsital, theres no license or anything needed for this position. how do i go about applying for this job though? do I volunteer somewhere long enough that i can hope they'll hire me as an aide?

Any other advice to get a job in the health field without having a degree? I would really settle for anything! Its sort of like "if you have no experience you can't work here" but there needs to be a place i can start from!

 

[Setzu]

I would honestly just apply with whatever background you have. I think if you are able to get some volunteer experience that would certainly help your resume and show them that you at least have experience volunteering in a health industry. Honestly though it's all about how much your resume stands out to them.

I graduated with a degree in Asian Studies and recently decided I wanted to become an OT. So I started to look for rehab aide jobs to help my application, and also to give me a good idea of what I was getting myself into. I had no previous health care experience, had a lot of random volunteering and internships, and this would be my first full time job. I got lucky and got an interview and the fact that I wanted to be an OT I think pretty much got me to job because they knew I wanted to be there. Experience helps, sure, but what they really want is someone who wants to work there (not just have a job), is willing to learn, and will do their best to succeed.

So honestly just work hard on your resume and go for it! It's a great way to get an inside look at the therapy world.

 

[FutureOTjunkie]

I agree with the person above...I got my job with no type of background in rehab but I did put on my resume that I wanted expierence to help me get into OT school. So they knew that I WANTED to be there and not just have a job just for the money.

 

[babycheeks]

You can also try rehab technician jobs.

 

[TTUOT]

In my experience there are two ways to get rehab aide jobs
1) Know someone who knows someone - use your family/friends to find a connection at the hospital. A lot of aides I worked with had family members or friends that worked at the hospital and hooked them up.
2) Volunteer first - That is how I got my job as a rehab aide. I volunteered, was always on-time and showed up with a positive attitude. As soon as my department had an opening they hired me, and later when the inpatient rehab center needed an aide I was also hired over there.

Working as a rehab aide is a great way to get experience and find out it OT is really for you. And it is a great way to get hours, when I was accepted into school I had over 600 hrs of work and volunteer experience. Sounds like you're on the right track. Good Luck!