How to Market Your Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Project
For those of you who have had the opportunity to participate in an occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) capstone project, there is a point in time between graduating and getting your first job where you have the opportunity to actually join the staff in the role you created.
You have spent months building relationships, conducting needs assessments, and learning the ins and outs of the organization as a whole. You are perfectly situated to be part of the team. Now it is just the barrier of funding. Here are a few tips I have gathered from hearing people’s stories and learning more about the business side of healthcare and OT on how to make that job you just created yours.
Present at a staff meeting
Sharing about your work with individuals across the organization is really important. It can allow for people who are in charge of the decision to hire you to hear from you personally. You can share why OT can help and how the program was successful during your OTD capstone project.
Know your audience
Similar to the first point, knowing who you are talking to and what’s important to them will really help you gain their interest. For example, if your program was about reducing falls using occupational therapy environmental adaptations and universal design, discussing with the chief financial officer compared to the therapy department compared to the maintenance staff would be very different conversations.
Include budget information
How much will it actually cost to implement and have you as an OT and also how much will it save? There are some great research articles out there about the benefits and cost reduction of OT as seen in the various articles here. This is important to bring up as it adds value to the organization and is often part of the goal areas of the executives.
Use infographics
You knew I was going to mention this, didn’t you? Well, using visuals does work! People are more engaged with visual ways of representing information as the amount of information out there increases. You can learn more about this in my blog post about Visual Abstracts and The Benefits of Using Healthcare Infographics.
Infographics can be used in a variety of ways:
PDFs attached to emails
On slideshow presentations
As a handout or physical poster
Social media posts
Grant proposals
Business plans
And so much more!
Having the information in a quick, digestible way allows for everyone to understand the value and amazing product and service you bring to the table. It also sets you apart and helps others remember you in the future.
5. Share Your Work on an OT Podcast
This one might not be as helpful for getting the specific job you created, but it will definitely get your name out there and someone who is looking for that particular role and skill set might be listening. There are so many great podcasts out there. Matching your audience to your specific OTD capstone project will be really helpful to make sure the right people are hearing your story. Check out our Guide to OT Podcasts to find one.