Physical Therapy Aide Resume Examples & Tips
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A physical therapy aide works under the supervision of a physical therapist, performing non-medical tasks such as transporting patients, setting up and cleaning treatment rooms, ensuring optimum functioning of therapy equipment, and implementing treatment plans. Physical therapy aides should have physical fitness knowledge, strong communication and interpersonal skills.
To make a stand-out physical therapy aide resume, use our resume examples and tips below:
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Physical therapy aide example (text version)
Name: Gianna Winfred
Address: City, State, Zip Code
Phone: 000-000-0000
E-Mail: email@email.com
Summary Statement
Diligent caregiver focused on providing optimal support to clients through personalized assistance and care required to manage diverse medical conditions. Proficient in organizing medications, scheduling doctor appointments and personal activities. Caring, organized and friendly with excellent interpersonal skills. Seeking a new role as a physical therapy aide.
Summary of Qualifications
- Remains current on relevant health conditions and works effectively with healthcare staff to maximize care.
- Devoted to patient physical comfort and emotional support.
- Proficient in emergency response care and monitoring ongoing conditions.
Professional Skills
Patient Care
- Provided safe mobility support to help 15+ senior patients move around personal and public spaces.
- Provided assistance in daily living activities by dressing, grooming, bathing and toileting patients.
- Establishing methods fire preventions and reviewing working of support system
- Offered social support by transporting individuals to events and activities up to three times a week, in addition to medical appointments and shopping trips.
Active Listening and Communication
- Offered support for client mental and emotional needs to enhance physical outcomes and overall happiness.
- Developed rapport to create safe and trusting environment for care.
- Kept patients mentally alert by entertaining, conversing and reading aloud to patients
Organization
- Wiped down equipment with proper cleaning products after each patient transport to reduce instances of infection.
- Maintained a safe and well-organized patient environment.
- Completed daily entries in log books, journals and care plans to document accurately report patient progress.
WORK HISTORY
Senior Caregiver
09/2018 – Current
Company Name, City, State
Home Health Aide
07/2017 – 08/2018
Company Name, City, State
EDUCATION
High School Diploma
06/2017, City, State
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Physical Therapy Aide Resume FAQ
1. What are some hard and soft skills that a physical therapy aide must have?
| Hard skills: | Soft skills: |
| Physical therapy | Ability to work in stressful situations |
| Proficiency with software such as Microsoft Office | Keen learner |
| Data analytics | Effective communication skills |
| Group therapy | Attention to detail |
| Group activities | Customer service |
| CPR | Time management |
| IEP | Task scheduling |
| Treatment plans | Empathy |
| Occupational therapy | Active listening |
| Lab equipment maintenance | Highly organized |
| Report compilation | Relationship building |
| Appointment scheduling | Dexterity |
| Vital signs | Accountability |
| First Aid |
| Hard skills: |
| Physical therapy |
| Proficiency with software such as Microsoft Office |
| Data analytics |
| Group therapy |
| Group activities |
| CPR |
| IEP |
| Treatment plans |
| Occupational therapy |
| Lab equipment maintenance |
| Report compilation |
| Appointment scheduling |
| Vital signs |
| First Aid |
| Soft skills: |
| Ability to work in stressful situations |
| Keen learner |
| Effective communication skills |
| Attention to detail |
| Customer service |
| Time management |
| Task scheduling |
| Empathy |
| Active listening |
| Highly organized |
| Relationship building |
| Dexterity |
| Accountability |
2. What are some powerful action verbs you can use for a physical therapy aide resume?
- Incorporated
- Implemented
- Established
- Spearheaded
- Coordinated
- Oversaw
- Compiled
- Managed
- Collaborated
- Led
3. How do you get keywords into the resume?
Employers often use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to review resumes for important keywords like “maintaining therapeutic equipment,” “appointment scheduling” or “implementing exercise routines.” These keywords are usually pulled straight from the job description, so review the job posting, picking out major responsibilities and tasks that tie in with your existing skills and experiences. Then make these keywords your own in your resume. For example, you could list “appointment scheduling” as a skill, or describe a task from a previous job which involved maintaining therapeutic equipment in your work history section. The goal is not to stuff the resume with keywords, but to show through your own skills and career highlights that you’re equipped to handle the job’s needs.
4. What resume format is best for this job?
Your format will depend on your experience. If this is your first time applying for a job, choose a functional resume format, which focuses on your relevant skills and education. You can also add a section for previous activities or volunteer work that relate to the job (e.g., a summer job where you looked after disabled seniors). If you have some prior experience in the field, go with the combination resume format, which features both your skills and work experience. If you have more than a few years of physical therapy experience, a chronological resume is your best bet; this format goes into detail on your previous jobs, and lets you show how you’ve grown your career.
For more information about resume formatting, see our resume format page.
5. What are some common mistakes to be avoided while creating a resume?
- Don’t write a resume objective. Recruiters want you to explain to them how you can fulfill their requirements rather than find out what you want to personally gain from the job.
- Don’t go overboard on your resume layout. Gaudy graphics and fonts may confuse employers (and ATS), and give your resume an unprofessional look.
- Do away with an interests and hobbies section. Zero-in on skills and experiences that actually fit the job. Your ability to whip up a great angel food cake may make you a hit at parties, but it won’t help advance your career in physical therapy
Do’s and Don’ts for Your Resume
- DO review your resume. Physical therapist aides are expected to be reliable and detail-oriented — bring that same mentality to your resume. Reread your document a few times and eliminate spelling or grammar errors. Make sure you’ve included all your important job-specific skills, certifications and work achievements. For more help, use our Resume Builder, which can check your resume for these issues.
- DO aim for a concise resume. Since most recruiters spend only a few seconds to scan a resume, aim for a document that’s only a page or two long. Leave out any information that doesn’t answer the specific requirements of the job, as spelled out in the job posting. Use bullet points and short phrases rather than verbose sentences, and focus on specific accomplishments rather than daily responsibilities. Even if you are an experienced candidate, include no more than 10 years of experience on your resume.
- DO tailor your resume to fit the job. If you’re applying for several physical therapy aide jobs, always create a different version of your resume for each application, updating your skills and qualifications to correspond with the requirements for each job. For example, one job might emphasize tasks like “documenting treatment plans,” while another might list “knowledge of medical terminology” as a prime requirement. Make sure you address your capability or experience in dealing with these tasks as you update your resume. For more details, see our article How to Create a Targeted Resume.
- DON’T forget to mention intangible skills. Since this job role involves constant communication with medical professionals and patients, it’s vital to showcase intangible (better known as soft) skills that demonstrate your interpersonal and people management abilities. Feature soft skills such as compassion, a positive attitude, patience, verbal and written communication, and observational skills.
- DON’T describe your achievements and experiences without quantifying them. Give your work responsibilities and achievements more depth by describing them using numbers and stats, wherever possible. For example: “Handled 90+ patient sessions per week” gives more context than “Handled patient sessions.”
- DON’T get long-winded in your resume. Long complete sentences are unnecessary in a resume — avoid sentences that begin with “I” or “my,” and feature phrases that begin with action verbs to create a punchier, more energetic presentation. For example, rather than stating “I was responsible for preparing patient rooms for manual therapeutic exercises. I was also tasked with organizing therapeutic massage and electrical modality treatments,” write “Prepared patient rooms for manual therapeutic exercises, and organized therapeutic massage and electrical modality treatments.”
Top 4 Characteristics of a Best-in-Class Physical Therapy Aide Resume
Summary
In your summary statement, highlight your best professional skills, abilities and experience within a few short sentences. For example: “Patient-focused physical therapy aide with 5+ years of experience instructing patients on adaptive treatment devices. Proficient at helping clients overcome resistance to therapy.”
Skills
Break this section out into hard skills such as assessing pain tolerance, monitoring vital signs, and emergency First Aid knowledge, and soft skills such as attention to detail, good written and verbal communication skills, and critical thinking.
Work History
Limit this section to jobs you’ve held within the past 10 years, zeroing-in on work accomplishments and tasks that show off your best, most appropriate skills. For example: “Performed maintenance therapy and assisted therapists with patient exercises,” or “Maintained and cleaned work areas and disinfected equipment for 50-room facility.”
Education
For this role, a high school diploma or equivalent is typically needed, but most employers prefer a certification such as a BLS for Health Care Providers certification from the American Heart Association. List all certifications that you’ve earned here, such as a CPR and First Aid certificate, or a physical therapy aide resume example Certification from the AMCA.
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Physical Therapy Aide Resume Example
Nilda Melissa is a Certified Professional Resume Writer who has written for The Washington Post and Latina Style Magazine. She has a master's in Journalism from Columbia University and is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
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