Creating Pathways for OTA Career Advancement

Introduction
Starting my career as an Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA), I have experienced firsthand the rewards and challenges that come with building a career in occupational therapy. OTAs help individuals regain independence, participate in meaningful occupations, and improve their overall quality of life. The profession is built on compassion, creativity, and a commitment to helping others achieve their goals.

However, as many OTAs progress through their careers, they often ask a question that can be difficult to answer:

What comes next?

For many OTAs, career advancement pathways are not clearly defined. While opportunities may exist through leadership, mentorship, continuing education, specialization, or advanced degrees, navigating these options can feel overwhelming as there is a lack of structured career pathways for OTAs (Fitzpatrick et al., 2025). This challenge inspired my capstone project, Workshop for the OTA: Career Advancement. The purpose of this project is to create an accessible, evidence-based workshop that helps OTAs identify professional development opportunities, strengthen leadership skills, explore mentorship relationships, and gain confidence in planning their future careers.

My Journey Through the Field of Occupational Therapy

After entering the field as an OTA, I quickly discovered how rewarding occupational therapy could be. I enjoyed working directly with clients, collaborating with interdisciplinary teams, and seeing the impact that occupational therapy interventions could have on a person's life. As I gained experience, I also began thinking about my long-term professional goals. I wanted to continue learning, expand my skills, and explore new opportunities within occupational therapy. Pursuing higher education became an important step in that process leading me to the Belmont University MSOT bridge program. After graduating in 2025, I found value in continuing my education and am currently enrolled in the Belmont University PP-OTD program. Those decisions for professional development were difficult to make due to the limited resources for OTA career advancement. After going through my career development journey, I discovered that many OTAs experience the same uncertainty as I did regarding career pathways for our profession. 

Why Career Advancement Matters

Career advancement is often viewed as a personal achievement, but its impact extends far beyond the individual practitioner. Professional growth contributes to workforce retention, increased job satisfaction, stronger leadership within organizations, and improved patient outcomes (Gustafsson et al., 2023). When practitioners feel supported and engaged in their careers, they are more likely to remain committed to the profession and continue developing their skills. Research suggests that professional development opportunities can strengthen professional identity and confidence while encouraging practitioners to pursue leadership roles and contribute to organizational growth (Fitzpatrick et al., 2025; Germeroth et al., 2024).

Unfortunately, career advancement opportunities are not always easily accessible for OTAs. Unlike some healthcare professions that have clearly established advancement pathways, many OTAs struggle to identify the next steps in their professional journey (Fitzpatrick et al., 2025). As a result, talented practitioners may feel stagnant, uncertain about future opportunities, or disconnected from long-term career goals.

Understanding the Barriers

An important component of this project involved examining the barriers that prevent OTAs from pursuing professional advancement. Research consistently identifies several challenges that affect career progression within allied health professions.

Limited Access to Mentorship

Mentorship is a highly recognized resource for professional development. Mentors can provide guidance, encouragement, networking opportunities, and practical advice based on their own experiences (Germeroth et al., 2024). Despite the benefits, many OTAs do not have formal mentorship opportunities available within their workplace. Without mentorship, it can be difficult to identify advancement opportunities or gain confidence when considering new professional roles.

Leadership Opportunities Are Not Always Visible

Continuing education and advanced degrees can create new professional opportunities, but navigating these options can be difficult and frustrating. Literature regarding OTA career progression is almost non-existent. While the field of occupational therapy has many career advancement opportunities, there is a lack of career pathway framework to guide OTAs through professional development opportunities in the field of occupational therapy (Fitzpatrick et al., 2025).

Introducing the Career Advancement Workshop for the OTA

To address these challenges, I developed Workshop for the OTA: Career Advancement, an interactive continuing education experience designed to empower OTAs to take an active role in their professional growth. The workshop focuses on three essential areas of career advancement: mentorship, leadership, and advanced education. The workshop focuses on interactive and reflective components to engage the participants in their career journey. Participants will have opportunities to evaluate their own career aspirations, identify barriers they may be experiencing, and develop strategies for pursuing future growth.

Focus Area One: Mentorship

Mentorship is one of the strongest predictors of professional growth and career satisfaction (Dupre & Salehi, 2025). Through interactive activities and guided discussion, participants will explore the characteristics of effective mentoring relationships and learn how mentorship can support career advancement. The workshop will also provide practical strategies for finding mentors, building professional networks, and cultivating meaningful professional relationships.

Focus Area Two: Leadership Development

Leadership development is another key pillar of the workshop. Participants will examine different forms of leadership within occupational therapy and identify opportunities to strengthen their own leadership skills regardless of their current role or title. The goal is to help OTAs recognize that leadership is not reserved select titles; it is a skill that can be developed and applied in everyday practice. By increasing leadership confidence, OTAs can become stronger advocates for clients, colleagues, and the profession as a whole.

Focus Area Three: Educational and Career Pathways

One of the most common questions OTAs ask is, "What are my options?". This workshop aims to provide answers and resources. Participants will explore a variety of educational opportunities, professional certifications, leadership pathways, and career development options that align with their interests and goals within the field of occupational therapy. By increasing awareness of available opportunities, the workshop seeks to reduce uncertainty and help practitioners make informed decisions about their future.

LookingA Ahead

One of the most common questions OTAs ask is, "What are my options?". This workshop aims to provide answers and resources. Participants will explore a variety of educational opportunities, professional certifications, leadership pathways, and career development options that align with their interests and goals within the field of occupational therapy. By increasing awareness of available opportunities, the workshop seeks to reduce uncertainty and help practitioners make informed decisions about their future.

Interested in Participating in the Workshop?

Whether you are a new OTA beginning your professional journey or an experienced practitioner exploring your next career step, Workshop for the OTA: Career Advancement was designed with you in mind. This interactive continuing education workshop provides practical tools, professional development strategies, and opportunities to explore mentorship, leadership, and educational pathways that support long-term success. Participants will leave with a greater understanding of available opportunities, increased confidence in their career planning, and actionable steps they can take toward their professional goals.

Click the link below to learn more and register.

https://guidefortheota.my.canva.site/workshop

I look forward to connecting with fellow OTAs and supporting the continued growth, leadership, and advancement of our profession.

References

Dupre, B., & Salehi, N. (2025). Understanding occupational therapists' job satisfaction through an ecological lens: A qualitative scoping review. Occupational Therapy International, 2025, 3268526. https://doi.org/10.1155/oti/3268526

Fitzpatrick, P., Bye, R., Eriksson, C., Liu, K. P., & Lim, D. (2025). Career planning and development for occupational therapists working in mental health: A scoping review. The British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 88(7), 395-407. https://doi.org/10.1177/03080226241311418

Germeroth, D., Murray, C. M., McMullen-Roach, S., & Boshoff, K. (2024). A scoping review of mentorship in allied health: Attributes, programs and outcomes. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 71(1), 149–174. https://doi.org/10.1111/1440-1630.12903

Gustafsson, L., Brown, T., Poulsen, A. A., & McKinstry, C. (2023). Australian occupational therapy academic workforce: An examination of retention, work-engagement, and role overload issues. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 30(4), 452–462. https://doi.org/10.1080/11038128.2021.1958002

Mizzi, L., & Marshall, P. (2024). Inequitable barriers and opportunities for leadership and professional development, identified by early-career to mid-career allied health professionals. BMJ Leader, 8(3), 245–252. https://doi.org/10.1136/leader-2023-000880