Well it has been a while since my last post, but I have been a busy little bee!
Lately at university we have been focusing on how and where we might decide to get a job when we qualify; this includes everything from finding the job, to applying, creating a positive impression and most importantly to selling our skills and shouting out about our profession as much and as loudly as possible!
So, what about marketing? What do people really know about occupational therapists and what we have to offer? If we are to make something more of ourselves and gain the kind of respect for our skills that you might get in other parts of the world we need to start making the news more often, and grabbing peoples attention outside of our own cohort.
I searched 'Occupational Therapist' on the BBC news website and the last story with an OT hit was from March 2011. That's tens of day's, hundreds of hours and thousands of minutes that Occupational Therapists in the UK are working and not being fully recognised as powerful allied health professionals in the news.
We need a voice. With the economy and job situation as it stands at the moment we need to start learning some skills to step up and adventure into new areas and make work for ourselves as well as proving we are valuable where we already exist.
I did find this article on www.guardian.co.uk
http://www.guardian.co.uk/housing-network/2011/oct/12/adapted-housing-eight-things-need-to-know?INTCMP=SRCH
A small article of 8 things you need to know when adapting property for tenants. If you read this, just think how naturally it might come to an OT to think of these things, it seems so simple right? But for someone who doesn't know who we are until they read it this small piece could make a world of difference to them.
Small articles like these could be a starting point for showing the expanse of our skills slowly but surely.
This blog may only be small, but I think its the little steps that count :)
Just came across your blog today. Great to see another OT blogging! Speaking of promoting OT, I would love it if you submitted a post to the OT Blog Carnival I am hosting for World OT Day http://www.lindasdailylivingskills.com/2011/09/blog-carnival-for-world-ot-day.html It's my little way of trying to let people know what we do :)
ReplyDeleteThat sounds amazing! When would I have to submit by and what sort of thing would you like me to write about? I think it's a great way to get word around, we need to stand up more often and shout about our diverse skills! :)
ReplyDeleteSorry - my link did not come up as a link on my other post. Submissions need to be in by October 25th, so I can have it posted in time for OT day in all the different time zones. The theme is the same as the WFOT one, which is "Celebrating our Global Identity". All the details are on my blog at www.lindasdailylivingskills.com. I'm pretty excited about it - we have some great submissions so far (but we can always use more!).
ReplyDelete