3 Tips for Working While in OT School

Is working in OT school possible? Should I have a job? If so, what’s the best job to have? Does it need to be OT related. These are questions I’ve gotten many times and even more so after my latest #MoneyMonday chat. Today I’m sharing 3 tips for working while in OT School PLUS a complete list of jobs people have held while in OT school. If you haven’t already, check out my IG highlight called “Money Chat” where I talk all things budgeting, saving, salary expectations, etc. 

Before I get into the tips, I just want to add a disclaimer to please be sure that your program doesn’t have any restrictions in place about maintaining employment while you are enrolled in the program. This is a great question to ask a school during the application and/or interview process. 

I personally worked as a nanny and Certified Newborn Care Specialist (check out this IG post to learn more about this position). My typical income was between $22-$40/hr and I worked anywhere from 15-25 hours per week depending on my schedule at the time. I loved working while in OT school. I was able to gain valuable experience in child development, had time to study or work on my research papers - not to mention playing with babies during the day and snuggling with them at night was the greatest stress reliever ever.

So here’s my biggest 3 tips for working while in OT school:

  1. Wait until you start the program before starting your job. If possible. You’ll want to get a feel for the schedule, your workload, and just the general demand of graduate school before adding in additional responsibilities. You’ll also be able to find the best way to organize yourself and can figure out the ideal amount of hours you have to balance work, school, and of course - “me” time!

  2. Find a flexible job that can work around your schedule. Your schedule will absolutely be changing throughout the schedule and throughout the program - having a job that understands this and can work around your changing schedule will make life easier for you.  

  3. Budget this income! If you know me, you know I love chatting about money. Be sure to set a budget with this income. You can put money in savings or put a little bit towards your loans. It’s also okay to treat yourself every once in a while, too :) 

Now, because you are my people and I’m here to support you every step of the way. I’ve compiled a HUGE list of jobs people have held in OT school (thanks everyone for answering these in the question box this week!) I hope this helps! If I missed any, feel free to leave it in the comments section and I’ll add it to the list. They are divided into categories: child development, healthcare, education, and customer service. While some of the jobs are more related to OT than others, believe it or not, almost any job you hold will inevitably teach you valuable skills to use in your practice as an OT.

Child Development

  • Babysitter

  • Nanny

  • Certified Newborn Care Specialist

  • Teach English online (VIP Kid, qKids) 

  • Tutor (school-aged kids)

  • Substitute teacher 

  • Paraprofessional 

  • Sunday school teacher

Healthcare

  • OT aide 

  • Therapy aide 

  • Service provider for teenagers with developmental disabilities 

  • Personal care attendant

  • Respite care provider 

  • Certified nursing assistant

  • Pediatric home health aid 

  • Pharmacy tech 

  • Private caregiver

  • ABA tech 

  • Cognitive rehab therapist (behavior tech) 

Education

  • Work-study

  • Graduate teaching assistant 

  • Graduate research assistant 

  • Graduate assistantship (some offer tuition help) 

  • Campus library employee

  • Research lab 

  • Federal work-study 

Customer Service

  • Retail 

  • Waitress

  • Bartender

  • Job coach

  • Gymnastics coach 

  • Gym front desk attendant 

  • Hotel front desk agent

  • Any front desk job 

  • Trader Joe’s 

  • Bank employee

  • Door Dash

  • Uber/Lyft

Amirra JohnsonComment