2025 New Physical Therapy Toolkit

As you start on this next stage of your career in healthcare, we want you to know you’re not alone. Explore this handy guidebook to the nuts and bolts of kicking off your physical therapy career.

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What’s inside the New Physical Therapist Toolkit?

Designed for new PT professionals, the Toolkit contains eight helpful touchstones to guide graduates as they embark on their physical therapy career. It covers everything from resume advice to how to prepare for an interview and managing stress in the workplace.

Inside the guide, you’ll find:

Tips for applying for a physical therapy job.
Downloadable sample resume template.
Critical communication skills in the workplace.

How to Write Your Physical Therapy Resume

As a new grad or recently licensed PT, you might not have years of clinical experience. Don’t panic! The goal of your resume is to highlight your education, hands-on training, and relevant strengths in a way that aligns with the job you’re targeting.

Before you start, consider how to format your resume. Make sure you include enough information about yourself while keeping it succinct and clutter-free. In addition, choose a professional font and ensure that your name and contact information are easy to find.

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Setting Up Your Professional LinkedIn Page

You don’t need to be a social media guru to benefit from LinkedIn. For physical therapists just starting out, a strong LinkedIn profile can open doors. It can help you connect with a clinic director, stay in touch with mentors, or get discovered by a recruiter looking for new grads. LinkedIn is your online resume, networking tool, and professional first impression all rolled into one.

How to Apply for a Physical Therapy Job

Graduation may be behind you, but there’s one final step before your PT career officially begins: landing that first job. While applying might seem straightforward, there’s a strategy involved if you want to stand out and get interviews.

When you fill out your application, it will probably feel redundant and repetitive. While it seems like extra work, do not skip over any sections of your job application just because they are already part of your attached resume or cover letter.

Tips to Prepare for a Physical Therapy Interview

For many people, the interview process is an uncomfortable, if not fear-inducing, experience. Selling yourself to a potential employer can be a challenge, but preparing well can help you feel more confident and comfortable when the time comes. Interviews are simply structured conversations where both sides are trying to figure out if the match makes sense: for the clinic/hospital, and for you. Like anything else, interviewing well is a skill that can be learned.

Choosing Your Physical Therapy Specialty

The world of physical therapy can take you on many different paths. You might be drawn to high-paced outpatient orthopedics, neurological rehab, pediatrics, or even the world of pelvic health. There’s no shortage of options, but don’t worry if you’re feeling overwhelmed. You don’t need to know your exact path right away.

Building Confidence and Managing Stress as a New PT

Starting your physical therapy career is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. One day you’re a student with supervision and structure. The next, you’re expected to manage your own caseload, adapt quickly, and make real-time clinical decisions. It’s a big shift, and it’s completely normal to feel unsure or even anxious as you adjust.

Critical Communication Skills in Healthcare

Physical therapy is as much about communication as it is about clinical skills. Every day, you’ll be talking with patients, collaborating with colleagues, updating physicians, and explaining complex information in a way that makes sense to someone who’s never heard of scapular dyskinesis or proprioception training.

Strong communication isn’t just a “soft skill.” It directly impacts your effectiveness as a PT. It shapes how patients engage with their care, how smoothly teams function, and how well you’re able to advocate for the people you treat. Like anything else, it’s something you can improve with practice.

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Dealing with Difficult Coworkers

No matter how much you love your job, or how well you get along with most of your team, eventually you’ll encounter a coworker who’s hard to work with. Maybe it’s someone who constantly complains, someone who doesn’t pull their weight, or someone whose communication style rubs you the wrong way.

Team dynamics play a huge role in job satisfaction. Learning how to navigate challenging personalities without letting them drain your energy is a must-have skill, especially early in your career.

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