Research Summary. We analyzed 1,044 recreation therapist resumes to determine which ones land the most jobs. Below you'll find examples of resumes that can help you get an interview (and a job offer) from companies like Hoosier Care and Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration. Here are the key facts about recreation therapist resumes to help you get the job:

  • The average recreation therapist resume is 376 words long
  • The average recreation therapist resume is 0.8 pages long based on 450 words per page.
  • Patients is the most common skill found on a recreation therapist resume. It appears on 26.7% of resumes.
After learning about how to write a professional recreation therapist resume, you can make sure your resume checks all the boxes with our resume builder.

Resume

Recreation Therapist Resume Example

Choose From 10+ Customizable Recreation Therapist Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Recreation Therapist templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Recreation Therapist resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

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Recreation Therapist Resume Format And Sections

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1. Add Contact Information To Your Recreation Therapist Resume

Your name should be the biggest text on the page and be at or near the top of the document.

Your address doesn't need to include your street name or house number - listing your city and state works just fine.

Your email address should be professional, but not your current work email address. It's not a good look to use your work email for personal projects (job-searching).

Your social media can be included if you have a fully-fledged LinkedIn page or another social media page that showcases your relevant skill set.

Recreation Therapist Resume Contact Information Example #1

Hank Rutherford Hill

St. Arlen, Texas | 333-111-2222 | hank.hill@gmail.com

Do you want to know more?
How To Write The Perfect Resume Header
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2. Add Your Relevant Education To The Resume

Your resume's education section should include:

  • The name of your school
  • The date you graduated (Month, Year or Year are both appropriate)
  • The name of your degree
If you graduated more than 15 years ago, you should consider dropping your graduation date to avoid age discrimination.

Optional subsections for your education section include:

  • Academic awards (Dean's List, Latin honors, etc. )
  • GPA (if you're a recent graduate and your GPA was 3.5+)
  • Extra certifications
  • Academic projects (thesis, dissertation, etc.)

Other tips to consider when writing your education section include:

  • If you're a recent graduate, you might opt to place your education section above your experience section
  • The more work experience you get, the shorter your education section should be
  • List your education in reverse chronological order, with your most recent and high-ranking degrees first
  • If you haven't graduated yet, you can include "Expected graduation date" to the entry for that school

Recreation Therapist Resume Relevant Education Example #1

Bachelor's Degree In Recreation Management 2003 - 2006

Texas State University San Marcos, TX

Recreation Therapist Resume Relevant Education Example #2

Bachelor's Degree In Rehabilitation Science 2006 - 2009

Springfield College Springfield, MA

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3. Next, Create A Recreation Therapist Skills Section On Your Resume

Your resume's skills section should include the most important keywords from the job description, as long as you actually have those skills. If you haven't started your job search yet, you can look over resumes to get an idea of what skills are the most important.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when writing your resume's skills section:

  • Include 6-12 skills, in bullet point form
  • List mostly hard skills; soft skills are hard to test
  • Emphasize the skills that are most important for the job
Hard skills are generally more important to hiring managers because they relate to on-the-job knowledge and specific experience with a certain technology or process.

Soft skills are also valuable, as they're highly transferable and make you a great person to work alongside, but they're impossible to prove on a resume.

Example Of Recreation Therapist Skills For Resume

  • Mental Health Skills

    Mental health is the state of wellbeing in which an individual can cope with the regular stresses and tensions of life, and can work productively without having any emotional or psychological breakdown. Mental health is essential for a person of any age and helps them make the right decisions in their life.

  • Patient Care Skills

    Patient care entails the diagnosis, recovery, and control of sickness as well as the maintenance of physical and emotional well-being through the use of healthcare providers' services. Patient care is described as services provided to patients by health practitioners or non-professionals under guidance.

  • CPR Skills

    Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is a medical procedure that involves chest compression to help a patient breathe. This artificial ventilation helps in keeping the brain function in place and regulates blood throughout the body. CPR is a lifesaving procedure that is used in emergencies.

  • Community Resources Skills

    Community resources are a set of resources that are used in the day to day life of people which improves their lifestyle in some way. People, sites or houses, and population assistance can come under the services offered by community resources.

Top Skills for a Recreation Therapist

Source: Zippia.com
  • Patients, 26.7%
  • CTRS, 10.6%
  • Mental Health, 7.4%
  • Rehabilitation, 7.2%
  • Other Skills, 48.1%
Not sure which skills are really important?
3 Big Tips For Listing Skills On Your Resume
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4. List Your Recreation Therapist Experience

The most important part of any resume is the experience section. Recruiters and hiring managers expect to see your experience listed in reverse chronological order, meaning that you should begin with your most recent experience and then work backwards.

Don't just list your job duties below each job entry. Instead, make sure most of your bullet points discuss impressive achievements from your past positions. Whenever you can, use numbers to contextualize your accomplishments for the hiring manager reading your resume.

It's okay if you can't include exact percentages or dollar figures. There's a big difference even between saying "Managed a team of engineers" and "Managed a team of 6 engineers over a 9-month project."

Most importantly, make sure that the experience you include is relevant to the job you're applying for. Use the job description to ensure that each bullet point on your resume is appropriate and helpful.

Don't have any experience?
How To Show Your Experience On a Resume... Even When You Don't Have Any
Work History Example # 1
Recreation Therapist
Children's Village
  • Performed all documentations of resident's initial assessments, care plans, progress notes and MDS.
  • Shadowed supervisor and other key personnel in assigned departments.
  • Updated and applied changes to MDS's and interview and assess new residents.
  • Managed and coordinated a case load of 10-15 severally emotionally handicapped children and adolescents.
  • Developed and maintained database for patient outcomes.
Work History Example # 2
Adapted Physical Education Teacher
Central High School
  • Developed curriculum for a 32 student classroom that fostered independence and encouraged social development while teaching reading, writing and mathematics.
  • Developed and collaborated with partner teacher to develop literacy lessons.
  • Created a monthly newsletter to update parents regarding the activities and future events in the program.
  • Coached the following: basketball, baseball, softball and golf
  • Maintained ongoing communication with the clinical faculty from Merrimack College on a monthly basis.
Work History Example # 3
Recreation Program Coordinator
Playworks
  • Prepared official reports concerning CPRP personnel investigations, violations, suspensions, and terminations in a highly confidential manner.
  • Provided overall management, evaluation, planning and developed methods, procedures and practices for efficient program functioning.
  • Championed and led events for local teenagers to encourage healthy Boys and Girls club activities around fitness.
  • Designated CPR instructor to provide participants CPR certification as required by program contract.
  • Created RAFT (Recreation Activities for Teens) a teen camp for over 50 teens.
Work History Example # 4
Recreation Therapist
Pacific Clinics
  • Facilitated services to mentally-ill adults, children and adolescents to maintain stability and improve social and emotional behavior
  • Served as charge therapist in adult ICU's when assigned.
  • Provided coaching and performance evaluations of all CTRS staff in department.
  • Completed daily documentation and progress notes on residents utilizing the fundamentals of effective written and oral communication.
  • Developed the recreation therapy program for the VA Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans (DCHV)/DOM SA.
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5. Highlight Your Recreation Therapist Certifications On Resume

Certifications can be a powerful tool to show employers that you know your stuff. If you have any of these certifications, make sure to put them on your recreation therapist resume:

  1. Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS)
  2. First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor
  3. Music Therapist - Board Certified (MT-BC)

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6. Finally, Add a Recreation Therapist Resume Summary Or Objective Statement

A resume summary statement is a 1-3 sentence spiel at the top of your resume that quickly summarizes who you are and what you have to offer. In this section, include your job title, years of experience (if it's 3+), and an impressive accomplishment, if you have space for it.

Remember to address skills and experiences that are emphasized in the job description.

Are you a recent grad?
Read our guide on how to write a resume summary statement

And If You’re Looking for a Job, Here Are the Five Top Employers Hiring Now:

  1. La Paloma Urgent Care & Physician Offices Jobs (7)
  2. Hebrew SeniorLife Jobs (7)
  3. St. Luke's Hospital Jobs (7)
  4. The New Jewish Home Jobs (13)
  5. Hillside Family of Agencies Jobs (10)

Common Recreation Therapist Resume Skills

  • Patients
  • CTRS
  • Mental Health
  • Rehabilitation
  • Patient Care
  • CPR
  • Treatment Programs
  • Social Work
  • Veterans
  • Substance Abuse
  • Music Therapy
  • Treatment Services
  • Mental Illness
  • Compassion
  • Community Resources
  • Adaptive
  • Art Therapy
  • Leisure Education
  • Therapeutic Interventions
  • Developmental Disabilities
  • Community Outings
  • Discharge Planning
  • Therapeutic Recreation Programs
  • Treatment Sessions
  • MDS
  • Therapy Programs
  • Team Work
  • Community Integration
  • Physical Disabilities
  • Therapeutic Recreation
  • Discharge Summaries
  • TBI
  • Group Therapy Sessions
  • Eating Disorders
  • Relaxation Techniques
  • Alzheimer
  • Stress Management
  • Sensory Stimulation
  • Group Programs
  • Needs Assessment
  • Social Interaction
  • Anger Management
  • Olympics
  • Dementia Care

Recreation Therapist Jobs