Whether your patients survived an injury, underwent surgery, or dealt with chronic pain for any other reasons, you’re there to provide an examination and work out a recovery plan. These plans usually involve stretching, calculated exercises, and specialized pharmaceuticals!
But how do you show you can handle anything the day throws your way on your cover letter and complementary physical therapist resume? What job skills and values should you present to demonstrate your fit as the ideal physical therapist?
Not to worry! After years of assisting medical professionals and physical therapists like you, we’re here to help. Try our three physical therapist cover letter examples to launch yourself toward your dream job.
Why this cover letter works
- One way to make your physical therapist cover letter stand out is by showing an understanding of a potential employer. Even better, tell a story of how one of your relatives received the best care during a stay at the facility you’re looking forward to becoming an employee.
- To end on a high note, add your achievement metrics from other roles to highlight your impact on the success of the places you’ve worked before.
Physical Therapist Assistant Cover Letter Example
USE THIS TEMPLATE
Why this cover letter works
- There’s no shortcut to making your physical therapist assistant cover letter stand out. You must prove your unique job skills through measurable achievements. And how do you do that? By showcasing your initiatives that improved patient outcomes and adding figures that underscore your impact.
- Taking a cue from this example, you can include a rehabilitation program for seniors, which saw improved post-operation mobility by an 18% margin.
Entry-Level Physical Therapist Cover Letter Example
USE THIS TEMPLATE
Why this cover letter works
- You just graduated, and you’re looking to break into the real world of your career and wondering where to begin. Your timing is perfect because this entry level physical therapist cover letter sets a perfect example you can emulate.
- Tap from your voluntary and internship experiences and be keen to highlight your achievements and impact to patients and facilities. As you conclude, show your enthusiasm to work and add value to the team.
Related cover letter examples
How to Write Your Best Physical Therapist Cover Letter
Just make sure you tailor your cover letter to the job description! You’ll need to align yourself with the company and demonstrate that you’re a great fit by comparing your list of job skills with the job requirements—no two physical therapy practices are the same.
Check out the company website and see if they’re currently facing any obstacles you can help overcome. Did you ever help with a community outreach program remarkably similar to one that’s coming up on their calendar? How have you boosted the same recovery rates they’re seeking to improve?
Writing an impressive greeting and intro
If you find yourself getting stuck right at “Dear-” then it’s time to do some research! Luckily, your pool of information is very similar to what you keep handy for customizing your cover letter. Sometimes, the recruiter’s or hiring manager’s name is right on the job description! Otherwise, it might be on the company website somewhere, even if it takes some digging.
Once you’ve found whose name to use in your greeting, it’s time to lay out a few traits and qualifications that make you a flawlessly aligned physical therapist. State that you want the job, and share why you’re qualified for it.
Make sure you arrange your introductory paragraph with a good hook (such as a company name drop or a reference to past instances of obstacles you’ve overcome. You want the reader to crave more info about you!
Just don’t write an opener like this, which lacks a proper greeting and sounds both sloppy and questionable in terms of taste:
Oof . . .
Hey so I’m Carla and I did a lot of stuff in school that will help me do well in this role. I can make your patients feel great so that you look good too.
Instead, go for something more like this opener’s strong enthusiasm and connection to the company:
Ahh, that’s better:
Dear Ms. Wilson,
My passion for physical therapy started early and has only grown over the years. With a strong foundation in therapeutic exercise, manual therapy techniques, and patient assessment, combined with hands-on experience from volunteering opportunities and a significant internship, I am confident in my ability to contribute effectively to Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare’s esteemed team as your next entry-level physical therapist.
Writing up the body text
Recruiters don’t have tons of time to comb through your cover letter, so each paragraph should be clear and concise as you focus primarily on one key point. That point might be a success story of how you improved team success rates by helping a college’s star player recover from an injury at optimal speed. Or it might be how you maintained ongoing patient relationships with seniors!
Make sure your points apply directly to each job you’re applying for by being specific. Don’t hide your specialization beneath vague terminology and wind up pitching your oncology-specific success points to a facility with a niche in neurology!
Also, what kinds of numbers do you have to back up your success? Recruiters and hiring managers love metrics that bolster your engaging stories with solid evidence that you really are that good! How did you improve clinic ratings with your encouraging attitude during recovery sessions? Do you have any quantifiable data that aligns with points in the job description that you’ve handled before?
Here’s what you want in a body paragraph:
Over the years, I have honed my skills in physical therapy, achieving significant outcomes for my patients. During my three years’ tenure at TotalMed, I helped 93% of my patients with balance-related issues to regain confidence in their mobility and reduce the risk of falls. By implementing personalized gait training programs, 88% of my patients with walking disabilities showed substantial improvements, enabling them to walk unaided and with reduced pain.
Closing and signing off your completed cover letter
Your letter’s looking great now that you’ve exemplified your specialized abilities and versatile expertise in some solid body paragraphs that outline your capabilities as a physical therapist! Now, it’s time to polish everything up and conclude your cover letter in a way that cultivates more progress toward your ideal job role.
Quickly summarize again why you want the job and toss in a couple of fresh qualifying traits to make your point. It’s also smart to reconnect with the company (refer to your intro) over their current goals, values, or mission statement.
Don’t forget to include a call to action that invites further contact—that will be your next opportunity to expand upon your experiences with care planning or recovery assessment that left a lasting impact. Thank the reader for their time, too!
You can say thanks either in your closer paragraph or as your official signoff. Just make sure you keep it professional and formal either way, and always use your real name on your cover letter.
Don’t send anyone a closer like this, which is much too informal and murky despite having a call to action:
Ouch.
Well there’s the stuff that makes me a good physical therapist, I hope you liked it. I want to start this job really soon so let me know what’s up next and everything.
-Billy G.
Check out how much better it looks when a closer is formal, personal, and professional:
That’s a smooth closer!
I am eager to contribute to the esteemed team at TMC and help ensure that patients receive the highest quality of care, much like my grandmother did. I look forward to the possibility of furthering your noble mission by continuing the legacy of unparalleled patient care that I once witnessed firsthand. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Elena Andreev
Where do I find who I’m writing to?
If you weren’t able to find the name of your letter’s recipient by sifting through the job ad or by browsing the company’s websites, that’s okay! You can turn to independently researching the company’s team or to professional social media like Facebook and LinkedIn.
How long should my cover letter be?
Keep it nice and neat at just one page! Your reader will thank you for respecting their time, and you’ll demonstrate your ability to convey information efficiently, which is important in physical therapy. Anything longer than one page will be viewed less favorably and is more likely to go unread.
How do I handle enclosures?
Easy! Just write “Enclosures:” at the bottom of your cover letter, and then list whatever you’re adding to your complete application package. Alongside your physical therapist resume and the company’s application form, your enclosures might include additional medical certifications or professional letters of recommendation attesting to your excellence on the job.
