Physical Therapist cover letter example: a sample to adapt, and why it works.

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Physical Therapist cover letter

When to use: Applications for Physical Therapist roles.

Dear [Hiring manager's name],

I'm applying for the Physical Therapist position at [Employer], which I found on [where you saw the posting]. I bring [number] years of experience as a Physical Therapist, most recently leading [the scope you are responsible for].

At [Current or most recent employer], I performed and documented an initial exam, evaluating data to identify problems and determine a diagnosis prior to intervention for [how many / how often], and I instructed patient and family in treatment procedures to be continued at home, which [result you can prove: time saved, errors cut, people served]. I also evaluated effects of treatment at various stages, using [a tool the posting names, for example MEDITECH software, only if you have used it].

Your posting mentions [a priority from the job description]. That is where my social perceptiveness and service orientation matter most: [one short, true example of you doing it].

I'd welcome a conversation about how I could help [Employer] with [that priority]. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
[Your name]

1. Opening. Names the role, Physical Therapist, and where you saw it, then states your experience in the role.
2. Proof. “Perform and document an initial exam” and “Instruct patient and family in treatment procedures to be continued at home”, in the past tense, plus your scale and result.
3. Skills. Social Perceptiveness and Service Orientation, the top-rated skills, get a real example.
4. Tools. MEDITECH software stays in brackets: O*NET data, not your experience.

Career change into Physical Therapist work

When to use: You are moving in from a related job. O*NET lists Occupational Therapist, Clinical Nurse Specialist and Nurse Practitioner among the occupations related to this one.

After [number] years as [your current job title], I'm applying for the Physical Therapist role at [Employer]. In my current job I already obtained patients' informed consent to proposed interventions [or the closest thing you do], and I recently [completed training, a course or a project] in [a skill the posting names].

Moving up to a senior Physical Therapist role

When to use: Experienced candidates: O*NET places this job in Job Zone 5, extensive preparation.

I'm applying for the Physical Therapist role at [Employer]. Over [number] years I have tested and measured patient's strength, motor development and function, sensory perception, functional capacity, or respiratory or circulatory efficiency, and more recently [the larger scope or responsibility you took on].

Referral opening

When to use: Someone at the physical therapist employer suggested you apply.

[Referrer's name], who [works on your team / knows my work from Previous employer], suggested I apply for the Physical Therapist role. At [Employer] I directed, supervised, assessed, and communicated with supportive personnel for [scale], which [result you can prove].

Data Related occupations in O*NET: Occupational Therapists, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Nurse Practitioners, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians, Family Medicine Physicians and Recreational Therapists.

Data Also posted as: Acute Care PT (Acute Care Physical Therapist), Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), Home Care Physical Therapist (Home Care PT), Inpatient Physical Therapist (Inpatient PT), Outpatient Physical Therapist (Outpatient PT), Pediatric Physical Therapist (Pediatric PT).

Data Knowledge areas: Customer and Personal Service, Therapy and Counseling, Medicine and Dentistry and Psychology. Tools reported: MEDITECH software, eClinicalWorks EHR software, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Word.

• Listing tools you haven't used: the tools above describe the job, not you.
• Describing duties instead of results: “Perform and document an initial exam” is the job, not an achievement.
• Leaving out a license, certification or degree the posting asks for, when you hold it.
• Ignoring Customer and Personal Service, a knowledge area O*NET rates important here.
• Writing only about tasks when the job involves constant contact with people (O*NET work context).
• Skipping accuracy when errors in this job are costly (O*NET work context).
• Ignoring deadlines when the job runs under time pressure (O*NET work context).

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