Hi everyone! I’m Daniel Castrucci, a Melbourne-based occupational therapist working across community OT, the NDIS and aged care. If you’re close to graduating, you’re probably juggling placement hours, assessments, and that familiar question from lecturers, family, and supervisors: “So what area do you want to work in?” it can feel like you’re meant to have a clear answer before you’ve even had a proper run at the job.
In this blog, I’ll cover what matters most before you graduate: getting more out of placement, strengthening your clinical reasoning and report writing, and finding a first role with real supervision. The goal is to help you start as a new graduate OT in Australia with more confidence and less guesswork.
(This article is written for final-year Occupational Therapy students and new graduates in Australia. It may also be useful for employers, supervisors, and referrers who want to understand what safe, well-supported early-career OT practice looks like.)
How to set yourself up for your first OT role
1. Treat placement like a rehearsal, not an assessment
Placements can feel like a test. But your best learning happens when you treat them like a rehearsal for real work. Ask to own one contained piece of the caseload. For example: one home visit from referral to recommendations, including the report. Following the full arc forces you to link observation, reasoning and writing.
Get serious about documentation. New grads are often surprised by how much OT is notes, emails and reports. On placement, set a rule: notes done before you leave. Then ask your supervisor what “good enough” looks like in that service.
2. Get exposure outside uni that reflects real clients
If you can, pick up a role that’s close to OT work. That might be as a therapy assistant. It could be disability support work, aged care support, or even community health admin. This isn’t about clocking up hours for the sake of it. It’s about learning how people actually live. It’s also about seeing how services run day to day.
In Melbourne and across Victoria, community work often means working around real-life constraints. Transport can be tricky. Housing can limit what’s possible. Family routines shape what will actually stick. And the NDIS can be messy at times. If you see that early, you’ll become a more practical clinician.
3. Build a small, reliable clinical reasoning toolkit
Final year isn’t the time to chase every framework. It’s the time to get confident with a few repeatable moves you’ll use every week.
- Start with an occupational profile and clear goals. Turn broad hopes into goals you can actually observe and measure.
- Practise functional observation by watching real tasks like meal prep, showering, or transfers. Name barriers in plain language.
- Know your home safety basics (entry/exit, bathroom, fatigue, cognition, falls risk) and link what you see to practical changes.
- Get familiar with common equipment and know when to escalate to a specialist.
- Work on fundable writing: Clear problem → functional impact → recommendation → rationale.
If you can, ask to read a few de-identified reports on placement. Compare them to your own writing. Feedback on reports is one of the fastest ways to improve.
4. Find mentors and your OT community before you “need” them
Early-career OT can feel isolating, especially if you’re only getting feedback from your own inner critic.
- Pick one mentor you trust, like a clinical educator or an experienced OT. Keep it simple with a monthly check-in.
- Stay connected to the profession too. OTA and local networks can link you with resources, webinars, and people who still remember what “new grad brain” feels like.
Mentoring won’t fix every hard day, but it gives you a safe place to think and make better decisions.
5. Get the admin sorted early: registration and typical checks
In Australia, you need to be registered with the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia through AHPRA before you can practise.New graduates apply through the AHPRA online portal.
I won’t list exact requirements because they can change, so check Ahpra/OT Board guidance. My practical tip is to start a document folder now (ID, academic docs, any certified copies) so you’re not scrambling later.
Depending on the setting, employers may also ask for First Aid/CPR and checks like a Working With Children Check and a police check.
6. Interview the employer (so you’re not thrown in the deep end)
This is the tip I push hardest. I’ve seen capable grads struggle in their first year, not because they’re weak, but because they’re expected to work without enough support.
When you’re choosing your first role, look for signs of a safe learning environment. An environment that usually includes regular supervision, a clear development plan (and sometimes a PD allowance), and a staged ramp-up in caseload and complexity.
Ask:
- “How often is supervision scheduled, and who provides it?”
- “What does the first 8–12 weeks look like for caseload and complexity?”
- “What support do I have for complex cases on the day?”
- “How is report writing time protected?”
- “What does professional development look like for new grads?”
If the answers are vague or overly target-focused, take note. A supportive workplace helps you build skills safely. A sink-or-swim setup can push people to avoid asking for help, which isn’t good for learning or client care.
7. Practise sustainable habits now
Final year is busy. Work doesn’t usually get easier after graduation, so it helps to build good habits now.
- Time-block your week, including breaks.
- Decide what “good enough” looks like for notes and uni tasks.
- Debrief with a peer or mentor after tough days.
- Set boundaries early, especially with after-hours admin.
8. A simple three-step end-of-semester plan
Here’s a simple three-step plan for the end of semester:
- CV + cover letter: Draft them, tailor them, and get someone to review them.
- Workplace shortlist: Pick a handful of services and speak with at least one OT in each area, even informally.
- Registration readiness: Use OT Board/Ahpra guidance as your reference point, organise your documents, and line up any checks your target setting is likely to require.
One last thing
Graduation isn’t the moment you suddenly become competent. It’s the moment you become responsible for learning in public, with supervision, feedback and humility. Choose your first workplace by the quality of supervision, not the brand name; one great supervisor can compress years of learning into months, while a sink-or-swim role can quietly teach you bad habits. And remember, your job isn’t to know everything, it’s to translate real life into practical, sustainable change that a person can still do on their worst day.
-Daniel Castrucci
References:
https://potentialabilitygroup.com.au/from-university-student-to-occupational-therapist/
https://www.therapyabroad.org/occupational-therapy-internship/
https://occupationaltherapy.com.au/life-as-an-ot-student/
Official requirements (check the latest):
- Occupational Therapy Board of Australia – Registration: https://www.occupationaltherapyboard.gov.au/Registration.aspx
- AHPRA – Graduate registration: https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Registration/Graduate-registration.aspx
- Service Victoria – Working with Children Check: https://service.vic.gov.au/services/working-with-children
- Australian Federal Police – National police checks: https://www.afp.gov.au/our-services/national-police-checks
- Occupational Therapy Australia – Membership: https://www.otaus.com.au/join-us
