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Showcase your strengths and accomplishments with the help of our physical therapy cover letters and professional writing advice.
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Knowing where to begin with your cover letter can be a challenge. Take a look at this physical therapy cover letter sample for inspiration or copy it onto one of the cover letter templates in our Cover Letter Builder to make it your own.
Build my cover letterWrite a professional cover letter to land physical therapy jobs with the help of these tips:
A cover letter should complement your resume, not repeat the same information. Recruiters and hiring managers will read both documents simultaneously, so use your cover letter to dive further into a specific set of skills or achievements, explain why you’re attracted to that company and present yourself as the best candidate.
Not every physical therapist job will list the same requirements, so be specific about your past achievements and specialty as a physical therapist. Do you specialize in pediatrics? Do you have experience in neurological assessments? Let them know what you can do and how you’ve used your skills in the past.
Any recruiter wants to see evidence that you have carefully read the job description and the job posting. You should customize your cover letter to show that you have taken the time to understand the role’s responsibilities and explain why you are the right person to fulfill them. You should use keywords and skills outlined in the job description when describing your talents. This demonstrates to the hiring manager that you have the skill set necessary to excel.
Physical therapists require an assortment of skills to effectively assess, treat and support their patients in their rehabilitation journey. Be sure to feature hard skills (e.g., Manual muscle testing or rehabilitation planning) that reflect the job posting and soft skills (e.g., Great interpersonal skills or time management skills) that reflect who you are as a physical therapist.
Typos and grammatical errors can leave a sour impression on hiring managers, so read your cover letter carefully before submitting it to ensure it has no errors. As a physical therapist, attention to detail is key for your role.
You must share your contact information so that it is easily visible to the hiring manager so they can contact you to schedule a job interview. Include your information at the top of your cover letter in the header, like your full name, address, email, phone number and any links to your job networking profiles, such as LinkedIn.
Research the hiring manager’s name to address the letter to them, it’s the professional standard. Using a general salutation like “Dear Hiring Manager” or “To Whom It May Concern” may look unprofessional.
Quickly outline your strengths in the first paragraph to frame yourself as a viable candidate. You should hook the reader with your career highlights. This provides a solid base for the rest of the cover letter. This may refer to your experience as a physical therapist or assistant, your outstanding skill set or evidence of your expertise and knowledge. You want to make a good first impression so the hiring manager wants to continue reading your cover letter.
In the second paragraph of your cover letter, you should outline why you are the perfect fit for the advertised role. Expand on your resume, drawing the line between your previous experience and the advertised role. This is all about building up a picture of you as an individual to convince the recruiter to invite you to interview. Give evidence, reference certifications and highlight skills to show your suitability.
Just as your opening salutation is professional and polite, your final paragraph should thank the recruiter for their time. Point to your attached physical therapist resume for more details, then encourage them to take the next step with a call to action. This shouldn’t be too direct. Just say you are looking forward to discussing the role further, either on a phone call or at an interview.
For more tips, read our How to Write a Cover Letter article.
Make sure the hard skills and soft skills you include in your physical therapy cover letter reflect the needs listed in the job description. Here are some physical therapy skills you can consider:
Update your professional cover letter and resume using our professional resources and tools.
Have questions? We’re here to help.
Writing a physical therapy cover letter requires showing your qualifications, demonstrating your understanding of the role and expressing your enthusiasm for the job.
A professional summary for a licensed physical therapist should be at most three sentences long. It should feature your top skills relevant to the job posting and your most desirable qualifications. For example:
“Dedicated and accomplished physical therapist with six years of experience in delivering exceptional rehabilitative care. Adept at assessing patient needs, developing effective treatment plans and implementing evidence-based interventions to optimize functional outcomes. Specialized in orthopedic rehabilitation with a focus on musculoskeletal disorders and sports injuries.”
Yes. You should always write a cover letter to complete your job application. It allows you to build on the details of your resume by sharing a more personal touch and creating a better picture of you as an individual. Word your cover letter wisely to set yourself apart from other job candidates. Use our resume writing tips and resume examples to create a resume. Then back up your resume with the perfect cover letter using sample cover letters and a cover letter builder. Take these steps to give yourself the best chance of landing that new job.
Your cover letter should be around three-quarters of a page long. If you follow our cover letter templates and the cover letter format outlined above, you’ll see that this gives you enough space to share details without overloading the hiring manager with information. Remember, the cover letter is still a prelude to an interview.
Yes, you can still use this cover letter for physical therapist jobs, even if you don’t have much experience. While you will need to share your certifications and education details, it’s perfectly understandable that you may be an entry-level candidate. If this is the case, you can swap out any references to previous experiences with your other strengths. You’ll need to outline how your skillset will help you fulfill the role’s duties.
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