Occupational Therapist Name Here Date

Occupational Therapist

Name Here Date Due Here an Evaluation on Occupational Therapists

Occupational Therapists have been in existence for quite some time, although they have not always been recognized by the same title. Employment in professional and related occupations and in service occupations is expected to increase the fastest of all occupations and add the most jobs from 2004 to 2014; office and administrative support occupations are projected to grow about half as fast as all occupations, and production occupations should decline slightly.(Hecker 2005)

Hecker provides in his research one of the main pros to occupational therapists; that being that there will be an abundance of jobs available in this and other related fields. A con to this significant increase is training an education of the occupational therapists. There are instances when due to a plethora of opportunities the standards may not be as strict; this in turn allows professionals that may not have the same level of training to enter into the field. On the other hand in more research conducted by Hecker (2005), he reports on another con to being an occupational therapist, this is that although there will be an abundance of jobs in these fields; there are limitations that will be placed on occupations that are related to health. Therefore showing that although there will be a need there will not be proper funding to support this dramatic increase. Another con reported is that due to these financial constraints lower paying positions will have to complete duties that were not always apart of their daily functions. One of the main groups of people effected by these increases in work and not pay are occupational therapists (Hecker 2001)

Another pro-to the field of occupational therapy is that this position/field Hecker, reports will grow more rapidly than overall health employment, due to providing services to the growing older population. (Hecker 2001) Ageing is not an aspect of life that we have figured out how to stop or reverse; regardless of how one views this aspect its place a primary component in ones field provides ultimate job security.

One thing is certain through my evaluation I now acknowledge that there are good and bad aspects to every choice one makes considering employment and opportunities. I have a newfound respect for the sensitivity and fragile frame of the field. There is nothing promised, one can hold top degrees in his/her field and have all of the training and experience in the world. These things do not sure a sustainable future. I have learned that there are certain aspects of life that give particular fields more "job" security that others, however this does not insure individual success rates or even amounts of money that will be made by any individual. Honestly, job security no longer looks so secure. There are possibilities that I may have to work harder and longer for the same pay or possibly even less, not to mention that the market will be so overflowing that there is an opportunity I am passed over for a position because that company/hospital etc. is able to hire someone with less experience and less qualifications. This in turn opens itself to putting the customer/client in harms way. If the client has a bad experience they may not return to any other occupational therapists; this in turn starts to deplete the need. In essence, it is all a domino effect, every move and decision causes a reaction that can go well or bad, it all depends on the situation and the individual. In reality, no job is truly "safe," and no position or field is without its obstacles to surmount.