ATS keywords for a physiotherapist resume
Many employers keep applications in an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), where recruiters search and sort them by the skills the role needs. Use these terms where they honestly describe your experience, so your resume is easy to find and easy to read:
Key skills to highlight
- ▸Assessment and clinical reasoning
- ▸Exercise prescription and manual therapy
- ▸Goal setting and treatment planning
- ▸Caseload and time management
- ▸Patient education and communication
Credentials Australian employers screen for
- ▸Current AHPRA registration (Physiotherapy Board of Australia)
- ▸Accredited physiotherapy degree
- ▸National Police Check and Working With Children Check where required
- ▸Current first aid and a driver's licence for community roles
Common mistakes to avoid
- ▸Not stating AHPRA registration up front.
- ▸Listing duties instead of caseload, settings and outcomes.
- ▸Omitting the clinical area the role focuses on.
- ▸A generic resume rather than matching the practice type.
Physiotherapist CV example: before and after
One experience entry, written twice. The numbers are illustrative, the structure is what matters.
Before
Physiotherapist, 2021 to present. Assess and treat patients with a range of conditions. Provide hands on treatment and exercise programs, write clinical notes and liaise with referring doctors. Attend team meetings and supervise students when required.
AHPRA registration is missing, so the screen cannot confirm this person is registered to practise, and "a range of conditions" names no clinical area, leaving the practice principal unable to tell whether the caseload is musculoskeletal, neuro or cardiorespiratory.
After
Physiotherapist | AHPRA registration PHY000XXXXXX (Physiotherapy Board of Australia, current, no conditions)
Metropolitan private practice, musculoskeletal and post-operative caseload across two clinic sites | February 2021 to present | Full time
- ▸Managed a caseload of 13 to 15 patients a day weighted to lumbar and cervical spine, shoulder, and post-operative knee and hip rehabilitation.
- ▸Applied musculoskeletal assessment and clinical reasoning at initial consult, then treatment planning and goal setting agreed with the patient and tracked against outcome measures (NPRS, LEFS, patient specific functional scale).
- ▸Delivered exercise prescription through a home program platform alongside manual therapy, dry needling and taping, progressing rehabilitation from acute stage to return to sport or return to work.
- ▸Carried a workers compensation and CTP caseload of about 20 per cent, including certificates of capacity, insurer reporting and return to work planning with employers.
- ▸Supervised four final year physiotherapy students on clinical placement and ran a monthly in-service for the clinical team, most recently on tendinopathy loading.
Stating AHPRA registration up front and then naming the setting, daily caseload, clinical area and outcome measures replaces "a range of conditions" with a scope a practice principal can match to their own books.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need AHPRA registration on my physiotherapy resume?
Yes. Registration with the Physiotherapy Board via AHPRA is mandatory to practise, so state your registration near the top of the resume.
How do new graduate physiotherapists stand out?
Lead with your clinical placements, the settings and caseloads you worked, your registration status, and any special interest areas. Placement breadth carries an early-career resume.
Should I tailor my physio resume to the setting?
Yes. Match the clinical area, musculoskeletal, neuro, cardiorespiratory, paediatric, and use the language of the role and its outcome measures.
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