Sierra Wolf

When you were a student, did you do anything outside of school to build skills or get knowledge that has helped your career?

Explore, explore, explore! Try things you know very little about and keep an open mind. You truly never know what knowledge will end up benefitting you later on!

What is the most useful piece of career advice you got as a student, and who gave it to you?

The most useful piece of advice I got as a student was this " Education is never wasted." Whether that means college, trade school or independent learning you cannot go wrong with expanding your mind. I can truly say that I am thankful for everything I have learned, even if it doesn't directly relate to my job!

How did you pick your career? Did you know all along?

Believe it or not when I first went to college I wanted to be an Archeologist! Once I graduated from college I went on to be a hospitality manager and then later found my dream career in Occupational Therapy. I definitely did not know what I wanted to be from the beginning and that is perfectly ok! I had some wonderful experiences I wouldn't trade for the world so don't think that because you don't know what you want to be yet, that you aren't working towards it everyday!

In layperson terms, what do you actually do at work?

The name Occupational Therapy often confuses people. I don't have anything to do with finding people jobs or really jobs in general. What I actually do is help people who are sick, injured or have a disability get better and be more independent in their lives. This means I work with children and adults. For example, if someone has had a stroke I might help them learn to use their paralyzed limb again. Or if a child has Autism Spectrum Disorder I might help them learn social skills and how to handle social situations. If someone has memory loss or dementia I might help them come up with ways to keep their memory or help their caregivers maintain their quality of life. The possibilities with Occupational Therapy are endless!

What is the biggest challenge you had to overcome to get to where you are now professionally? How did you overcome it?

I think a lot of times our biggest challenges are in our own heads. Often times we think "I can't do it.", " I am not smart enough.", "I don't have the money.", "Its too much work." but honestly if we truly want something bad enough we can often figure out how to make that happen. For me personally, growing confidence in myself and my own skills was the biggest challenge for me. Believe in yourself!

What is it like when your job gets tough?

It can be really hard when a patient isn't getting better no matter how hard you try, and sometimes there is nothing you can do about it. On the other hand, it can also be hard when you KNOW you can help a patient, but they don't want to receive therapy or do the work that comes with rehabilitation. You have to respect people's personal autonomy when it comes to their own health.

How did you start building your network?

Take an interest in the people around you! Ask questions and learn about others experiences. Everyone likes to be heard so don't be afraid to reach out to your role model, or someone who works in a field you want a job in to ask for advice. More than likely they will love to tell you more about what they do and it can be a great way to get your foot in the door!