What Does an Occupational Therapist Do? A Paediatric OT Career Explained

A careers presentation at sixteen, and Brooke Duffy knew what she wanted to do. Today she's a paediatric occupational therapist (OT) who helps children build the skills behind opening a snack packet, holding a pencil, or getting through a morning routine, all through play. In this episode of The 20 Minute Career, she tells Jane Butler what occupational therapy actually involves, how a Year 10 careers program at her local hospital and a vocational educational training course led her there, and what the job costs emotionally. If you're a student curious about healthcare, or you want a career built on real relationships with people, this conversation gives you the unfiltered version. In this video, I cover: ✅ What occupational therapy actually is, and why it has nothing to do with employment. ✅ How a Year 10 hospital program and a nursing VET course led Brooke to OT. ✅ What the four-year degree involves, including 1,000 hours of placement. ✅ A day in the life of a paediatric OT, from fine motor sessions to parent coaching. ✅ How therapy looks like play but builds the foundations for handwriting. ✅ The hardest part: NDIS funding pressure, parent expectations and the mental load that follows you home. ✅ How hospital OT and private practice differ. ✅ How Brooke uses AI to take the note-taking load off so she can connect with families. ✅ The mistake that taught her the most, and the skills you need to succeed. ✅ Why she's excited about where OT is heading. Chapter Timestamps: 0:00 - Why some kids need an OT 0:38 - What is occupational therapy? 1:25 - Knowing she wanted OT since Year 10 2:34 - The OT degree and placements 3:31 - A day in the life of a paediatric OT 4:19 - Fine motor skills and therapy through play 5:14 - What's hard about the job 6:40 - How the job affects life outside work 7:21 - Hospital vs private practice 8:29 - How Brooke uses AI in her work 10:34 - What inspires her to turn up 11:17 - Career lessons, a mistake, and the skills that matter 14:05 - The future of OT About the Channel: The 20 Minute Career provides real-world career insights through honest conversations with professionals. We help students and job seekers understand the true nature of different jobs to make better career decisions. Subscribe for new episodes every Wednesday. Connect with us: Everything in one place: https://linktr.ee/the20minutecareer Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @the20minutecareer The 20 Minute Career — Real People, Real Jobs, Honest Conversations. #OccupationalTherapy #OT #PaediatricOT #HealthcareCareers #CareerAdvice #CareerGuidance #AlliedHealth #NDIS #FutureOfWork #Australia #the20minutecareer