OT Kaitlin gets solid start from skill-broadening grad program with purpose

Graduate programs for allied health fields, like occupational therapy, can leave new practitioners floundering on their own, working on a narrow list of tasks, or without inspiring career opportunities to work towards. For occupational therapist (OT), Kaitlin Reed, joining KINNECT’s graduate program in 2024 gave her the right level of guidance, plenty opportunities to develop a wide range of transferrable skills, and a defined career path.

Now as a valuable part of our Gold Coast team, Kaitlin is pursuing her goal of making a positive impact on as many lives as possible as a rehabilitation consultant. Here she talks about her journey at KINNECT and why being an OT in occupational health is something to really smile about.

How did you come to join KINNECT? Why was KINNECT the ideal choice for a graduate job?

I graduated from occupational therapy at the end of 2022 from Sunshine Coast University where I did a regional practical placement in private paediatrics and a block placement in in-patient rehabilitation at the University of the Sunshine Coast.

I took a gap year and then looked into all of the different roles that an occupational therapist can do. I thought that this would be a good place to start my career because the field is so broad. We do learn a lot and there’s so many transferable skills in occupational health. I knew how diverse the caseload could be as well as the different assessments that we perform in this role from functional assessments to activities of daily living.

How has KINNECT supported you as a recent graduate?

One of my bigger fears coming in as a new grad was not knowing what was expected of me or being thrown in the deep end. Whereas with the graduate program, I was given quite a bit of education up front on what the expectations were. We (the graduates) were also given an indication of what a career looked like at KINNECT, including progression as you grow within the company.

“I think it’s really important to feel supported when you are in any new space, but especially after learning a lot of theory. Translating that into practical experience and actions can be tricky, so I think having that one-on-one support was really important so I could grasp those good habits early.”

Having someone by your side and being able to reassure you that you’re doing the correct thing in a workplace was so important – it made me feel like “I can do this job!”

What’s your favourite thing about your role as a consultant?

I love getting to work with a multidisciplinary team. That’s really one of the big highlights.

There’s also the focus on culture within each office and not just the company as a whole.

No day is the same either. I get to travel around parts of the Gold Coast (where I live) that I normally wouldn’t see and get to make connections with national clients.

What do you hope to achieve in this role?

The main goal of my career is to help as many people as possible and make a positive impact.

As an OT, I want to continue to broaden my skills. At the moment, I’m only doing same employer services, but I know that our OTs provide quite a few more services like vocational assessments and home assessments. There’s also the opportunity for project work, which is something I’m looking to get into within the next couple of years.

What are some stand-out moments for you at KINNECT?

Probably one of the biggest highlights was getting KINNECT’s Newcomer of the Year Award in 2024. It really reassured me that what I was doing was correct, I was on the right track and that I was making a difference within my office as well as in my worker’s lives, which was really nice.

Another highlight has been getting to understand what it’s like to be an injured worker and deal with chronic pain. Working directly with clients has opened my eyes to what that looks like. I also now understand the health benefits of good work on a deeper level. I feel like you’re told about them when you begin working, but you physically start to see them [the benefits] when people are or aren’t at work and becomes clear why we do what we do.

What’s your favourite thing about working at KINNECT?

I really like how efficient we are and the dedication to always improving our services. It’s not a rigid sort of workflow and workplace. If you have recommendations, there’s a whole forum dedicated to suggesting a better or easier way that we can be doing something, and it gets done – you can see it’s put in place. One of things I appreciate about KINNECT is that constant growth mindset.

Do you have any advice for people looking to follow a similar career path?

Don’t be scared of trying it because everyone’s willing to help out. If you haven’t worked, or had experience, in workplace rehabilitation previously, the transition is made quite easy at KINNECT.

KINNECT has a good way of introducing you to the workload and to the different style of treatment progressively so you can take on as much or as little as you or your supervisor feel is right. Your integration into workplace rehabilitation is very tailored to you as a consultant.

What does a day as a consultant look like for you?

My days are varied. Some days I’m based in the office to take clients through functional assessments which form part of their preemployment medicals.

On my rehabilitation consultant days, I might have a day out of the office doing home or worksite assessments. Or I’ll be in the office making monitoring calls to check in with workers, treating providers, employers and insurers and follow up with report writing and providing updates to different parties.

An important part of my role is attending medical case conferences with doctors (when required) to make sure that there is progression with our client’s return-to-work plans. I’m also often required to educate specialists and doctors on what the workers compensation process looks like within each state.

Often, I’ll pass on important information that helps cases progress in a way that is safe for the worker and financially suitable for all parties. It’s important to transfer our workplace assessments through to the doctors, because they can’t go to the work site and see what each role involves or could provide in terms of suitable duties. We in the best place to advise on what adaptations are possible to get the worker back to work.

If you’re interested in a graduate program that supports you from day one, apply for our 2025 cohort.
Or, if you’re an experienced OT, explore our current vacancies in our Careers Centre.