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Physiotherapist CV example

Clinic owners and hospital physio leads read for three things: your registration and practising certificate, the caseload you're used to, and whether your patients actually get better. This example shows a physiotherapist CV that answers each of those, with bullets that show clinical reasoning and outcomes rather than a list of treatments.

Written for New Zealand, with notes for Australia · Checked

Free. Then compare it with a real Physiotherapist job ad.

The example

A Physiotherapist CV, start to finish.

Liam Brennan is made up, and so are the employers. The layout and the wording are what New Zealand employers expect: no photo or date of birth, the most recent job first, and every bullet showing what was done and what came of it.

Liam Brennan

Physiotherapist, musculoskeletal and sports

Hamilton · 021 555 0203 · liam.brennan@email.com

Profile

Physiotherapist with seven years in hospital and private practice, most recently running a full musculoskeletal caseload in a busy Hamilton clinic. Clear with patients about what's going on and what they need to do, careful with ACC documentation, and keen on exercise-based rehab that people keep doing once they stop coming in.

Skills

Musculoskeletal assessment and treatment · Exercise prescription and rehab · Sports injury management · Post-operative orthopaedic rehab · ACC claims and documentation · Acupuncture and dry needling · Falls prevention and strength and balance · Clinical supervision of new graduates

Experience

Physiotherapist, Kirikiriroa Physio and Sports

Hamilton · 2022 to now

  • See around 45 patients a week with spinal, shoulder, knee and sports injuries, most on ACC claims
  • Built home exercise programmes into a simple app routine, and lifted patients completing their full treatment plan from about half to two in three
  • Set up a weekly post-operative knee class with a local orthopaedic surgeon's patients, which now runs at eight to ten people a session
  • Supervise two new graduate physiotherapists, with weekly case reviews and joint sessions each month

Physiotherapist, Rotational, Te Awa Hospital

Hamilton · 2019 to 2022

  • Rotated through orthopaedics, general medicine, respiratory and older people's health over three years
  • Mobilised patients on the first day after hip and knee replacements, helping the ward meet its target discharge dates
  • Ran respiratory physiotherapy for medical and surgical patients, including weekend on-call
  • Assessed older patients for falls risk and discharge equipment, and referred them to community strength and balance groups

Education

Bachelor of Physiotherapy, University of Otago

2018

Other details

Registration
Physiotherapist, Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand, with a current annual practising certificate
Further training
Acupuncture and dry needling, post-graduate papers in musculoskeletal physiotherapy
Driver's licence
Full

Referees

Available on request

Liam wrote a cover letter to go with it. Read the physiotherapist cover letter

Skills and keywords

What physiotherapist job ads look for.

Use the ad's own words where they're true of you. An ATS, and a recruiter skimming, both look for them.

  • Annual practising certificateSay you're registered with the Physiotherapy Board and hold a current APC. It's the first thing a clinic checks.
  • MusculoskeletalMost private practice ads say MSK. Name the areas you're strongest in, like spines, shoulders or knees.
  • ACCPrivate clinics depend on ACC work. Show you know the claims, reports and treatment limits.
  • Exercise prescriptionClinics want rehab that patients keep doing. Say how you build and follow up home programmes.
  • CaseloadGive a number of patients a week or a day. It tells a manager you can carry a full book.
  • RotationalHospital ads for new graduates often use it. Name the areas you've rotated through.
  • Clinical supervisionIf you've supervised new graduates or students, say so. It's the step to a senior role.
  • Dry needlingList extra techniques only if you're trained in them, and name the training.

Bullet points

9 strong lines to borrow from.

Each says what was done, how, and what came of it. Swap in your own facts: a line is only strong if it's true.

  1. 1Saw around 45 musculoskeletal patients a week in private practice, most on ACC claims
  2. 2Lifted patients completing their full treatment plan from about half to two in three with simpler home programmes
  3. 3Set up a weekly post-operative knee class that now runs at eight to ten people a session
  4. 4Supervised two new graduate physiotherapists with weekly case reviews and joint sessions
  5. 5Mobilised patients on the first day after hip and knee replacements to support timely discharge
  6. 6Provided respiratory physiotherapy for medical and surgical patients, including weekend on-call
  7. 7Assessed older patients for falls risk and referred them to community strength and balance groups
  8. 8Wrote clear ACC reports and treatment updates that kept claims moving without follow-up questions
  9. 9Worked with a local sports club on injury screening before the season, cutting early-season soft tissue injuries

Common mistakes

What costs physiotherapist CVs interviews.

  • Listing treatments, like "manual therapy, taping, exercise", with no patients or results.

    Say who you treat, how many, and what changed for them: pain, function or getting back to work or sport.

  • Leaving your registration and APC off, or burying them on page two.

    Put them in your details near the top, with the Physiotherapy Board's name. Clinics can't roster you without them.

  • Writing every hospital rotation at the same length as your current job.

    Keep rotations short and name the areas. Give most space to the work closest to the job you're applying for.

  • Listing every weekend course you've done.

    Keep the training that matters for the role, like dry needling or post-graduate papers, and leave the rest for the interview.

New Zealand and Australia

What changes across the Tasman.

New Zealand

To practise as a physiotherapist in New Zealand you must be registered with the Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand and hold a current annual practising certificate. Every APC expires on 31 March, so say yours is current.

New Zealand CV format

Australia

To work as a physiotherapist in Australia you need to be registered with the Physiotherapy Board of Australia, through Ahpra. Australian employers usually say resume rather than CV, and expect about two pages.

Australian CV format

Sources: Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand: annual practising certificate, Physiotherapy Board of Australia.

FAQ

Questions, answered.

Something else on your mind? Email support@smartcvs.ai and a person will reply.

How long should a physiotherapist CV be?

Two pages is plenty for most physios. Put your registration, current caseload and main clinical areas on the first page.

I'm a new graduate. What do I put for experience?

Your clinical placements are your experience. List each one with the setting and what you did, like the caseload you carried and the patients you saw.

Should I include post-graduate study?

Yes, if it relates to the job. List the papers or certificate and the provider, and say if it's in progress.

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