How to Write an Impactful Resume for a Healthcare Job

Are you in the market for a new career in the medical field? You may want to freshen up your resume for grabbing a healthcare job.

The medical field needs aspiring and seasoned healthcare professionals because of the ongoing battle against obesity and an ageing baby boomer population.

However, your healthcare resume can also help you land your dream job at a reputed hospital or medical facility.

Most hiring managers spend an average of six seconds to skim a resume before deciding if the candidate is appropriate for the position.

Thus, your resume must showcase your skills, qualifications, expertise, and experience.

Writing a convincing healthcare resume is not as complicated as it seems. You just have to include all the pointers that recruiters are looking for in a candidate.

Here is a valuable guide if you are looking for the best tips to write a resume for a healthcare job.

Customize your Resume Objective

Before writing your resume, have a clear understanding of what an organization or an employer is looking for in a candidate.

Read the job description carefully to understand better what the hospital or medical institution requires.

There is intense competition in the job market. You can’t use the same resume for applying to different healthcare jobs.

Customizing your resume objective is essential when applying for a specific position because that’s the first thing recruiters see when they review your resume.

The best way to develop an impressive resume is to study the job description and choose essential keywords. Writing a generic objective and using it for your resume is one of the biggest mistakes you can make to reduce your shortlisting chances.

Several recruitment officials use keyword matching software for determining which resumes are worth their time. The software looks for specific keywords, and your resume must contain all of them before a recruiter looks at your healthcare resume.

Here is a sample objective for a healthcare resume.

Registered Nurse with an MBA degree and 12 years of experience in the NICU. I have a strong passion for leveraging my expertise to grow in the new role of (position) at (name of the hospital/company).

If the employer is looking for a candidate with an MBA degree, they will shortlist this resume without reading further.

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Highlight your Education

Whenever you are writing a healthcare resume, don’t forget to emphasize your academic achievements.

Remember to write it in chronologically descending order, so it becomes easier for the recruitment manager to grasp all information immediately.

You must include all licensures and certifications to your resume’s education section, even if they seem irrelevant to the position. That’s because any extra training adds more to your qualification.

Don’t forget to add all interns, volunteers, and paid experiences that can make your resume more attractive.

Here is a checklist for you to follow:

• Include the title of your certification or license.
• Mention the full name and address of the certifying body.
• Mention the certification and license number when applicable.
• Highlight the date you received the certification of the license along with any expiration date.

Emphasize on Specific Healthcare Skills

If a hiring manager is looking for specific healthcare professional skills, he will scrutinize your resume for those skills. For that reason, adding your expertise to your resume will make it unique.

Mention all the responsibilities and duties you handled in previous jobs and any managerial positions you held. In addition to healthcare skills, you can also add other valuable customer service and communication skills.

For instance, if you are multilingual, don’t forget to mention it on your resume, mainly if you apply for a job in another country and speak the native language.

Provide a comprehensive overview of your capabilities and skills to get the best results.

Proofread Your Resume

Never send out any resume without proofreading. Pay attention to grammar, spelling, and formatting, so you don’t make a wrong impression.

In addition to that, don’t forget to break down complex information into bullets.

More than half of the recruitment officials dismiss a resume if they notice any grammar or spelling errors. Avoid this mistake by using online tools that detect and fix all grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors.

You can also get in touch with a professional resume writing service to edit and proofread your resume.

Add a Cover Letter

Many healthcare professionals overlook the importance of a well-written cover letter. This piece of document can describe your accomplishments and achievements in detail.

That’s one reason why resumes are often short and concise, while a cover letter elaborates on your experiences and qualifications in detail.

Research tells us that nearly 22% of recruiting managers discard a resume that does not come with a cover letter.

Your cover letter should be a single page and must include:

• The same header as your resume featuring your name, address, and contact information.
• The date of submission
• The address of the company
• A formal introduction

The body of your letter should detail why you are the perfect fit for the job. Again, include all relevant keywords to leave a good impression.

Use the cover letter for expanding on the bullet points and add any useful details that you feel will help you land the job.

Checklist

Here is a checklist to make sure your healthcare resume increases your chances of securing a position.

• Your resume lists information about your qualification, skills, and education
• The resume features your contact information
• It is easy to read and understand
• Your resume has all the right keywords

Final Thoughts

Your healthcare resume can make or break your chances of securing an interview. Pay attention to how you write and format your resume because recruitment officials go through dozens of resumes every day.

You don’t want to reduce your employment chances by applying a badly-written resume that doesn’t provide a clear picture of your credentials and experience. Follow our guide to writing an impressive healthcare resume.