If you’re in the healthcare field, employment is booming. It is expected to continue booming into the future as well. As the population ages, there will be more demand for healthcare professionals, because older people often need more care than younger ones. In addition, Americans are experiencing an epidemic of obesity, which can lead to or exacerbate a number of chronic conditions, such as heart disease and arthritis.
So there is demand for your skills. But to make those skills crystal clear to hiring managers, you need to make sure your healthcare resume is updated for each job you’re seeking. Here are three tips.
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Tailor each resume to the job description
It may be tempting to think that your qualifications shine on your resume no matter how the job description reads. But in fact, one of the most crucial steps in a job search is tailoring each resume to the job description.
There are two major reasons for this. First, most human resources departments and hiring managers spend no more than a few seconds looking at resumes. Your qualifications and suitability have to leap out at them immediately. Second, most organizations have resumes initially scanned by an automated system. These systems are set up to look for specific keywords. If they don’t encounter those keywords, the system will eliminate you from consideration. Your resume won’t get as far as a manager.
Read the job description thoroughly. Circle the keywords. Make sure you use them exactly as used in the job description. “Oncology nurse” is not the same, to an automated system, as “nurse with experience in oncology.”
Tailor the Objectives section at the top with the keywords and a succinct overview of your qualifications and achievements.
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Display your education and qualifications clearly
Because educational achievements and related qualifications, such as licensures and certificates, are so important in healthcare, it’s important to display them clearly. Remember, your resume will be skimmed, not closely read. You want to make sure your educational background and relevant material can be grasped in a second.
Place your educational degrees, licensures, and certificates in descending order, with the most recent on the top.
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Focus specifically on your healthcare skills
You need to discuss your healthcare skills very specifically. Don’t simply say you’re a nurse or a physician’s assistant. Describe the context and departments in which you’ve worked. Note any teams you’ve worked on. Focus on any special skills you have.
It’s important to metricize any achievements that can be metricized. If you developed an innovative way of increasing compliance with medications, for example, say that in your resume. If a study indicated that compliance rose 12% as a result, be sure to focus on the figure. Human resources departments and hiring managers are both interested in increasing quality of care while reducing costs, so those achievements are in high demand.
Looking for a new healthcare opportunity?
There are exciting opportunities waiting for you in many medical fields. To find out more about healthcare jobs in your area, contact us today.
