A resume is the first impression made about an applicant's entire professional life. Readability is the main goal when composing your first impression because employers only spend a limited time viewing each resume. In an article about networking to find hidden employment opportunities Dru Reynolds suggests thinking of yourself as the product. What are your values, your style, and your goals? (Reynolds, 2013).
Objective
Start out with a brief direct objective making it clear what you want and why.
For example:
For example:
"To join an outpatient clinic on a full time basis where I can focus on patient care and continue to advance in manual therapy techniques."
Each objective profile should be customized for every job application.
The Quadrant Test
Print out your resume and divide it into four sections. Format your text so there is an equal amount of text and white space in each quadrant.
We typically read from left to right. The most important information should be conveniently located in quadrants 1 and 2.
The picture you see to the left is taken from Purdue University Online Writing Center and is a good visual representation of the quadrant test (Brizee, 2013).
Work Experience
Think like an employer as you write your work history section. Narrate your responsibilities, while making sure you include positive performance reviews. A study examining how linguistic information influences impression formation found that resumes written in the perfective allowed for a higher employability index (Cognition, 2014). In other words, narrate your work experience using the perfective verb aspect (did) rather than the imperfective aspect (was doing).
For example:
Restored function for patients and prevented/lessened disabilities following disease or profound injury.
Earned repeated commendations from supervisor and patients for high-quality, compassionate care helping patients to maximize their success.
Grammar and Spelling Mistakes
As a healthcare professional you need to ensure that a simple mistake does not retract from your experience and skills. Apply the accuracy you use in charting to ensure accuracy in spelling and grammar. Try reading your resume backwards, word for word, to identify mistakes you would have otherwise missed. Attention to detail is important in avoiding a negative impression that can cause a hiring manager to be wary.
A good resume will be specifically customized to the job application at hand, shaping work experience around the job advertisement to demonstrate that you are the best person for the job. Utilize a strong objective, evenly formatted text, narrate work experience, and avoid simple mistakes.
If you would like a complimentary review of your resume please email to:
Elizabeth West
Director, Marketing and Social Engagement
Alliant Personnel Resources LLC
References
Brizee, A. (2013, November 3). Welcome to the Purdue OWL. Retrieved September 29, 2014, from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/631/1/
Cognition. 2014 Sep;132(3):455-60. doi: 10.1016/j.cognition.2014.05.007. Epub 2014 Jun 17.
Reynolds, D. (2013). Effective Networking - Finding Hidden Employment Opportunities [MicroBusiness]. IEEE Microwave Magazine, 22-26.
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