Make Healthcare, MEcare: Prescribing 7 Simple Tips for a Standout Resume

Do you have the healthcare experience, skills, and credentials employers are looking for, but the interviews aren’t coming? Your resume may be the reason. It’s time to give your resume a checkup.

Elevating Your Healthcare Resume

When was the last time you gave your resume a checkup? If your answer is “I’m not sure,” you’re

definitely not alone! It’s easy to think of your resume as something you only need when you’re actively searching for a new position, but keeping it current can be one of the smartest things you can do for your healthcare career. Your resume tells your professional story; it showcases your experience, credentials, accomplishments, and the skills you’ve developed throughout your career.

As HR and staffing professionals, we review resumes every day, so we know what helps a healthcare candidate stand out, and what can cause a great candidate to be overlooked. In this blog, HR is sharing some of our favorite easy tips to help you refresh your resume, highlight your healthcare expertise, showcase your accomplishments, and ensure your resume works for you, not against you. Whether you’re pursuing your next healthcare opportunity or simply giving your resume a well-deserved checkup, a few thoughtful updates can make a big difference in minutes!

So, we’re here to prescribe seven simple tips that can enhance your resume:

Promote your Licenses & Certifications Front and Center

1. 1. This is the lifeblood of one’s professional career. These certifications and licenses are how an employer can tell which candidates are the best fit for a position.
  2. HR would need to verify these credentials before moving forward in the hiring process.

Identify Your Clinical Experience & Show Clinical Competencies

1. 1. You will want to be concise and explicit on the level of experience you have. It can quickly tell the employer what sort of expertise you will bring to the table.
  2. HR needs to understand what you can actually do. Don’t create a giant list of every skill you’ve ever encountered. Prioritize skills relevant to the position.
    1. For example, “Patient assessment, EMR, medication administration, care coordination.”

Demonstrate Patient Impact

1. Describe the level of care and work you did to ensure the patients under your purview were looked after.
2. HR wants to see proof of impact. Ask yourself, “How did my work make a difference?”
3. You should quantify your accomplishments into measurable results.

Ex: “Proudly given the Daisy Award for my support to NICU parents in my unit.” or “Managed med pass with clinical team to ensure resident dispensing was on time for 12 months consistently.”

Highlight Safety & Compliance

1. 1. HR is asking “Can I trust this person to perform their role safely and follow required standards?”
  2. Show experience with:
    1. HIPAA
    2. Infection prevention
    3. Patient safety
    4. Medication safety
    5. OSHA
    6. Regulatory compliance
    7. Documentation standards
    8. Quality assurance

Identify Your EMR/EHR Experience

1. 1. Healthcare employers want to know what systems you already know.
  2. Don’t just list “computer skills.” Be specific about the systems you’ve actually used such as Epic, Cerner, Meditech, Athenahealth, eClinicalWorks, etc. Mention if you are a superuser, trained others on the system, etc. to further emphasize knowledge.

Illustrate Your Ability to Handle a Fast-Paced Environment

1. 1. The healthcare industry requires a lot of instant decision making and ability to adapt to the situation. Quantify how you managed the workload.
    1. For example, “Managed care for 25–30 patients per shift in a high-volume outpatient setting.” or “Experienced in managing a unit of 8 highly acute patients in a Level I facility.”

Emphasize Your Career Growth

1. HR looks for evidence of professional growth. Show promotions, increased responsibility, leadership, and expanded duties.
2. Don’t underestimate leadership experience just because it wasn’t accompanied by a new job title.
3. The goal of a resume is to STAND OUT. Now is the time to brag, outline accomplishments, and make your arguments for why you are the best candidate for the job.

Above all, make sure to use healthcare-specific keywords throughout your resume. This terminology will be key to ensuring you are meeting the criteria a hospital or clinic is looking for.

Before submitting your resume, ask: In 10 Seconds, Can HR Tell…

☐ What do I do for a living, and where am I licensed to do it?

☐ What position am I qualified for?

☐ How much relevant experience I have?

☐ What are my strongest skills?

☐ What certifications/licenses do I hold?

☐ What makes me different from other candidates?

☐ What results have I achieved?

☐ Am I reliable, professional and detail-oriented?

☐ Does my experience matches the job posting?

HR’s Golden Rule for Resume Review

Don’t make HR search for your qualifications.
- Your resume should make the connection:
  - Job Requirements → Your Experience → Your Skills → Your Results

The strongest resume isn’t necessarily the one with the most information. It’s the one that makes it easiest for HR to say, “This person is qualified, let’s interview them.“

Visual learner? Click here to request a copy of one of our “Perfect Resumes” for Healthcare Professionals, so you can view resume formatting HR is looking for.

Need a hand with your resume? Our recruiting team is happy to help! Complete our Career Consult request form to be connected with iDEAL to take your resume to the next level!

Want to Continue the Resume Conversation or Ready for Your Next Career Move?

Need a hand with your resume? Our recruiting team is happy to help! Complete our Career Consult request form to be connected with iDEAL to take your resume to the next level!

If you’re looking for someone to help your resume excel and work with you to find that iDEAL role? We’re here to help! Explore our open healthcare roles or get connected with our staffing team today to start your search.