Healthcare Resume Examples to Help You Succeed

The primary goal of a healthcare resume is to convince hiring managers you have the needed healthcare competencies. It serves to show you have the skills, medical education, and expertise that’s required for the job position you’re applying for. This is true whether you’re starting out with an entry-level healthcare job or are looking to advance your career with a promotion.

 

Your healthcare resume gives you the perfect chance to leave a good first impression on potential employers. A well-crafted professional resume sets the tone for the rest of the hiring process. As a healthcare professional, make use of medical resume samples, resume templates, and resume builders. By doing so, you can perfect your resume writing process and craft the best resume.

The healthcare industry consists of professionals in various medical fields and job titles. Here are some popular healthcare job titles that can take advantage of a well-crafted healthcare resume:

• Nurses (CNA, LPN, RN)
• Medical assistant
• Physical therapists and massage therapists
• Physicians
• Dentists
• Dental hygienists

The healthcare resume format you select will depend on a number of factors, including the number of years of experience you have. Here is a short description of each resume format to help you select the best format for your situation:

• Reverse-chronological – This is the best resume format for experienced healthcare professionals. The chronological resume format emphasizes work history instead of skills. Your work history is listed in reverse-chronological order starting with your most recent job position listed first.
• Functional – This is the ideal resume format for healthcare professionals just starting out. It places more emphasis on skills instead of work history.
• Combination/hybrid – This is a solid resume format for highly skilled healthcare professionals with an extensive work history. It combines the reverse-chronological and functional resume formats to emphasize both skills and work experience.

Regardless of the resume format you choose, your resume will have the following sections:

 

 

The header of the perfect resume will contain your contact information, including your name, phone number, and email address. It may also have a link to your professional online portfolio, such as LinkedIn. Providing full and accurate information allows recruiters to contact you for an interview.

 

Resume summary or objective

Your resume summary, also known as a resume objective, sets the tone for the rest of your healthcare resume. Thus, it should summarize your professional healthcare expertise in a few short sentences. 

Skills

The following are examples of skills that may be included on a healthcare resume and should be related to the job description you’re applying for:

Hard skills

• CPR & first aid
• HIPAA expertise
• Patient medical record management
• Urgent care
• Medical budgeting

Soft skills

• Effective communication 
• Active listening 
• Positivity, compassion, and empathy
• Strong work ethic 
• Professionalism

Work history

 

In your work history section, list each company or medical center you worked for, your dates of employment and your job title. You will want to add a few bullet points for each job that highlights your best achievements. Use specific examples and quantifiable data. For example, you would want to state something like, “Introduced an all-new scheduling system that increased patient retention by more than 25%” instead of “Worked on improving scheduling system.” 

Note in this example the use of active verbs (“Introduced,” “increased”) and specific numbers (the applicant increased patient retention by 25%). Highlighting your accomplishments in this manner gives recruiters a better idea of your capabilities and impact.

Education

Your healthcare resume’s education section is very important. Most healthcare professionals need some form of formal education, training, or certifications. List all your relevant medical higher education, including a bachelor’s degree or Ph.D., and any certifications, such as board certification. Also include your specialties, for example, orthopedics or geriatrics, and any other achievements you may have. Listing all your education on your healthcare resume helps to hire managers to assess your skillset.

Healthcare professionals should use healthcare resume examples to perfect their own healthcare resumes. By reviewing resume samples, job seekers can better understand what elements to highlight on their resume. They’ll also get ideas on how to design their resumes and which fonts to use. 

Healthcare jobs are very competitive in today’s job market. Hundreds of similarly skilled candidates are usually competing for the same job position. Thus, you want to ensure your healthcare resume stands out from the crowd. Here are some valuable tips for creating a healthcare resume that will impress potential employers:

• Highlight your healthcare education and certifications. Your relevant healthcare certifications should be in a separate section. Hiring managers are looking for your necessary qualifications for the job before they read further. So, your education and relevant certifications should be easy to find.
• Keep your resume format, layout, and design professional and straightforward. Don’t use fancy or colorful resume designs. For your content, use font sizes between 10-14 points and professional fonts like Arial. 
• Use job-specific keywords. For example, if the job calls for experience with COVID-19 and flu vaccinations, find job experiences in your background that fit the requirement, such as: “administered COVID-19, flu, and BBD vaccinations.”

Healthcare workers are in great demand. There are hundreds of similarly skilled healthcare professionals competing for the same job position. Thus, a healthcare professional’s biggest tool in their job search is their healthcare resume. Job seekers should review samples of healthcare resumes and keep in mind the important elements to highlight on their resumes. By doing so, they will increase their chances of landing the perfect healthcare job!