ST320Concorde Career College

Objectives

Define the role of the resume

List and understand types of resumes

Examine resume formats Examine resume sections Review additional

documentation Provide miscellaneous tips View and discuss sample

resumes

What is a Resume? A marketing tool

The first tool for building a successful careerThe first impression given to a prospective employerA selling tool that allows an applicant to highlight

anticipated contributions to an employer Request for an interview

The purpose of the resume is to get the interviewIt must capture the reader’s interest and attentionIt must convince the employer that the candidate has

the ability to fill their position A summary of the big picture

Provides a snapshot of a candidates most important experiences and qualifications

Types of Resumes Paper/PDF Resume

A printed resume for use at job fairs, conferences, etc. Should be clean, concise, professional, and pleasing to the eye Use bullets, bolding, and indentation Used on job interviews, career breakfasts, etc.

Electronic Resume A plain text resume for on-line submission Typically must conform to employer specifications Use left-justified and space indented formatting If desired, use “+”, “*”, and “0” to represent bullets

Resume Formats - Chronological Highlights work experience in reverse

chronological order Be sure to not leave gaps in

time/employment The most widely used format for working

professionals

Resume Formats - Functional Highlight specific skills for which the

market has high demand Seldom used by new graduates Frequently used to change jobs or

careers

Resume Formats - Combinational Highlight specific work experience Highlight marketable skills Use reverse chronological order The best resume style for most college

students

What will set your resume apart? Tell Your Story

Can your resume be slanted to emphasize specific skills or experience? How can your emphasize your educational achievements? How can you maximize your clinical experience? Do you have related work experience? Should you emphasize related coursework? Have you worked on special projects that relate to the OR? Do you want to emphasize personal traits or characteristics?

Recommendation Emphasize related experience, education, traits, attributes, skills, or

certifications that tie to the OR or general healthcare field

Standard Resume Sections Header Objective Education Honors/Activities Work Experience Skills Certifications

The Header Section The first line should include the candidate’s name

Use a larger font than the body Use professional and conservative fonts Avoid shaded backgrounds or decorations Do not use titles such as Mr., Mrs., Ms., etc.

Include contact address Use only a permanent address Should be the current address Avoid PO Box since physical address is used to determine call

availability Include a professional email address

May use Concorde student email address○ Account remains active after graduation

Do not use personal addresses that are unprofessional○ i.e., cutie_pie4u@hotmail.com,” etc.○ See more tips to avoid unprofessional contact info

Include phone number Change the message machine to be appropriate Deactivate wait music or other gimmicks

The Objective Section Considered optional but recommended for ST Statement must be clear, concise, and direct

Bad: “I want to get a job”Weak: “To attain an position in the operating room”Good: “To attain a surgical technologist position in a

team-oriented perioperative services environment focused on high-quality patient care”

Avoid being too specific“To attain a position at Baylor Healthcare working on

…”

The Education Section

Include Certification, Diploma, or Associate Degree in ST first

Include the year May list GPA Include related post-secondary

educational experiences

The Honors/Activities Section

Should only contain honors and awards related to college, healthcare/medical, or those that demonstrate leadership abilities i.e., Lamplighter, Dean’s List, Perfect Attendance, Academic

Honors May include related extracurricular activities

i.e., Related Volunteer Work Do not include unrelated activities Include leadership positions List membership in professional organizations

Association of Surgical Technologists (AST), Active Member Oregon State Assembly of AST, Active Member

Focus on Leadership AptitudesFocus on Leadership Aptitudes

The Work Experience Section Dedicated to most recent and relevant employment Format

Employer and location on the first line○ Do not include name of supervisor, complete address, or contact

information Position and time-span on the second line

○ Use only year, not month and year (avoids time gaps) Each position should have at least two bullets

Explain role and contributions Don’t emphasize duties but rather emphasize outcomes

○ “Increased efficiency of … by 20%”○ “Excelled in orthopedic specialty cases by…”

Descriptions should be consistent in wording Watch the tense

Current job uses present tense Former jobs use past tense

Employers wantproblem solvers

The Skills Section This section is designed to emphasize

technical skills May appear toward the top of the

resumeList areas of professional specialty

○ i.e., surgical cases or specialties performed during clinicals

Unique clinical experiencesKnowledge of special equipment

The Certification Section Include CST certification or anticipated testing

date with eligibility. Contact NBSTSA a couple weeks after

passing the board to receive a certification number.

Include number and expiration date. Include HIPAA, CPR, Bloodborne Pathogens,

and other certifications earned at Concorde List any other related healthcare certifications.

i.e., CRCST, CSPD, MA, CNA, CPT, etc.

Supporting Documentation – Cover Letter What is the purpose of the cover letter?

To emphasize attributes, accomplishments, and skills to the employer

Letter acts as a verbal introduction to the employer Send it to a person, not a place

Avoid “To Whom It May Concern,” Worst case “Dear Recruiter: or “Dear Surgical Services

Manager:” First sentence should tell why you are writing

“I am writing in regard to your posting listed on …” “During my clinical internship, Dr. Johnson suggested that

I …” “As you may recall, I spoke with you briefly at …” If unsolicited, indicate why you are interested in the

company May need to include a job ID or requisition number

Supporting Documentation – Cover Letter Highlight skills

Use two to three paragraphs to give an in-depth description of selling points

Each paragraph should stand alone (could be moved to different location in text)

Close with a promise of actionIf possible, indicating that you will be contacting

them in the near future to set up a mutually acceptable meeting time or to further discuss your qualifications

Example: “during my Winter Break, between December 28 and January 12, I will be in Minneapolis. I will contact your office when I arrive to arrange a possible meeting time.”

Supporting Documentation – References Prepare a separate reference sheet

Use same paper as the resume itself Use same formatting and heading as resume Bring reference sheet (and resume) to any interviews or job fairs Do not mail reference sheet with resume and cover letter

Reference sheet is a stand-alone document Should include Header from the resume Try to arrange contact information in pleasing fashion

Use professional references only Pick individuals that think highly of you Pick individuals that are familiar with your work Make sure you have their permission!

○ Do not include instructors unless they have given consent Always ask your references before using their names

Scannable Resumes Most large employers will scan the resume into a

central database Tips to assist the scanning process

Avoid italics, underlining, or graphics Use bold only for headers Use “scanner-friendly” fonts (Serif or Sans Serif fonts)

○ i.e., Times New Roman, Courier, Helvetica, Arial○ Font sizes of between 9 and 12

Use black ink on white background Tips to assist the retrieval process

Most lookup is keyword-based Samples: Surgical, operating room, orthopedic, peripheral

vascular, CST, Da Vinci, CPR, OR, perioperative, etc.

Tips on Delivery Resume Delivery Posting Online

Common mistake – improper formatting○ Convert to text only○ Use PDF if allowed○ Proofread carefully after conversion

If a salary is requested, leave the field empty If they force salary, be honest but realistic Average salaries include those with many year’s experience, new

STs will be on the low end of the pay scale Emailing the Resume

Attach resume as a PDF document (or Word document)○ 75 – 80% of companies use Windows and Word

Also include text version in the email message ○ Attachments can get dropped or filtered

Test before deploy○ Send to at least three friends, ask them to print it and send it back to you

Miscellaneous Tips

Use action words in descriptions

Miscellaneous Tips Act like a professional

Avoid cutesy or inappropriate graphics, images, formats, …

One page onlyYou are a fresh graduate, don’t assume that the one-

page rule doesn’t apply to you! Stick to the truth

Don’t sprinkle buzzwords in that you really don’t understand

It speaks volumes about your character when you can’t explain your own resume

Focus on achievements and resultsLaundry lists of duties are not impressive

Miscellaneous Tips Use easy-to-read language

Winston Churchill - “Use short, old words.” Get the words and punctuation correct

Errors and “broken English” are the kiss of death Watch for typos and grammatical errors

Follow the instructions If the company asks for specific information, then give it to them

Follow up If you said you would call, then call

Maintain a consistent writing style Avoid “To apply …” then “Applying …”

Avoid the use of “I” or “my” Use third person voice

Miscellaneous TipsWhat NOT to do… USE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS

Much harder to read Avoidwhitespace

Use white space (not borders) to break sections apart Include a picture of yourself

You’re not THAT good looking! Use several fonts to catch their attention

Creates a “ransom note” effect Print your resume on brightly colored paper Illogical Order Use

Resume is a story – put most interesting parts at the beginning

Miscellaneous TipsWhat NOT to do… Focus on you and your needs

Employers have better things to do than hear about you They want to know “what can you do for me”

Use templates to construct your resume Gives a cookie-cutter look Lacks flexibility

Use superlatives to emphasis your work Great performance as … Stick to the facts and figures – not an evaluation of

yourself Use long flowing sentences

Short and to the point Sentence fragments are fine if they are understandable –

BUT NOT IN THE COVER LETTER!!!!!

Don’t Make These Famous Mistakes “Education: Curses in liberal arts, curses in

computer science, curses in accounting”

“Personal: Married, 1992 Chevrolet”

“Proven ability to track down and correct erors.”

“Disposed of $2.5 billion in assets”

“Accomplishments: Oversight of entire department”

Cover Letter: “Thank you for your consideration. I hope to hear from you shorty!”

Good Examples