Demographics

Demographics refers to your personal identification information. At minimum, it should include your name, address, and telephone number. Your full legal name is given on the top line. Do not abbreviate your first name. For example, write Jessica Stricker and not J. Stricker. Your friends may call you “Jes” but your legal name is Jessica and therefore it should be written as such. A middle name should be included if you routinely use it. It is acceptable to use only your middle initial. For example, write Jessica E. Stricker, if you routinely use E. for formal documents. Following your name, attach any professional designations that you have obtained. For example: C.M.A., R.M.A., L.P.N., R.N., P.T., C.N.A., or E.M.T. If you include any such designations, be sure to include a copy of the certification/license with your resume.

Your address should include the street name and number, town or city, state and zip code. Your street number and name is listed on a line by itself. If you are using a post office box, it is recommended that you include your street address as well. On the third line, include the town or city followed by a comma and then the state. Write out the whole name of the state. Do not use abbreviations. Abbreviations do not portray a professional image. Place a comma after the state, and type the zip code.

Your home telephone number should appear on the next line. Include the area code in parenthesis followed by the number. It is acceptable to use either dashes (-) or periods between the numbers. For example, you could write your telephone number as (888)555-3333 or 888.555.3333. It is not recommended to include cell phone numbers on your resume.

If you have an e-mail address, it can be included on the line below the telephone number. Caution: if you list an e-mail address as a communication line, check for messages at least once a day and respond promptly. Be sure that your e-mail address is appropriate. An e-mail address such as badgirls@something.net is not professional and should not be used.

Objective

An objective is a statement of your goals or intentions. It should be precise, focused, and brief. Keep your objective statement to one or two sentences. The purpose of the objective is to let prospective employers know what you are looking for in a job. Here are some examples of good objectives:

Here are some bad examples:

Your objective statement should be changed to reflect the type of job for which you are applying. For example, “to find a challenging and fast-paced position as a medical assistant in an acute care setting” is a good objective only if you are applying to an acute care setting. If you are applying to an outpatient clinic, you should change the objective to say: “to find a challenging and fast-paced position as a medical assistant in an outpatient clinic.”

Educational Experience

This section covers your educational experiences in a reverse chronological order. Provide the full name of the school with no abbreviations, including the city and state. A street address is not needed. If you are a graduate, list the degree that you were awarded. Include the date that you graduated. If you are still a student, list the year that you enrolled, for example write “2004–present.”

List only post-secondary educational experiences. You do not need to list your high school graduation. Do not list continuing educational courses that you have attended. For example, if you attended a special seminar on pediatric care, it should not be listed in this section. Make a chronological list of special continuing educational seminars and either send it with your resume or bring it to the interview. Make sure that the seminars are relevant and keep the list to one page only. Be sure to include the dates of attendance.

Work Experience

This section of your resume lists your employment history. Start with your job title, followed by the company’s name, and city and state. A street address is not necessary. Include the dates, for example, “June 2003–present.” It is not necessary to add the day, just the month and year. You can either bullet or write two or three short sentences describing your responsibilities. Bullets alert the reader to pay attention. Keep the list of your responsibilities to a maximum of five. Highlight your key responsibilities. Every job has numerous subjobs, but ask yourself “What do I want to communicate about this job?” “Why will this previous job make me the best candidate to get this new job?” Make each entry or bullet count. Here are some things that you should not do:

Awards/Certifications/Licenses

The final component of a resume is the list of your awards, certifications, and licenses (see Legal Eagle box). They should be pertinent to the job for which you are applying. As a new graduate, it may be difficult to have a lengthy list. Here are some things to remember:

Resume Formats

As mentioned above, there are numerous formats for writing a resume. Be aware that the formats used and the preferred methods change periodically. In the medical community, the two most common formats are chronological and functional.

A chronological resume (Fig. 9-1) is the most commonly used. This format works best for people who have extensive work experience but have been out of school for a while or have a limited educational background. The chronological resume focuses on your progressive work experiences. Following is the order of a chronological resume:

A functional resume (Fig. 9-2) lists your skills or accomplishments in categories. This resume is good for people with limited work experiences, new graduates, or people returning to the work force. The focus of a functional resume is on the skills you have and not when or where you obtained these skills. Following is the order of a functional resume:

Composing

Composing simply means to write. Start by gathering all the necessary information. Check your dates for accuracy. Select your format (chronological or functional). If you are not using a template, select a word processing program. Select an appropriate font and size. The font should be clear and easy to read. Avoid elaborate or calligraphy style fonts.

When writing a resume, choose your words carefully. Select words that demonstrate action. Remember: the purpose of a resume is to communicate your accomplishments to a prospective employer. Box 9-1 lists some sample action words.

Editing

Editing is perhaps the most crucial step. Check, double-check, and triple-check your resume. Editing uncovers errors in punctuation and spelling, misused words, and poor grammar. Even one misspelled word can be disastrous. Documents with grammatical errors do not portray a positive, professional image. They indicate that you do not pay attention to detail and that your work habits may be sloppy. Check dates for accuracy. Be sure that the information is factually correct.

Honesty

It might seem innocent to tweak the facts or to embellish the truth, but it is a risk that can have serious repercussions. False information on a resume or an application can be grounds for later termination. State only the facts. It is equally as bad to “leave out” information on a resume. For example, let’s say that you were fired from Dr. Jones’ office. Should you still list Dr. Jones under the section “work experience?” Yes, you should. State the dates you were employed. Be prepared to answer questions during the interview as to why you left the office.

Printing Suggestions

Print your resume on either white or off-white paper. Use a good-quality paper (20 or 24 pound). Black ink is preferred. Never use colors for either print or paper. Make sure that your printer cartridge is new and full. After printing the resume, examine it for smudging or streaking. Reprint it as needed.