Writing and finessing a quality resume could be easier than you think, especially when you’re a medic or a student studying emergency health care. Keep reading, because you’re about to learn how to create a quality resume which will get you noticed by employers.
Medics play such an important role in keeping our communities safe, it can be challenging to translate what they do into words – but we are here to help you do just that!
Studies show that your prospective employer could spend less than a minute looking at your resume before making an judgment on whether you’re what they’re looking for – or not. This means you have a very short amount of time to make a big impact.
Every employer is going to be looking for something different when it comes to new team members, so it is important you are familiar with the job description, and you are tailoring your resume to show you’re qualified for that specific role.
Keep it short and intentional, 1-2 pages. If you have extensive experience, only list the most recent or most relevant. Make sure you are including plenty of the keywords that are found in the job description in order to demonstrate you’re the best candidate for the job.
Providing a specifically tailored resume will not only give you the best chance at the job, but it will also show the recruiter that you’ve put extra time and effort into creating a resume just for them – that’s a great first impression and it shows you really want the job!
This is a short paragraph at the beginning of the resume and provides a snapshot of your skills, qualifications, and experience. Again, this should be tailored for each job you are applying for.
If the job description highlights the need for a candidate who has critical thinking skills with the ability to operating under strict standards and guidelines, there is no point in using the summary to highlight your triage and CPR skills (keep those skills for the body of the resume).
An example could be “Compassionate and dedicated Paramedic with three years of experience in emergency services. Experience in properly evaluating the condition of patients and implementing treatment as defined by the Scope of Practice. Adept in operating emergency vehicles and modern paramedical equipment. Highly regarded skills in providing quality patient care, all while being solutions-oriented and effectively communicating with my partner and hospital staff at hand over”
Do some research on the company’s values and mission statements. If you can’t find much on their website, look for their annual reports or use LinkedIn to view some of their current employees to get a feel for the types of people they hire. Once you know what they ‘stand for’ as a company, be sure to use some of those keywords in your resume.
Yes, to become a medic you’ll likely have completed the HLT51020 – Diploma of Emergency Health Care. Or if you are applying for a registered Paramedic position, you have completed your bachelor’s degree. This means you have the technical abilities required for the role, but the soft skills (or non-technical skills) are just as essential in this career. Use your resume to highlight your ability to think critically under times of stress, your compassionate nature and ability to delicately handle sensitive situations.
Communication, teamwork, resilience, and peer support are all essential qualities in a medic, and the job description will describe some of the skills they are looking for too – so make sure you are sharing that on your resume.
Providing a generic, copy and pasted cover letter is a sure-fire way to not make it past the first round of recruitment. Once you have nailed your resume, the cover letter is also an incredibly important but time-consuming part of applications. Use the cover letter to summarise your work history and elaborate on anything in your resume that you feel is very relevant to the role.
Remember that we all start somewhere! The Critical Care Paramedic who might interview you also started out exactly where you are.
All the tips above are still extremely important to implement, even if you do not have years of experience.
Use your resume as an opportunity to highlight the recency of your education. You may want to include some of the paramedical subjects that you excelled in or that really interested you.
All paramedical students are required to undertake Clinical Placement, so be sure to include some of your most memorable moments and experiences from your time out on the road.
Be sure to think about your transferable skills; maybe your main experience is as a Chef – well, chefs also make critical decisions under stressful situations and must then communicate effectively to their team of cooks. Sounds a lot like a Paramedic, right? Think about how you can communicate your transferable soft skills in a way that makes you look like you would be an excellent addition to their team.
Searching for a new job can seem like it’s way too hard at times, but with these paramedic student resume writing tips, you will be able to put your best foot forward!
Good luck.
Be sure to watch this video with Brodie White from Medical Edge Australia. He shares his top job application tips for paramedical graduates. He employs a large workforce in his Event Medical and COVID-19 services business.