As noted in a previous blog, January-February is often a top hiring period for organizations. Although healthcare is somewhat immune to recruitment peaks and valleys, there is a tendency for families to take advantage of school winter breaks, and make career moves. Even if you are not contemplating a change at this time, the New Year is a great time to review and update your interview techniques, your business wardrobe, and more importantly, your resume. Despite all the advances in technology, and all the social media options out there, putting good old ink to paper or keystrokes to a Word document, is still essential to any successful employment process. A well-written resume is your first introduction to potential employers, and the importance of getting it right can not be overstated …especially in this era of keywords and Google searches.

Here are a 4 tips to help you get started:

• Consider using a resume profile instead of a resume objective. A profile is essentially a condensed cover letter stating what you have to offer an employer in the way of experience and skills. A resume objective tends to state the type of job you are seeking.
• Remember the 15 seconds rule. Surprisingly, most resumes are given a 15 seconds once over before being rejected or set aside for further consideration. As a rule, that brief time is spent on just the first third of the document. Therefore, your personal information and resume profile, at the top of the page, must be clear, concise and visually catching.
• Don’t keyword pack your resume. Avoid the mechanical sounding, overused language and sometimes depersonalized world of keywords. Remember, not every company uses software programs to sift through applicants, and not every software program is the same.
• When in doubt use professional services. If you are unsure of your writing skills, or just need a second pair of eyes to review your documents, explore the resources of your recruitment/staffing firm or a professional resume writer. Once formatted, a professional resume is easier to regularly update.

Centra Healthcare is a full service concierge staffing company. We are committed to finding your ideal job opportunity, be it a contract or permanent position. We assist you in every way possible throughout the process, including reviewing your resume and providing interview tips. Your success is our success. Call us at 800 535 0076 and see what makes us different.