There are several different things to think of when writing your resume for the HealthCare field. There is the style of the resume you're going to use, as well as making sure your job titles and descriptions are clear enough for a variety of people to understand. The most important thing is to be able to show your skills and experience at a glance.

The type of resume you choose depends on the type of work you do. For office and administrative positions, the chronological resume works best while in the medical and scientific fields the Curriculum Vitae may better suit your needs.

Resume Styles

• Resume: The resume is used mostly for administrative and office positions, and the chronological resume is for management positions. Many healthcare positions, such as accounting, don't require a specific healthcare background so if you've never worked in the healthcare industry before, you may be qualified for a job here. Make sure to show your qualifications for the position.
  
  
• Curriculum Vitae: The Curriculum Vitae is mostly used by people in the medical and scientific fields. This is a more modest account of your credentials including Education, Professional Experience, Awards, Publications, Speaking Engagements, Affiliations, etc. Don't worry about the length. Some will be one page while others will have multiple pages.

There are several points to make sure to include while writing your resume or Curriculum Vitae in order to show your knowledge in (and outside) your field as well as making it easy to read for a variety of people. Some items to keep in mind are:

1. Don't use too many Industry-Specific Initials
2. Show your clinical skills as well as any other administrative or managerial skills you have.
3. Highlight your accomplishments and unusual experiences. It's not necessary to detail your daily duties.
4. If you did the same job at multiple hospitals, there's no need to list every single one. Put them all under one heading and describe your duties.
5. List pertinent education, but not necessarily every conference you've attended.
6. Include experiences you've had other than in the healthcare field. This will help show your diversity.

Job Description Buzz Words

• Caseload: Show the types of caseload you've managed and any challenges you've faced.
• Computer/Tech Skills: As a general rule, the more skills you have the better. These can be placed under a separate heading, or within another description.
• Continuous Quality Initiatives (CQI): These highlight an understanding of processes and systems as well as problem identification. Generic QI oversight is expected of any professional.
• Grant Writing/Fundraising: If you have any experience creating new fund streams, this will be noticed.
• Operating Revenue: Working within budget shows good management skill, and the larger the budget, the better prestige your work experience has. Keep in mind, budgets are public record and can be checked. Don't inflate these numbers.
• Program/Service Development and Expansion: Expanding services helps you succeed. Be sure to mention all quantifiable information.
• Research/Publications: Employers will know the bigger publishing credits, but avoid the smaller ones as they may not be recognized.
• Regulatory/Government Agencies: Include your knowledge of any state and federal regulation programs.
• Training: If you've introduced a training curriculum, done public speaking, etc. be sure to note this.
• Transdisciplinary/Interdisciplinary Teams: Employers like to know you work well with different types of professionals. Note the teams you were on and how you contributed and worked with the others on the team.