When looking for a medical assistant job, your resume is going to be the key that opens the door to getting an interview. It is the first point of contact between you and a potential employer. It needs to make a solid yet lasting impression by communicating at a glance what you’re good at and why they need you on board.
There is a lot of competition for medical assistant jobs despite it being one of the fastest growing health care careers. Employers get inundated with resumes and usually spend less than 20 seconds reading each one that lands on their desk. So how can you make yours stand out from the rest? Keep reading for tips that will help get you past the screening phase and into the office for an interview.
Adapt it to Fit the Position for Which You are Applying
A common mistake that people often make is sending out a ‘one-size-fits-all’ type resume. Sure it will save you time, but you’re reducing your chance from slim to none of actually being called in for a face-to-face interview.
Read the job description and tailor your resume to suit its requirements. This will show employers how and why you would be a good fit for the position and help them determine if there is a match between you and the position’s requirements. Bonus tip: The same goes for cover letters.
Double and Triple Check for Typos and Grammatical Errors
Nothing will get your resume pitched into the recycling bin faster than spelling and grammar mistakes. A typo or two might be overlooked, but anything more is inexcusable and will almost certainly dismiss you as a qualified candidate. Chances are the person reading over your resume will question your attention to detail or assume that you’re not that interested in the position since you couldn’t be bothered to proof read your resume. So spell-check your resume and also get a fresh pair of eyes to proof read it as well.
Highlight Accomplishments Instead of Duties
One of the best ways to improve your resume is to get rid of the old “responsibilities included…” statement and replace it with on-the-job “accomplishments.” This is what will set you apart from the other job candidates.
In other words, don’t just list job duties on your resume like this:
- Eliminated overstock and improved inventory management
- Ensured compliance with HIPAA, CLIA and OSHA regulations
- Organized patient files
Realize that you are trying to ‘sell’ yourself to the person reading your resume. Listing job duties doesn’t say much about what you bring to the table. Grab the reader’s attention by demonstrating actions and the results of what you’ve accomplished by taking those actions, for example:
- Saved over $2,000 per month in expenditures by eliminating overstock and improving inventory management.
- Implemented quality assurance and control program, which ensured compliance with HIPAA, CLIA and OSHA regulations, improved patient care/satisfaction and lowered monthly overhead by 12%.
- Reorganized 5 years worth of unmanageable patient files, making them easily accessible to all staff members.
Replace Your Objective Statement with a Title and Summary
There seems to be mixed opinions whether or not an objective statement carries any weight anymore. Let’s face it – your objective is obvious… to get the job!
Instead replace it with a “Title and Summary” section that provides an overview of your key attributes along with an example or two for a swift impact.
CERTIFIED MEDICAL ASSISTANT
More than 6 years experience in a multi-physician family medical practice including additional healthcare experience as an RPT. Leveraged administrative and clinical expertise to improve patient care satisfaction.
However if you do decide to use an objective statement, avoid vague generalized statements like:
To obtain a challenging position that offers professional growth.
Instead, be specific with your objective statement and focus on your employer’s needs, for example:
Administrative and clinical medical assistant position where I can apply my versatile skills and experience in all areas of a modern group practice.
Keep It Simple!
Keep the layout clean and simple. Choose a universal font like Times New Roman or Helvetica, 9 to 12 pts, and stick to black text on white paper.
Use bullet points and short sentences.
Don’t go over board with bold and italics.
While one page is the standard, don’t exceed more than two pages in length. If you just graduated or have very little work experience, one page will do.
Make it Email Friendly
As more and more employers are requesting resumes to be sent via email, have your resume saved as a Word document, PDF and as plain text. Carefully read the submission directions and send your resume in the format that the employer prefers. Not following these directions could cause your resume to be dismissed right from the start.
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Getting interviews takes due diligence and hard work. Having a solid well-written resume will increase your chances of being called in for an interview. However, don’t just leave it up to chance. After submitting your resume, follow it up with an email or phone call. This will show that you are serious about getting that medical assistant job.
Thanks for these great resume writing tips.