This is it. You have worked your heart out through undergrad, and your specialized medical schooling. It’s time for you to start applying for positions or start your residency program. During this transition period, you are probably working to cultivate a hefty curriculum vitae/resume to show off your various accolades. While creating these documents, there is so much to think about. Isn’t a curriculum vitae the same thing as a resume? Don’t I need only one really good resume/CV? We’ve got you covered with the lowdown on this topic.
Let me throw some statistics your way:
- You have less than 7 seconds to impress the individual viewing your resume.
- You are in competition with upwards of 200 candidates: That’s right. On average, over two hundred individuals will apply for the same position. This applies more towards medical administration, health aides, and other non-specialized positions, not necessarily doctors, and more specialized jobs.
- Approximately 60% of recruiters will throw out an application with grammar/spelling errors.
- 90% of recruiters will look at your social media: remember that party phase you went through in undergrad? Well, you might want to take those photos down.
- 90% of recruiters stress the importance of tailoring your resume to the field that you are pursuing.
A little intimidated by these statistics? Don’t worry. Curaconncector.com is here to save your resume/CV. You can thank us later once you score that dream health care job.
First, let’s talk about the difference between a Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a Resume:
A curriculum vitae, or CV, is an in-depth look at your education, achievements, publications, honors, etc. It isn’t tailored to the specific position that you are applying for, but instead focuses on your accomplishments. Were you President of your Medical Association at any point during your college years? Include that! Do not be afraid to put yourself out there. Now is your time to shine, so pull out all of the stops and shamelessly self-promote. A CV is spread out over the length of typically two pages or more. The positions that usually require a CV when pursuing a health care career are doctors, researchers, nurses, etc. I have linked a sample CV for you to view so that you can get a better understanding of what it should encompass and how it should be formatted.
https://medicine.osu.edu/students/life/career_advising/pages/cv.aspx
Resume: Chances are you already have a resume of some sort stored somewhere in the plethora of files on your computer. Most careers outside of the medical realm typically require a resume over a CV, but if you are applying within the healthcare field, many recruiters will require both a resume and CV. The length of a resume is typically one page, but the length can vary based on your years of experience. A resume is a highly tailored document, focused on the position you are applying for. You can include work experience related solely to the field that you are interested in. A resume is customizable and is structured to sell yourself in the best way, in the least amount of time. A resume is typically required when applying for positions involving management roles, administration, clinical settings, etc. I have attached a link for this as well so that you can get a visualization of what a resume should look like.
Tips for the best CV and Resume:
- The sooner, the better: It’s best to start your CV at the beginning of your med school career and add on to it as time progresses. This helps with keeping your information accurate, and it takes the pressure off of having to sit there for hours to recall all that you have done.
- Less is more: When it comes to the design of your CV/Resume, at least. Refrain from using bright colors or fancy templates. Being concise and organized is so imperative when creating these documents. In this instance, neat and simple is the best route. It makes the text easier to follow for the recruiter and puts all of the focus on your accomplishments, not the design.
- (Reverse) chronological order: Make sure to list your many incredible accolades in reverse chronological order. This means start with your most recent accomplishments, and then work your way down.
- Who are you? Remember that your materials are being read by a complete stranger. They have no idea who you are and what you are about. Sometimes it’s so easy for us to be nonchalant about our work because we expect people to be already familiar with it. A tip to avoid this is to employ some help from a friend or family member that can give you another perspective on who you are. They can assist you in creating points that fully encompass who you are from the eyes of someone else.
- Accuracy: DO NOT LIE. I repeat, do not lie on your CV or resume. More often than not, we feel the need to upsell ourselves when applying for jobs. While it is crucial to stand out, you should never fabricate information to make yourself look better. Believe it or not, recruiters will ask you questions about your materials, and they will be doing their research for accuracy. So, for the love of God, please do not list that you were the President of your Medical Association when you were merely a member.
- Proofread, proofread, proofread: You should NEVER send or submit something without proofreading it. You know when you are typing something up, and you read it a couple of hours later, and you find tons of typos? This happens to just about everyone. This is why it is so important to have someone else look over your work, or to use a system like Grammarly, that will check your work for you. It never hurts to get a second pair of eyes on your work. Don’t think incorrect grammar/spelling is that big of a deal? Read the statistics at the top of this post.
- Create multiples: each position that you apply for is unique. Do not make a cookie-cutter CV/resume and assume that it will be tailored to every single position. These documents are not a one-size-fits-all concept. I know that this is tedious, but this is so essential to your job search. Tailor your resume/CV to the qualifications and specs that the job is asking for, and watch the interviews start rolling in.
Got anything you want to share with us? Comment down below; we would love to hear from you! From all of us at CuraConnector.com, good luck on your endeavors.
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