In addition to a strong and highly professional online presence having and maintaining a resume is essential for EMS professionals. These are my Everyday EMS Tips for your resume:
Layout:
Consider two or more pages, especially if you are applying for a supervisory or educator position. Cramming years of experience and certifications into a single page either leads to leaving out essential information, using a small font, or me wondering why you have done so little in your career.
Formatting:
Don’t start bullet point lines with “-” because it is the negative or minus symbol. This is just a subtle way to set the tone for your resume.
For each position write three to six action oriented bullets of responsibilities and accomplishments.
Social Networking:
Since I am going to Google you and look for your profile at LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook you might as well give me links to those places. If you are applying for jobs and already have a social networking presence make sure to do some housekeeping of old photos, videos, or status updates that don’t feature your finest moments.
If you have a blog, write a post that links to your top 3 posts that represent you at your best. Include that link in your resume. Don’t let me flail around your blog and stumble into one of your low points. Instead help me find the best of the best.
Over-Share:
Don’t have an online presence? Wow. Now is the time to get started. When I Google you I want to find something and you should know that it will be something good. Join EMSConnect and participate in discussions. Follow blogs of EMS professionals and add comments to posts that strike a chord with you or when you want to learn more.
Paper and Printing:
Please nothing fancy. Just a nice weight white paper with high quality printing.
Cover Letter
Your cover letter is the best place to separate yourself from the other candidates. You can generally assume all the other candidates have the same basic degrees, certifications, and work experience. What makes you different? A few things to highlight might be:
- Ability to work with others
- Demonstrations of professionalism
- Problem solving abilities
- Innovative and effective solutions to persistent problems
What are your resume and cover letter tips?
