Career Articles & Tips for Physicians

Top Physician Resume Mistakes

A great resume can open doors to a plethora of employment opportunities. A bad resume on the other hand, can shut them. Despite current Physician shortages, most clinical vacancies have a multitude of applicants vying for the job. Competition can be high and in order to set yourself apart it is important to avoid a few common resume pitfalls. The top Physician resume mistakes you should try to avoid are:

  1. Being too humble-

    If you are like most people, you probably don't like to brag about yourself. This is a common mistake Physicians make when trying to create a blockbuster resume. Your resume is the hook that lands you the interview, so it needs to represent the best of what you have to offer. Tell them about all your achievements and accolades from colleagues and patients. Play up any benchmarks you have set or adversities you have overcome.

  2. Glossing over employment gaps-

    Think about a time when you were only given half the story. I bet your first instinct was to start imagining what was missing. Often times these thoughts aren't positive. These same thoughts go through a hiring managers head when reviewing resumes with notable employment gaps. Instead of leaving these gaps open to the employers imagination, address it head on. Explain what caused the gap. Often your explanation is far less interesting than what they may have imagined.

  3. Not addressing the job description-

    Try to avoid the common mistake of creating a boilerplate resume that you use for every opportunity. You need to modify your resume for each opportunity. Every position and company is different. A job description gives insight into what a company values and what they are looking for in a prospective hire. Use this to your advantage and tailor your resume to reflect back what they are looking for. Try to highlight some keywords the job description used in your resume. This will make you appear to be the kind of candidate that has all the attributes they are looking for.

  4. Using a CV when what you really need is a resume-

    Many Physicians are steeped in the idea that CV's are the only format to use when applying for employment. While CV's provide a lengthy narrative of your academic and employment prowess and are often pages in length. These detailed narratives aren't always the best option for Physicians, especially in settings outside of academia. While it looks great to have published this or researched that, when it comes down to it you are applying for a clinically focused job. These superfluous achievements take up room on a resume and create clutter that is not relevant to an opportunity. Busy hiring managers don't have the time or inclination to wade through a 7 page document to glean relevant details. Make it easy for them and streamline your CV to a resume format for opportunities outside of academia. This will increase the likelihood of getting an interview where you can wow them with all the details.

  5. Not having a friend take a look-

    Be sure to have a friend who is familiar with you and your industry review your resume. This can help you catch any typos, omitted career highlights or statements that don't convey your points effectively.

*This article encompasses a review of products and does not imply any particular endorsements.

Behavioral Interview Tips for Healthcare Jobs
References:

Apple App Store. Accessed 5/22/17-5/24/17.