Resume writing can be tough for any job search. Becoming a certified medical assistant (CMA) is no different. Here’s how to write the best resume for a medical assistant job.
A medical assistant resume should follow the following resume format:
The header is simple to format. All you need to include is the following contact information:
The resume summary is a short paragraph that summarizes your patient care skills and experience. It also gives you the chance to tell the recruiter about what you hope to accomplish or learn from this new job. You should only mention the most relevant skills and experience for the job. Save any further anecdotes or details for a cover letter or the job interview itself. A resume objective is similar but it focuses on your career goals rather than experience. Use a resume objective if you lack relevant work experience or changing careers.
Your skills section should be a brief bullet point list of your medical skills. If you aren’t sure which medical skills are the most relevant to the job, then study the job description and pull keywords from the job skills and requirements. Doing so can also help your resume get through an applicant tracking system (ATS), which is designed to scan through the many applications received for a particular job. The process scans for specific keywords in each resume to select the most qualified applicants.
Here are some medical hard skills and soft skills to include on your next resume:
This section should make up the bulk of your professional resume. If you don’t have much experience working in an actual medical office or in exam rooms, then listing your healthcare internship experience or any volunteer work is fine.
It’s best to list your degree, school and specific distinctions in the education section of your resume. Specific certifications can also impress a recruiter. Certified medical assistants will often be more desirable candidates than those who haven’t yet earned these certifications. Those applying for an entry-level medical assistant position with little to no experience within the field can also list relevant coursework they have taken on.
Colleges and universities can help connect you to local hospitals or other medical offices that have open positions. You can also try to network with your fellow medical students and see if they also know anyone who works in a hospital who can vouch for your work ethic. Visiting career fairs is also a great way to connect with other healthcare professionals.
It is always a good idea to write a cover letter for any job application. This letter gives you the chance to further discuss your relevant medical skills, professional experience and noteworthy accomplishments that you list on your resume. It also provides an opportunity to show your passion for the role and ask for a job interview.
The best place to find free resume templates is using the ResumeNerd resume builder tool. These tools contain dozens of resume templates, samples and other resume writing tips to help you craft the perfect resume in mere minutes.
