Whether you are actively seeking a new physician job opportunity or simply keeping your eyes open if the right one comes along, never under-estimate the importance of your physician CV or curriculum vitae. In fact, it may be the most important factor to get you out from the screening pile and into the initial phone interview.
Often, when an exciting job opportunity creeps up unexpectedly, you are left scrambling to update your physician CV or physician resume. Don’t fall into that trap, because it may lead to sloppiness. Below are the essential components and tips to make sure your CV gets noticed.
The Five Most Critical Elements of Your Physician CV
Your CV serves as an introduction to who you are, how you got there, and what you have been doing. And, it should flow accordingly.
- Contact Information. At the top in big, bold letters, include your name, address, phone number, and email address. This information is important, so make sure it stands out from the page.
- Education and Qualifications. This section is where you highlight how you got to where you are today. Include your years of study and where it occurred. Start with the most recent and work backward chronologically. Include special qualifications or distinctions you may have earned during your studies.
- Employment History. Next, explain how you have been using your education. Include dates and relevant places of employment. Unless it directly ties to the job you are interested in, there is no need to mention your years as a server while you worked your way through medical school.
- Clinical Experience. Here, you will want to add the clinical experiences you have had. Include dates and locations, and briefly state the knowledge you have gained.
- Certifications and Licensure. This is an opportunity to share classes, workshops, and other continuing education that led to certification. Identify your licensure followed by any certifications earned in chronological order.
“I have often seen clients turn away candidates due to sloppy, inconsistent, and incomplete work on their CV. Address any significant gaps in training/work if appropriate, include relevant dates of employment, spell/grammar/format check, and keep it pertinent.” – Tara Osseck, Regional Vice President of Recruiting
Nice to Haves
Other sections you can add, include:
- Honors and awards
- Personal interests (as a means to provide insight into you as a person)
- Published articles
- Teaching experience
The Do’s and Don’ts
There are many potential pitfalls and potholes that can get in the way of landing your perfect physician job. Here is a list of do’s and don’ts when it comes to your physician CV.
Always Do These Things
- Be Grammatically Correct. Proofread your CV to make sure you catch any potential spelling or grammatical errors. Taking the time to create a clean, accurate CV shows a level of detail that is vital to being a successful physician. Having a friend or relative proof your CV is highly recommended.
- Be Concise. Another common mistake is thinking that volume equals impressive. In many cases, the individual reviewing your CV will never make it past the third page. By keeping your information brief and relevant, you are maintaining the reader’s interest.
- Be Yourself. Find ways to demonstrate your personality. When hiring, administrators are looking for qualified candidates who are also a good fit for their organizational culture. For example, sharing details about charitable work provides them with a glimpse of you, the person, not just the physician.
Avoid These Pitfalls
- Each job opportunity is unique, which means your CV should not be a boilerplate for every position that shows up in your email. Avoid sending off the same CV for every physician vacancy. Instead, find ways to tailor your information to the position and remove information that isn’t relevant.
- We have already mentioned brevity, and one way to do that is to avoid listing every single article you have ever published. While it is important to highlight your credentials, it is also possible to take it too far. A better idea is to create a personal web page with all of the details you want to share, and simply provide the link to that page. If the employer is interested, your page will be visited at the appropriate time.
Just like your eyes are the window to your soul, your CV is a window to you as a physician. Taking the time to keep your information current and accurate, while tailoring your experiences to the requirements of the job posting will go a long way to secure your place outside of the screening pile, or worse, the circular file.
Jackson Physician Search has a team of healthcare industry professionals who can help guide you toward finding the perfect job opportunity. Our physician recruitment team has a nationwide network and unique industry insights to help you discover your next career opportunity. Contact our team today and learn how we can make a difference in your career.