This post is about resumes for medical transcriptionists who have been in the field for awhile and have established credibility within this job market. (A separate post will address resumes for new MTs.)

Since many of my medical transcriptionist associates have asked (over the years) about resumes and what to include in them, I’ve decided to give my take on the subject.

When creating a resume, be as succinct as possible and highlight what skillsets you bring to the table. I specifically limit my resume to one page because people are so busy these days. As you can see, it takes only a few minutes to read this and see what I have to offer a company. More specifically, I key in on what people are looking for: good technical skills (Administrative), good people skills (Interpersonal Relationships), and job-specific (in my case, orthopedics and Workers’ Compensation) skills. If you have had supervisory or mangerial experience, bring that up as well. This is the time to toot your own horn, so don’t be shy.

I also tailor my resume to each specific job for which I am applying. I never have a “one resume fits all” attitude. In order to set yourself apart from others, your resume must reflect what the employer seeks most in the ideal candidate.

Here is a sample resume that I used to land the last couple of outside MT contractor jobs for orthopedic surgeons in the workers’ compensation arena.

_____________________________________________________________________

PERSONAL CONTACT INFORMATION

ADMINISTRATIVE QUALIFICATIONS

Typing speed of 120-130 w.p.m. with 95% accuracy; good command of the English language; strong editing, grammar, and punctuation skills; ability to edit “on the fly” when taking histories and when transcribing medical reports, making paragraphs flow smoothly; and strong computer (hardware and software) skills, saving the company down time and money.

INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP SKILLS

Ability to put people at ease and to establish immediate rapport; ability to control the history interview process, keeping the patient on track; and getting salient information in a timely manner, all in a congenial and empathetic way.

Cooperates and works well with co-workers, willingly shares new technical and medical information. Professional, dedicated, and committed to the success of the company through collaborative efforts with others.

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION-SPECIFIC SKILLS

Good command of workers’ compensation field, thus enabling me to ask the pertinent questions that will enable the doctor to intelligently address important workers’ compensation issues (e.g., permanent disability, apportionment, and causation); over five years of experience taking patient histories (ranging from basic to complicated) on a daily basis, specializing in the field of orthopedics; and over 14 years of experience as a medical transcriptionist, historian, and medical records reviewer.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Company Name, Address, City State, Zip, Phone Number

Employed From: June 19xx to 20xx Supervisor: Jane Doe

Company Name, Address, City State, Zip, Phone Number

Employed From: June 19xx to 20xx Supervisor: Jane Doe

_____________________________________________________________________

Depending on how much information and work experience you have, there may be room at the bottom of the page. If so, include this section:

QUALITIES AND CHARACTER TRAITS

Innovative, creative, proactive, energetic visionary, resourceful self-starter; practical, self-reliant, motivated problem-solver; versatile, talented trainer/teacher; organized, personable, and reliable support person with a winning attitude who takes great pride in meeting and exceeding her own definition and standard of excellence.

One last point: The very last sentence of the resume is a powerful thing–if the resume has been read all the way through. You can–and I have done this–use that very same sentence–at the TOP of the resume to grab the reader’s attention. When you do, change the heading to: SELF-ASSESSMENT STATEMENT.

Now isn’t that a powerful resume? This should get you in the door so you can now wow them with your credibility kit.