Page 13 - The Editors of VGM Career Books - Resumes for Computer Careers, Second Edition (2002)

4 Resumes for Health and Medical Careers

Although it is usually a good idea to include an objective, in some cases
this element is not necessary. The goal of the objective statement is to pro-
vide the employer with an idea of where you see yourself going in the field.
However, if you are uncertain of the exact nature of the job you seek,
including an objective that is too specific could result in your not being
considered for a host of perfectly acceptable positions. If you decide not
to use an objective heading in your resume, you should definitely incor-
porate the information that would be conveyed in the objective into your
cover letter.

Work Experience

Work experience is arguably the most important element of them all.
Unless you are a recent graduate or former homemaker with little or no
relevant work experience, your current and former positions will provide
the central focus of the resume. You will want this section to be as com-
plete and carefully constructed as possible. By thoroughly examining your
work experience, you can get to the heart of your accomplishments and
present them in a way that demonstrates and highlights your qualifications.
If you are just entering the workforce, your resume will probably focus
on your education, but you should also include information on your work
or volunteer experiences. Although you will have less information about
work experience than a person who has held multiple positions or is
advanced in his or her career, the amount of information is not what is
most important in this section. How the information is presented and
what it says about you as a worker and a person are what really count.
As you create this section of your resume, remember the need for
accuracy. Include all the necessary information about each of your jobs,
including your job title, dates of employment, name of your employer, city,
state, responsibilities, special projects you handled, and accomplishments.
Be sure to list only accomplishments for which you were directly respon-
sible. And don’t be alarmed if you haven’t participated in or worked on
special projects, because this section may not be relevant to certain jobs.
The most common way to list your work experience is in reverse
chronological order. In other words, start with your most recent job and
work your way backward. This way, your prospective employer sees your
current (and often most important) position before considering your past
employment. Your most recent position, if it’s the most important in terms
of responsibilities and relevance to the job for which you are applying,
should also be the one that includes the most information as compared to
your previous positions.