How do I get SOMEONE… ANYone… to read my resume and grant me an interview ?

Once upon a time, in a hospital long ago, RT managers actually read resumes. But now, managers are bogged down with more important tasks, and have turned all hiring over to Human Resources (HR). Since HR people have no idea what an RT actually does, hospitals have turned to resume bots. These are nothing more than document scanners that look for certain words. If you craft your resume carefully, the bots will pick up these words and maybe, get you a second look. I am NOT saying to pad your resume nor stretch the truth. But, your resume needs to match a certain number of keywords that the HR job description (or manager’s preference) contains. Here’s an example: you are about to graduate in 2 months. You want to get started interviewing. You can’t say that you hold a BSRT degree yet, nor an RRT. But you can say, somewhere on the resume, that you will graduate on x date, and (finals pending), you expect to receive a BSRT. And that you plan to sit for the RRT exam as soon as possible. BOOM! 2 keywords they are looking for, found. What else is in the job description? If it states one year of experience is necessary, don’t expect a call. If it says experience is preferred, go for it.  If it says you must know the Servo U ventilator, and you only saw it once, put in ‘minimal experience with Servo U vent’. Another keyword matched. Then, you better get on YouTube and watch every video on Servo U  that is out there. Other job description keywords that may be targeted for a match are: ACCS, NICU, PICU, PFT, oximetry, spirometry. No experience there? In the ‘Objectives’ paragraph, put “Plan to get my ACCS”, or, “Willing to learn PFT as needed”. BAM! More keywords matched. The higher percentage of keywords matched, the higher your chances of getting a call. You can say, ” I did a NICU or PICU rotation and look forward to learning much more”. Put down every ventilator you worked with, even if only for one day. If true, you can say you observed bronchoscopies or, although not allowed to draw ABG’s you learned how to run them on x machine. Other possible keywords include protocols, etc. Think ahead: Does a hospital where you really want to work require EKG experience? While you are still a student, ask your preceptor if you can go with an EKG tech for a day. Do they require you to know bedside spirometry? Ask if you can spend a day with a Pulmonary Rehab RT or a PFT person.  The more keywords matched, the higher the likelihood that you will get a call. And when they do, remember – they are not clinicians of any kind. They are merely following a checklist to fill out and ensure you meet the minimum requirements, before they send you on to the RT manager. Put a smile in your voice. ‘Yes’ has an ‘s’ at the end. Please and Thank You.

What if there are just NO job  openings? Volunteer. Do they have an equipment tech? Many equipment techs got cut, and departments would love the help. Even if only for 4 hours a week, it will keep your skills up. It may not be direct patient care, but any exposure is good exposure.

Up next: The Interview (!!)