At MedCerts Partner Solutions, we understand that your clients are smart, capable, and hardworking. The challenge is helping them translate their skills into a standout resume that gets noticed by employers. With the right approach and the right credentials, they can gain a competitive edge in today’s job market.
Resume submission is the first and often toughest hurdle in the hiring process. These resume best practices can give your clients an edge and help them move forward.
1. Customize for Each Job Posting
Companies use applicant tracking systems (ATSs) to filter applications and prioritize those that meet job requirements. Applicants who meet the listed qualifications will rank higher than those who don’t.
Your clients can gain an advantage by tailoring their resume for each job they apply to. Show them how to review a job posting and create a list of key skills. Then, compare the list to the candidate’s resume, ensuring it includes as many listed skills as possible.
2. Use a Simple, Clutter-Free Design
ATSs and human recruiters appreciate a resume that’s easy to read. Complex formats and fancy graphics may appeal to candidates, but ATS programs tend to scramble them at best or skip over them at worst. It’s better to use a simple, ATS-friendly format, which means:
- One column with clearly labeled Summary, Core Competencies, Work Experience, and Education sections
- No images or charts, which ATSs can’t read
- Key details, including contact information, in the body of the document, not the header or footer
- A headline including the job title
- Bullet point organizations with plain dots, not symbols
Finally, expert resume advice includes sending files in .doc or .docx format when possible, as some ATSs don’t parse PDFs correctly.
3. Trade Objectives for Summaries
While summaries and objectives are both acceptable ways of opening your resume, a summary is more employer-focused. Objectives express what the candidate wants, but summaries express what they bring.
For career-changers and entry-level professionals, a summary is an ideal way to highlight transferable skills and key strengths. Candidates entering a new field should customize their summary section for each job, emphasizing aspects of their backgrounds that fit the position.
Keep this section concise — two or three sentences at most — and avoid wasting space with a “Summary” label. This section’s purpose is evident already.
4. Boost Resume Value With In-Demand Certifications
Even entry-level jobs appreciate candidates with proven knowledge of a field. Widely recognized certifications give employers confidence that candidates have the essential skills to succeed on the job, even if they have minimal work experience in the field.
MedCerts offers focused training for in-demand career certifications in healthcare, IT, and beyond. Students in workforce programs can study at home on their own schedule and be ready to take their certification exam in as little as a few months. The credentials are job-relevant and come from respected credentialing organizations, such as the National Healthcareer Association or CompTIA.
Give Your Clients an Edge With MedCerts
MedCerts Partner Solutions currently works with more than 30 American Job Centers nationwide to train job seekers for in-demand, well-paying jobs. Our team will work with you to match candidates with the right programs and prepare them to earn competitive credentials.
Our programs help candidates get the certifications they need to build competitive resumes. Connect with us today to learn more.
