Writing a resume can be daunting task. Not everyone agrees on the right formatting or procedure. Some say you should emphasis one aspect, while others say focus on another. One day you're told cover letters are a must and the next it's determined to be completely unnecessary.

In all honesty, it doesn't take much to produce a good resume. A few key aspects and you're done. Even if you have what you consider to be a good resume, try making the following resume tweaks. These are major changes, but these simple tweaks could help you land the perfect job. 

Define Your Objective

First off is your objective. You want to make your objective clear. I mean, you can't expect a potential employer to read your mind or somehow know what your intentions are for the future, unless you tell them. That's why you need to briefly lay it out in your resume.

What are your career goals? What are your plans and objectives? Employers want to know. Are you just looking for a temporary, stop-gap position or are you looking for longevity in a career?

You also want to make sure to tailor your objective to the position to which you are applying. Don't be generic. Be specific. Align with the company and employer reading your resume. Make it clear why you are qualified, how you want to grow and where you intend to go with the company.

Experience is a Relative Term

While your past job experiences can be an important part of your resume, you're going to want to leave out any irrelevant information. For example, you don't really need to include the time you worked at a fast food restaurant for two months when submitting a resume for a Physical Therapist. The owner of a Dental Office is not going to be concerned with, or necessary even interested in, the time you stocked shelves at the local grocery store.

While this information is part of your past job experience, it is not applicable to your current job search. An employer isn't going to want to filter through job after job in search of the jobs or skills that align with the position the company needs to fill. Don't make it more difficult for the employer to figure out you're a match. Make it simple. Let the employer know you understand what the open position is all about and how you are the one for the job.

Skills and Accomplishments Are What Get You Hired

Hiring managers and executives will often skip right on by resumes where an applicant's accomplishments and skills haven't been quantified. These sections should stand out. Employers want to know about your accomplishments, particularly those which would make you a qualified candidate. They also want to know about the skills you possess.

Again, an employer is not going to spend the time going through every job description in search of your skills and accomplishments. It's simply not going to happen. Make a separate section for accomplishments and another for skills. List the technical skills you have that would make you qualified for the job and what you've accomplished in past positions. Then list out your "people" or "social" skills. While these aren't necessarily required to do the job, many are qualities employers like to see.

Examples of technical skills and accomplishments for a Physical Therapist may include: manual therapy experience, assessing range of motion (both active and passive), types of rehabilitative modalities or treatments you've administered, PT equipment you are familiar with, technology you've used in treating patients, etc. Don't list your past responsibilities or regurgitate job descriptions. Focus on what you've accomplished, how you've excelled, what makes you a great fit for the job.

When it comes to so-called "soft skills" for a PT, you might want to include: time management, self-motivation, teamwork, ability to adapt, communication skills, basic social skills, decision making abilities, conflict resolution, ability to work under pressure, problem solving and more. Believe it or not, these skills can often be what tips the scale in your favor should it come down to you and another job applicant.

Getting Your Resume in Front of the Right Employers

The People Link is a professional recruitment firm specializing in matching qualified Allied Health and Dental applicants with top-of-the-line healthcare companies. Whether you are looking for resume advice or you want help getting your resume in front of the right employers, we are here to help. Mya has seen thousands of resumes and knows exactly what employers want and what they'll read. She's even written a resume e-book laying out all the simple details. She also has a very high job placement success rate.

If you're looking for a position right now, we currently have numerous employers in search of well-qualified PTs, OTs, SLPs and Dentists, not to mention PTAs, COTAs and SLPAs. So, you can either contact Mya directly at 818-890-9998 or go online to submit your resume to one of our job listings.