Personal Demographics

Personal demographics include the name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address. This information is usually placed at the top of the résumé. The e-mail address should sound professional. If a graduate has been using an email address like “partyanimal@server.com” or if his or her personal e-mail has a link to Twitter or Facebook, he or she should think about creating a new email account for the job search. The message on the cell phone and home phone should sound professional, without a child’s voice or pet name. All identifying information should be large enough and in bold enough type to stand out.

Objective

The objective is a statement of the type of position the medical assistant is looking for. A medical assistant just graduating may be—even should be—flexible about the type of position being sought. If the objective is to obtain an entry-level position as a medical assistant, there may be better ways to use the limited space on a single-sheet résumé than stating this as an objective. This becomes a matter of personal preference.

A medical assistant with a more focused goal may wish to use a statement such as “To obtain a clinical medical assisting position in an office specializing in family practice or internal medicine.” A specific objective reassures the potential employer that the candidate is interested in the position he or she is trying to fill, but it can limit the positions for which the candidate will be considered.

Education

The education section includes the institutions attended and degrees or certificates received. These should be arranged in chronologic order with the most recent first. At least one program should be listed with a degree, certificate, or diploma and the year it was received. Usually the high school diploma is included only if the candidate has no higher credential.

When identifying a school or program, the anticipated graduation date can be included if the résumé is prepared before the medical assistant graduates (e.g., A.S. in Medical Assisting, anticipated June 20XX). After graduation, the résumé should be revised before it is sent to other potential employers.

It is also appropriate to include the grade-point average (GPA) if it is above 3.0 and any honors or awards received from the educational institution, such as Dean’s List.

Previous Experience

In the section on previous experience the following are included:

A new graduate may wish to present information about previous experience in two sections, titled Related Experience and Other Experience. The medical assisting practicum (externship) can be included under the heading Related Experience, but if the section is titled Work Experience, only paid employment should be included. Most employers do not like to see gaps in a work history, which might reflect jobs that the applicant does not wish to acknowledge. If the applicant has been a homemaker, it is recommended to include the years devoted to this under Other Experience. Any volunteer work can also be included.

For each position or type of experience, a short summary of responsibilities should be included. If the experience was in health care or medical assisting, more details should be included than for other jobs or experience. For example, more details should be included about specific responsibilities as a home health aide than as a cashier. Action verbs should be used in the description of previous experience (Figure 50-4). Any special achievements or projects should be included (e.g., setting up an electronic tickler file in a previous job as a secretary).

When preparing the descriptions of previous experience, the medical assistant should use one of two styles consistently. Either can be written in sentence form or as a list with bullets.

Special Skills

The special skills section describes skills learned in an education program that may not be reflected in any direct experience, or that are usually not included in a medical assisting program. These may include computer skills with particular programs, ability to perform specific diagnostic tests, or knowledge of or fluency in a language other than English.

Activities and Other Credentials

In the section on activities and other credentials, the medical assistant may include certification as a CMA (AAMA) or RMA, memberships in professional organizations such as the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) or the American Medical Technologists (AMT), and any other certifications or credentials including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and/or first aid. Membership in community service organizations or disaster relief efforts may be included as well. Lists of unrelated activities, hobbies, and interests should not be included on a professional résumé.

References

Traditional résumés always included the following statement: References will be furnished on request. This statement is considered optional on a modern résumé because it is assumed to be the case. Actual references are not listed on the résumé because the goal is to be interviewed before the potential employer checks any references. After the interview, the medical assistant provides a list of references with contact information. Before using someone’s name as a reference, the medical assistant should be sure to get that person’s permission. It is also polite to call individuals whose names have been used so that they can be ready to receive a phone call or written request for a reference.

For references, a medical assistant who has recently graduated should choose a balance of instructors, practicum supervisor, other job supervisors, or co-workers from volunteer activities. It is not recommended to use friends or family for references. Sometimes the individual who will be used as a reference gives the medical assistant a letter that can be shown to a potential employer. More often, the potential employer contacts the individual given as a reference after interviewing the candidate.