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With how busy life can get it’s difficult to keep your physician CV up to date. Where can anyone – let alone a locum tenens doctor – find the time to sit down with their resume for a day and fill in every last detail? And even if you do find the time, let’s be honest, updating your CV is the last thing on your mind. We imagine you’d rather be taking the day off.
Don’t sweat it though. We’ve got good news for you: it’s not as time-consuming as you might think. Need to update your physician CV? Follow these eight simple tips.
1) Keep it as concise as possible.
In other words, trim anything that’s unnecessary. If your CV is over five pages long you should consider abbreviating things like publications, research projects and abstracts into bullet points.
Don’t get rid of that comprehensive CV though. Keep it on hand. Your prospective employer may want to see some of the finer details later on in the hiring process.
2) Consistency is key.
It can be difficult to review a CV if the formatting is all over the place. Think in terms of the physician employer: what would they want to see? Bold, italicize and punctuate in a consistent manner. Oh and be sure to have a friend or colleague (or both, the more eyes the better) review your CV before you send it off. They’ll be able to check for grammatical inconsistencies.
3) Use easy-to-read fonts.
This tip falls firmly in line with that last bit of advice. Not only should you place consistency in high regard; you should take care in what fonts and font sizes you utilize. It’s best to stray from anything uncommon. You can still stand out in your design but stick to fonts like Times New Roman, Garamond or Calibri (11- or 12-point font size). Trust us, it’s easier on the eyes.
4) Fill in the gaps.
It goes without saying that life gets in the way sometimes. And with that your CV may end up having some work gaps. Don’t fret. Just make sure you fill in any gaps as much as possible and be sure to explain why there may be gaps on your CV (longer than a month) in the first place. Don’t leave anything out; it’s best to get in front of any explainable gaps rather than ignoring them.
5) Revise your references.
True, you can opt for the standard “references available upon request” line, especially if your CV is already lengthy. Though, if you do have the space then make sure you keep your references up to date. That means putting your best foot forward with the kind of professional references that will help make you shine (stick to at least three references and no more than six). Oh and don’t forget to take off those references you haven’t spoken to in years.
6) Let your accomplishments shine.
Think of your CV as your moment to shine. We stress brevity of course but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t shout how great you are in the one document meant for that very purpose. What distinguishes you from the crowd? Take your best professional experiences and list them out.
7) When in doubt find a model physician CV.
One of the best ways to develop or update your resume is to see what the standard is from the get-go. Take this model CV from the American College of Physicians’ website for example. It goes through the basics: personal information, present position, education, board certification, medical licensure, honors and awards, etc. Seeing what a good CV looks like from the outset is important; it will help you to evolve your own personality all while aligning with the basics.
8) Last, know your target audience.
By now – whether you’re an early-, mid-, or late-career physician – you already have a basic knowledge of what an employer is looking for. So go with your gut. But don’t make the mistake in sending out the same CV to every potential employer. Tailor your credentials to your audience. It’s one thing to apply for a locum tenens opportunity overseas and an entirely different thing to go for a permanent physician job in the States. Simply put, know your audience.