EMT Resume Example

A career as an EMT is all about taking action and responding to emergency situations with confidence. But to land a job as an EMT, you have to convince employers through your writing, rather than your actions, that you’ve got the right skills to handle the stress of a career in first response.

Sitting down to write a clear resume may be outside your comfort zone.  Fortunately, writing a great EMT resume isn’t as hard as it might seem.

Here are four tips to help you get started writing a great EMT resume:

1. Highlight your EMT skills

Hospitals need EMTs they can depend on to perform every part of their job. One of the best ways to demonstrate that you have the proper expertise is to highlight relevant skills on your resume.

This doesn’t just mean your EMT certification (although you should definitely include that), but your relevant hard and soft skills as well. For instance, every hospital needs EMTs who are able to perform well under pressure and take decisive action, in addition to knowing all the right medical information.

To impress employers, here are some essential EMT skills to list in your resume skills section:

• EKGs, external defibrillators, resuscitators
• CPR and first aid
• Heart monitoring
• Emergency diagnosis
• Medical software (Meditech)
• Problem-solving skills
• Compassion
• Active listening skills
• Physical strength
• Assessing customer needs

Additionally, don’t forget to highlight your EMT certification on your resume and any other special courses related to health and emergency response that you’ve taken in the past.

2. Choose the optimal resume format for first responders

If you already have a lot of experience as an EMT, use the chronological resume format. Chronological resumes show the upward growth of your professional experience in order, from most recent to oldest. This gives hospitals a clear picture of what you’ve accomplished in the past and what kind of role you’re most suited for.

However, if you’re right out of training and lack professional experience, use a functional resume. Functional resumes group your experience according to relevant skills, so you can include volunteer work or coursework on your resume. This helps you demonstrate your relevant skills to hospitals, without drawing attention to your lack of work experience.

3. Keep your EMT resume on one page

Hospitals are often swamped with applications. If you want the best chance of getting a good EMT job, your resume needs to communicate your qualifications quickly and efficiently.

That’s why it’s essential to keep your resume length to a maximum of one page. Unless you have over a decade of experience as an EMT and need extra space to describe it, you shouldn’t write more than a page.

Going over one page makes you look overconfident, and gives hiring managers a reason to consider passing over your application.

4. Pair your EMT resume with a strong cover letter

Cover letters are usually required for job applications. But for an EMT job, a cover letter is especially important. Most of the time, you’re up against candidates with similar technical qualifications as you, so knowing how to write a great cover letter helps you stand out from them.

Your cover letter should include more details about your professional experience as an EMT, and explain why you’re passionate about the job you’re applying to.

Cover letters allow you to provide a more personal take on why you’re the right candidate for the job, how you work under pressure, and how you show compassion to others.