Surgical Tech Resume

When you’re applying for a job in surgery, your resume is the first opportunity you have to make a great impression. And to catch a hiring manager’s attention, you’ll need to create an impressive surgical tech resume that stands out from the rest.

Below are three tips on how to write a surgical resume that’ll get you noticed and demonstrate your understanding of the role:

1. Write a clear resume objective targeting your top qualifications

Hospital employers are busy people, so they’ll look for surgical tech resumes that stick out instantly and clearly show your qualifications. So identify yourself as an effective surgical technician candidate by writing a resume objective at the top of your surgical tech resume.

A resume objective is a concise statement that summarizes your skills, years of experience, education, and career goals. For example, if you have five years of experience as a surgical technologist and plan to move into a management position, you’d want to include this information in your resume objective.

And If you don’t have any surgical technologist experience but have completed an accredited program and are now looking to start your career, you’d also want to add these details in your resume objective. In either case, being clear about your career goals and objectives is necessary so employers can assess whether you’ll be a good fit for the position.

When writing a resume objective for a surgical tech position, you should include your:

• years of surgery or medical-related experience (if applicable)
• education, specialized training, and medical certifications
• career goals

By including this information in your resume objective, you can set yourself apart from other surgical tech applicants and increase your chances of being selected for an interview.

For example, you might write a resume objective like this one below:

Certified surgical technologist with 1 year of internship experience. Currently pursuing my Associate’s degree in Surgical Technology. First Aid and CPR certified. Hoping to become a certified First Assistant and create efficient and safe medical practices at THL Hospital.

This is a well-written example of a resume objective because our surgical tech applicant accurately describes their experience level, lists their certifications, and mentions how they’ll succeed if hired at their target hospital.

2. Showcase your surgical tech–related hard and soft skills

As a surgical technologist, you possess a unique set of skills that are essential for providing quality patient care. So be sure to highlight both your hard and soft skills in the skills section of your resume.

Your primary role is to assist surgeons during surgical procedures, so employers want to know you’re equipped with the right hard skills. Also called technical skills, these abilities are learned from specialized training, coursework in anatomy and physiology, and practical experience working in a medical setting.

Some examples of hard skills include scrubbing in and out of the operating room, setting up surgical equipment, handing instruments to surgeons during surgery, and ensuring operating rooms are clean and sterile.

Here are more hard skills for your surgical tech resume:

• Sterilizing and maintaining surgical instruments
• Preparing patients for surgery
• Assisting surgeons during procedures
• Applying dressings to the incision site
• Manual dexterity
• Monitoring patients’ vital signs during and after surgery

And while your technical skills are essential for performing the day-to-day duties of a surgical tech, it’s your soft skills that’ll make you an asset to head surgeons.

For instance, surgical techs should have excellent attention to detail and be able to work quickly and efficiently under pressure.

Other soft skills for surgical techs include:

• Ability to follow instructions
• Communication skills
• Customer service skills
• Critical thinking
• Interpersonal skills
• People skills
• Problem-solving
• Teamwork
• Time management skills

And instead of simply listing these skills on your resume, try demonstrating to potential employers that you’re well-qualified for the role by providing direct examples of your soft skills in the work experience section of your resume.

Have a look at this surgical tech applicant’s work bullet point describing their organizational skills:

3. Quantify your surgical tech resume with hard numbers

When writing your resume as a surgical tech, include hard numbers that quantify your experience and skills so hiring managers can see your level of experience and accomplishments.

Some hard numbers for your surgical tech resume might include the:

• number of surgeries you’ve assisted with
• types of procedures you’re comfortable with
• length of a program or certification you completed
• score you received on your surgical tech national certification exam

Including hard numbers on your resume will help show employers that you’re results-driven and have the qualifications necessary to be a successful surgical tech.

Here are two examples of hard numbers (highlighted in bold) from our surgical tech resume sample’s work experience bullet points:

Example of hard numbers on a surgical tech resume

• Processed 30–40 boxes of weekly incoming equipment supplies, restocked the operating room, and arranged new tools according to the given instructions
• Increased patient safety score by 18% by configuring surgical operating equipment ahead of time and suggesting new maintenance solutions to prevent damage