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CV Advice

Successful CV Writing Tips for Healthcare Workers

With over 3 million existing workers, healthcare is one of the UK’s biggest employment sectors. Whether your career path is nursing, midwifery or support work, there are lots of opportunities out there, but when it comes to your CV, you need to get it right.

Fear not because this article offers tips to ensure your healthcare CV is application ready to help you stand out from the crowd.

What should my CV look like?

Ideally, your CV should be one page, at most no longer than two sides of A4. Any longer than this can be off-putting to recruiters. Don’t panic, you will be able to summarise any relevant experience in this space.

Top tip: Always send your CV to recruiters in PDF format.

Additionally, the layout of your information should be easy to navigate and flow naturally. You want to make it as easy as possible for the recruiter to spot the key experience and skills they are looking for. This is why the structure of your CV is just as important as the information provided on it.

Put that little extra effort into the appearance of your CV, by ensuring that the structure is neat, organised and looks professional.

What sections should my CV include?

To make things simple, keep all information on your CV concise and clear. You do not need to over-describe every detail, sometimes less is more, as long as you are giving a clear overview so that the recruiter can get a general idea of why you are suited to the role you are applying for.
It might sound obvious, but make sure you clearly offer up your full name, email and contact number. This way, it’s super easy for recruiters to get in contact with you about the position. In terms of references, they are not essential to include on your CV, but it’s beneficial to mention that you can provide them upon request.

First impressions go a mile, so writing a brief personal introduction at the top of your CV is a fabulous way to help the recruiter learn more about you and why you are applying for the role. Keep this short and snappy, it doesn’t need to take up half the page!

With this, it might be nice to bullet point your top five skills. Again think about the role you are applying for, and what skills they will be looking for from candidates.

Especially within the healthcare sector, qualifications are vital to showcase on your CV. You may have worked hard to achieve a degree in a certain sector, so make sure you shout about it on your CV. Be sure to include your dissertation too especially if its relevant to the job you’re applying for.

When listing your employment, always put the most recent at the top of your CV, then list them down in chronological order. Include the job title, name of employer, start and end date, as well as a small description of responsibilities. Present these skills in a precise way that is not over-descriptive but showcases your achievements.

Remember, you don’t need to list your entire employment history. Only include relevant experience or experience with transferable skills to the role you are applying for.

If you haven’t been qualified for long, or you’re new to the health sector, then showcase any unpaid work experience you may have under your belt.

Placements you undertook at university are a vital thing to include in your CV, so write about what you took from these experiences.

Final Thoughts

Successful CVs are regularly tweaked and updated based on the position you are applying for. With this in mind, think carefully about who the person reading your CV is going to be, and the things they’ll be looking out for.

Most job descriptions are pretty clear on the relevant skills required and desired for the role, so take advantage of this information. Before submitting your CV to your application, give it a slight tweak!