Sections of an Effective CV

As a veteran physician recruiter, I review CVs every day. In this day and age, it amazes me that physicians don't follow some basic protocol for a clean, professional CV. Your CV should outline the business side of you. Its' purpose is to allow the prospective facility or practice to gain insight into who you are: education and training, achievements, skills and qualifications, work history, etc...

CVs range from a single page to over a hundred! There is no right amount of pages. Your CV is your CV. The more "academic" your career, the longer your CV, as you'll have more articles, book chapters, presentations, etc...than someone who has only had one private practice or hospital position for their career. Similarly, residents and fellows do not typically have more than a two-page CV, and many only have one.

Just as when writing a cover letter http://chrisswab.blogspot.com/2013/05/cover-letter-basics.html , there are a couple of "housekeeping" tips to discuss:

Font selection

• Sans Serif, such as Arial (the style of this blog)
• Size 12 of 14 for the Headings, one size smaller (10 or 12) for the text itself
• Bold only the headings

Pay attention to details

• Spelling and grammar
• Your a physician, details matter...both in practice and your CV
• Use the "tab" button to space nicely, not the space bar

Now that those basics are covered, let's get started with the layout...

The "Header" on your CV and Cover Letter should match

• Make sure your contact information is listed accurately
• Be sure to list your current address, email address and a phone number
• If your current address is different than your permanent address, list both, specify which is which
• Your email address should be a personal one
• Specify what type of phone...home, cell, etc

Personal Data

• Disclosing personal information on a CV is optional, but often expected
• May include, marital status, children, SSN, D.O.B., etc...

Education / Training

• Reverse Chronological Order
• Fellowship
• Residency
• Internship
• Medical School
• Undergrad

Certifications and Licensure

• Specialty/ subspecialty; Board Eligible/ Board Certified, as appropriate
• List licenses together, and whether active or in-active

Honors and Awards

• AOA or ΣΣΦ/SSP
• Special grants, etc...

Professional Society Affiliations

• List societies/medical associations, and year joined (to Present) if still active

Employment Experience

• Moonlighting experience goes a long way here (for residents and fellows)

Military Service (if applicable)

• Provide branch, rank, location of service, and dates

Presentations, Publications and Research

• Subcategorize: Books, Chapters, Peer-reviewed Articles, Non-peer-reviewed articles, scientific presentations, etc...
• Be sure to follow standard protocol for listing/referencing

Co-Curricular and/or Other Activities

• Volunteer work fits well here
• What else interests you
• Travel (shows broad horizons)
• Basketball (shows athleticism and teamwork)
• Photography (shows serenity)

References

• Ask if they will provide a POSITIVE reference, before listing them
• Consider asking for a reference letter to include with your CV submission
• It's OK for residents/fellows to list references
• Practicing physicians should write: Available Upon Request

Remember, your CV tells the prospective employer a lot about you. A poorly crafted, misaligned CV leaves the reviewer with a negative impression. When you're done, if you're not sure about the quality of your CV, seek assistance. Ask an attending to review it. Review CVs of other residents or fellows. And you can always reach out to me, too. I'm happy to provide some insight.

Physicians, staff physician recruiters, and healthcare executives and administrative personnel are welcome to connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/cswab

Cover Letter Basics

Congratulations...you did it...High School, Undergrad, Med School, an internship, residency, and some even did a fellowship! Phew!! Now what? Now you need a job! While word of mouth, job boards, and recruiters are all available, you're not quite done. You can't just send your CV and hope you get called. Well, you could, but that's silly! Think about it...your CV is sterile...it's black and white. There's no pizzazz, no fanfare. There's nothing separating you from every other physician who applies. Not yet, anyway. That's where your cover letter comes in to play. This blog provides you some basic guidelines to get you started. A well-written cover letter will make a huge difference in being considered for a position. Let's get started...


There are three basic rules to follow for a cover letter

• Keep it short
• Three or four paragraphs, one page, single sided
• Make it clear
• Cover the basics

First, Match your "Header" on your Cover Letter to the one on your CV

• Make sure your contact information is listed accurately
• Be sure to list your current address, email address and a phone number
• If your current address is different than your permanent address, list both
• Your email address should be a personal one
• Specify what type of phone...home, cell, etc...

Font selection

• Sans Serif, such as Arial (the style of this blog)
• Size 14 or 16 for the Header; 10 or 12 for the Body

Pay attention to details

• Spelling and grammar
• Your a physician, details matter...both in practice and your cover letter

Now that the "basics" are covered, let's look at the letter itself...

Think about what the reader needs

• Avoid generalities, be specific
• What did they say they need in the ad/job description you saw?

Highlight special expertise

• Include subspecialty expertise and additional training
• New procedures or techniques and quantity performed
• In other words, what sets you apart from all the other physicians applying?

Why do you want to be there

• What is your compelling reason to be where they are?
• Do you have family ties there
• Did you grow up in the area
• Did you train there

Close the letter

• Call to action
• This is it...do you really want to hear from them? Ask them to contact you!
• Be sure to mention both an email address and a phone number, cell preferred.

Remember, your cover letter is a first impression. A poorly written cover letter is a negative first impression. If you're not sure about the quality of your cover letter, seek assistance. Ask an attending to review it. Review cover letters with other residents or fellows. You can always reach out to me, too. I'm happy to provide some assistance. Physicians are welcome to connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/cswab