Examples of Resumes for Physical Therapists
As a physical therapist applying for a job, you need to carefully prepare your information for the prospective employer. You need to give the employer your professional qualifications and your personal traits in a formal manner via a resume. You must customize your resume for each employer and make it clear, concise and relevant so it stands out against all other resumes. At the top of your resume should be your personal information, including your full name, address, phone number and email address. Next, you need to convey the following: your job objective (goals), educational background, employment history, skills, abilities, certifications and references.
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Objective
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Your opening paragraph stating your objectives and goals is the first information an employer receives. Thus, it is important to make this first interaction successful. Even though stating an objective is optional, it is highly recommended. The objective must be clear and well-written. Your objective and goals must be specific and match what the hiring manager is seeking. This opening paragraph needs to convey to the employer why you are the best person for the job. You should state your strengths and goals in one to three sentences.
Qualifications
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Your resume is the most important place to describe your educational background, skills and certifications. Foremost, you must show that you graduated from a four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree (preferably in physical therapy or a related field) followed by graduation from a CPATE (Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education)-accredited master or doctoral education program and passed your state's license exam. Describing your skills is also important, such as the ability to use the latest physical therapy technologies along with specific computer and language knowledge. Stating any certification is a must, such as CPR and first aid.
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Abilities
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In your resume, you need to convey in descriptive terms a list of abilities that you have that will benefit the prospective employer's job position. Examples of physical therapy abilities to convey are the following: accurately evaluate and examine patients; correctly diagnose injuries, disabilities and illnesses; recommend and plan appropriate treatments; motivate and provide hope for patients; document treatment and progress; teach patients how to do exercises at home; and, finally, that you are able to interact positively with other colleagues.
Employment History
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Under employment history, you should use physical therapy-related keywords (e.g., range of motion, pediatric, patient assessment, manual therapy) so employers will be able to find your resume during an electronic applicant search. Using descriptive and action words in the past tense (e.g., planned, supervised, recruited, increased, created) will reinforce with employers your accomplishments and achievements on the job.
Tips
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One important tip to consider when you are writing your physical therapy resume is to go online to major job advertising sites, such as Monster.com, and read what actual employers are looking for in the physical therapy positions. You need to let employers know your qualifications match what they are looking for -- it is not best to assume that by looking at your previous job title and educational background, employers will know you are the one for the job.
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