1 Page Resume: REALLY?!?!?

[nealric]

???

disagree; that has not been my experience in the legal field. That may be true for a young lawyer, but not once you have some experience (or came to the law with lots of experience).

It's definitely true for younger lawyer types. My law school explicitly required 1 page resumes for on campus interviews.

[hev]

My personal opinion is that resumes should be 1 page regardless of your field. In fields with closer ties to academia (like health care) a Curiculum Vitae can also be included that's your chance to list every gold star you ever got in class, plus research papers, grants, etc that might not have relevance on the resume. I would think that would be well received in the Health Care field but don't know much about it. My gf is a pharmacist and she only sends her CV and it's not 1 page.

[SkiingBear]

Think of it this way...if it's longer than 1 page, the first page needs to be interesting enough for them to go on to page 2, and 3, and 4...

Now, if the first page was that interesting...why do you need the other pages?

Margins are your friend, play with them. Word generally sets them at 1", reduce that to 0.5" or even 0.3". Sure, the page looks a little more full, but it still keeps it at 1 page.

Core Shot suggested giving it to a trusted friend to edit...well worth it. I did that a few years back and ended up with a much better resume. Less wordy, more concise...and much more impressive.

[BeanDip4All]

Is your career change motivated by the recession, moving or just wanting to try something new? Good luck!

I always planned on retiring from finance when I was 45 or so and then becoming a nurse to keep myself busy in old age. Multiple circumstances converged in the ideal career-change scenario perfect storm where I finally had the time, fundage, and support to doso a heck of a lot earlier. Since I am here a bunch of years earlier than I thought, have a bit more leeway to explore a few other paths other than just nursing. I'm taking some post-bacc classes and also taking a few of the city fire exams around here (looooong process, holy cow), so we'll see what happens. Firemedic has a nice ring to it, but then again so does ophthalmologist. We'll see how the next year or two go before either of those are an option.

I'm not in the health field anymore but I can tell you down here it was all about the certifications. If you were an EMT-B, they assumed you didn't know anything and if you were an EMT-P ( Paramedic ) you were hired just because Paramedics are hard to find.

Just out of curiosity, why an ER tech? Don't you want to ride the "stretcher fetcher"?

This is helpful, thanks. LOL to "stretcher fetcher"... that's ripe. I'm actually starting part time at an ambulance company (basic BLS for now) as well. I figure it will take a while to get an ER Tech position
(from what I hear, landing those positions is all about knowing the right people, networking, and bringing the charge nurses homemade brownies!), so BLS will keep me busy in the meantime... and of course learning TONS. Let me tell you- as someone coming from basically an economic/finance background and not many science classes ever... it is a STEEP freaking learning curve!

Whoah. Wait. BeanDip, that sounds like a huge change in career direction for you?
And here I was thinking you were all set on he Evil Overlord/Hedge Fund Tycoon career-path.

Yep, it's a complete 180! In a nutshell looking to heal my soul.

I'm just pysched I had the courage to seek out the change and am just thrilled to doing something fulfilling. There's no longer this need to impress and have the huge glass office or be putting in the longest hours for no other reason that face time. It's refreshing, and satisfying. I'm happy with the change.

In these times I would figure you'd want to downplay any connection to the finance industry. You might have the staff doc or head nurse asking you why their stock portfolio is in the shitter.

LOL. You have NO idea. The finance stigma has proven tough to shake. Got roped into writing a business plan for our EMT instructor's startup idea, teaching a classmate how to commodity trade and also one of the ambulance companies I was interviewing tried to hire me as an accountant.

Good luck and enjoy it. My mom was an ER and then ICU nurse and my older brother was an er doc before he started teaching more and they both always said the variety and excitement of the er was what made it so interesting

Very cool. My entire immediate family is in health care- mom= nurse, sister = pharm sister= biotech and dad = chemist. So I have been the odd duck out for the past 8 years!

C,

Yes, really. Outside of certain fields, 1 page is standard and detailing minutiae of your previous career in Finance is probably not going to do you any favors.

They're looking for the quick & dirty: Any education or job experience(s) that would lend themselves to proficiency as an ER Tech. Certifications are a must. Additionally, if you have spent any time volunteering in a health care setting, that will only help.

Good luck!

Helpful as well. Right now my industry-specific experience is pretty barren. It should look a little beefier once I have that phlebotomy cert on there!

ER tech? That is a hell of a change. You might want to see if you can volunteer at an ER before you make that decision if you haven't all ready.

This is a good idea. I'm volunteering in the ED at St. Lukes in the Mission district, but haven't done much at this point other than all my vaccinations, livescan/security check and orientation. It's far from instantaneous; All this health care stuff has a ton of hoops to jump through. One thing I miss about finance, where you just show up, get the job because you're smart and then start.

Again, thank you everyone for your thoughts! I appreciate them all. Any other advice on the career change is duly welcome.

[Anxious Mo-Fo]

Aren't most resumes a mixture of exaggerations, misappropriations, and outright falsehoods? Why should yours be any different?

Just keep it to one page.

[mushmouth]

What i don't get it why you need more than two lines for your education if your new career has nothing to do with what you studied.

and what about your career history is so important to this new career that it can't be boiled down to the bare minimum?

[Lone Star]

this resume worthless without pics

[concretejungle]

All this health care stuff has a ton of hoops to jump through. One thing I miss about finance, where you just show up, get the job because you're smart and then start.

Yeah, you finance peeps have been killing it lately.

Also, I'd hope that there are a ton of certs for people when their job is to keep people alive. I know that isn't what you meant but it could come off that way.

One page, it's how it's done.

[XtrPickels]

Resume = 1 page. For my marine bio stuff, I list education, work experience, and publications. I have a format that works and as I add more recent stuff, older stuff falls off the bottom. Or, depending on what I'm going for, I put in more relevant stuff even if it's older and leave out something newer but less relevant.

CV = I put education, work experience, awards, publications, dickwaving, and so forth until it's done, leaving nothing out.

hop and I think alike.

[skibee]

If you want to heal your soul go in to geriatrics or palliative care... stretcher fetcher in the wrong place will only leave you with as many scars as finance did. Suicides, shootings, odz, trauma, all this sucks pretty big balls (check out some of Trackhead, emtnate and Nattydread's posts over the years) but helping a family through the death of a loved and cherished elder with dignity and respect ... that will heal your soul. It might not make the drama production houses of NBC but that is real nursing.

[zion zig zag]

If you want to heal your soul go in to geriatrics or palliative care... stretcher fetcher in the wrong place will only leave you with as many scars as finance did. Suicides, shootings, odz, trauma, all this sucks pretty big balls (check out some of Trackhead, emtnate and Nattydread's posts over the years) but helping a family through the death of a loved and cherished elder with dignity and respect ... that will heal your soul. It might not make the drama production houses of NBC but that is real nursing.

^^^ I'll take the suicides and underdoses anyday over the lizard farms. I've never seen more burned out and bitter nurses.

[BeanDip4All]

Yeah, you finance peeps have been killing it lately.

Also, I'd hope that there are a ton of certs for people when their job is to keep people alive. I know that isn't what you meant but it could come off that way.

One page, it's how it's done.

True, I see your point.

It was just a big change, coming in from a world where you could be a hippopotamus stuffed into a suit and no one would so much as raise an eyebrow as long as you were pulling in big returns. Getting into health care, I was like holy cow, what do you mean, I need 800 vaccinations and a DL 51 form and a livescan and a this certification and a that certification and a background check and a CPAT and a etc etc etc" But, it's good. I was also shocked at how little EMTs make! $10 an hour for people that show up and save your life? I could make more working at In and Out Burger.

I have my clinicals tomorrow. Super excited. Just finished making two-dozen cookies for my crew.

[jfost]

^^^ I'll take the suicides and underdoses anyday over the lizard farms. I've never seen more burned out and bitter nurses.

so wrong, and yet funny as shit! lizard farms!!! Bwaaahahhaaahaaa.


















































ok, I feel better.

[slaymore_sessions]

Resume = 1 page. For my marine bio stuff, I list education, work experience, and publications. I have a format that works and as I add more recent stuff, older stuff falls off the bottom. Or, depending on what I'm going for, I put in more relevant stuff even if it's older and leave out something newer but less relevant.

CV = I put education, work experience, awards, publications, dickwaving, and so forth until it's done, leaving nothing out.

What he said ^^^

[Hook]

Back in the day I did some time as an ER Tech. I don't know if it applies everywhere but what I found was this: At a level one trauma center, once you show that you're not an idiot, you will find yourself given more and more responsibility quickly. The pace is fast, the people you work with are skilled and you never know what's next. In contrast, at a small regional hospital, you get good at helping make beds.

An overachiever such as yourself should:
1) go back to school
2) Get Paramedic certified
3) Finagle your way onto a Heli as a flight Paramedic on a flight for life Heli.

Another desirable but hard to find job is a transplant organ escort.

Good luck tomorrow Taco

[Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo]

^^^ I'll take the suicides and underdoses anyday over the lizard farms. I've never seen more burned out and bitter nurses.

It isn't for everyone but some people just have the right kind of personality for it.

[bigsugar]

I'm a paramedic and an ER tech, and I agree that personality plays a part in whether or not one finds the job fulfilling and enjoyable. Thick skin is a must, and being assertive (to a point) is pretty important IMO. I like both EMS and working in ER, but the pay sucks.

That being said, I think you have the right idea in keeping an open mind about what aspect of healthcare you want to go into. I initially took the job as an ER tech (after a few years on an ALS ambo) because I was going to become an RN. After working in the hospital setting for a while, I decided nursing would not be so good for me (too much bullshit to put it simply). So then i was gonna do PA school, and decided that I didn't really want to do that either.

I have settled on keeping my medic license and going to school to be a respiratory therapist, maybe someday getting into critical care transfer work. Still looking at schools at this point but I'm pretty pumped for it. I guess what I'm saying is that the ER tech thing can be a good intro into the world of in-hospital medicine (as opposed to pre-hospital) and may open your eyes as to what specific career path you want to pursue. So don't give up on it if you don't land a tech job right away, they can be hard to come by but at this point in your process it sounds to me like it would be very rewarding.

Good luck.

[grrrr]

My resume went from one page (new ff/emt) to two page (mid-level officer position) including certs, accomplishments, etc, then back to 1 page (top dog). I can fit 25 years of relevant experience into one page - and pretty much walk into any fire/ems job I want.

Now I review tons of emt applications

As a new emt from another field, you should have one page. period. It should include:

1. contact info

2. why I should hire you in 8 lines or less.

3. job history from past few years (not more than four jobs, not more than four lines per job)

4. education (one line each: degree-field-school-year)

5. applicable certifications (EMT-B; PHTLS; etc; significant certs only. one line each cert- school-year)

For some reason, people have gotten more into "packaging" their resumes in nice folders, with copies of all their certifications and crap out the wazoo. I usually downgrade those resumes by a notch or several. The worse a resume is "fluffed", the less likely I am to hire you.

Yes, EMT's make $10 per hour in private ambulance companies. You find two kinds of people there - lifers, who haven't either the ambition or mental capacity to do more; and people getting experience before going into nursing, ER tech or most often fire departments. If you're lucky, those will be the guys who take your gramma from the nursing home to the hospital.

[skiing-in-jackson]

getting in late...

An older friend of nine was a cabinet secretary & said that one page is the way to go. The only time, he said, that a two page CV or resume is needed is when you make more than $250K. Having not ever mane more than $250K, I stick to one page.

If people told him too much, he said he didn't interview them- he didn't need to.

[rossibandit]

Instead of deciding about one or two page resumes, one should consider either developing a chronically or function resume but it depends on the field. Don't be afraid of a 2 page resume if you have relevant information to provide.


As an engineering tech with a survey/mining background a functional resume has done wonders for getting interviews.

First Page

NAME
CONTACT INFO
Objective - eg. what are you looking for other than a job.
Job related skills in point form


Example

-Responsible for all daily survey duties and at a 2 million tonnes per year coal mine.

-Responsible for survey layout and grade control on a 1.2 million highway improvement project.


Second Page

Quick Job History
Education
Awards
References.


You want to hit home on your job related skills and experience on page one, especially with any tech type job.

Also don't be afraid of providing information on your previous career even if its Finance , especially if it shows dedication and work ethic as the average person will have several different careers for there work history.

Just my opinion, but its worked for me.

BTW, no fancy font. Keep it Simple and easy to read and PDF is great for emailing out your resume.

Good Luck

[Sirshredalot]

I have started keeping two different resumes: one for the outdoor education/ski bum side of my life, and one for the other one. I don't leave my skills in the other area off of either version, but I emphasize the ones that are relevant for the job. Always 1 page.

I've just kind of made a career shift back towards finance, and I reduced my ski bum type stuff to just a couple lines when applying.

[emtnate]

+1 for what grrrr said.

I've thrown away plenty of resumes from clueless green medics. Most of them were applying for an ALS position, which we do not have. Others had so much crap in their resume that none of us officers wanted to waste our time sorting it out.

Name
Contact Info
Applicable education
Experience
Certifications
References

are all we need right away. Yes, the pay sucks we start at $9 and go up to $11 for FF I&II, EMT-B minimum. With only have 3 guys during the the day, you have to know your shit and be prepared to have limited help while further crews arrive. This is why we carry jaws on the ambulance.

In my part of Indiana it is almost impossible to find a paid position as a BLS tech. If you like the field, get ALS certs, or go for RN.

Like Skibee said, emergency medicine can be draining, but for me, the good days are still well worth it. I delivered a healthy, full term baby this week, which was pretty neat, especially after a rough weekend.

[Trainwreck]

I just send in head shots.

Multiple page resumes are the norm in IT consulting, as someone stated, 1 page = no experience.

[PB]

Resume = 1 page. For my marine bio stuff, I list education, work experience, and publications. I have a format that works and as I add more recent stuff, older stuff falls off the bottom. Or, depending on what I'm going for, I put in more relevant stuff even if it's older and leave out something newer but less relevant.

CV = I put education, work experience, awards, publications, dickwaving, and so forth until it's done, leaving nothing out.

^^^^Here be truth. Resume=1 page - a hard hitting grabber; CV=everything. Your resume should be the concise, hard hitting clincher for your cover letter.

[hutash]

I prefer to read one pagers, but will look at a second page if there is a reason, which there usually isn't. All the extra info can go in a CV if necessary, but unless you are in academia in the health field, CV's are not usually necessary.

A field I would take a close look at is radiology tech. It takes a decent understanding of math and physics, which I think would be up your alley. It is a fairly independent field, unlike many parts of the medical field where you are just a doctors minion...get this, do that, et cetera. You can go just about anywhere with it (always in demand in a ski town.) I think it is a little easier field to get into, because the math stresses many out, and they give up quickly.