Presenting Achievements on Your Resume

Sure, you want to list your accomplishments on your resume, right? How else are you going to inform a prospective employer about your strengths and attributes you can bring to a company? We certainly want all our Concorde graduates to proudly list their achievements and accomplishments from the work completed during their programs, whether in class or at an externship or clinical site.

But there are some common sense rules to follow when listing accomplishments on a resume that will more effectively make your qualities and talents in health care careers shine and stand out from a pool of job applicants. Here are just a few, as reported from a couple of members of Concorde's various Employment Services teams.

Do list accomplishments from previous health care careers

Marcus Alexander, BSM, Graduate Employment Specialist at Concordes campus in Memphis, Tenn., said employers in health care careers look for accomplishments at previous places of employment as it's a good indicator of future job performance.

"Doing things beyond your normal job duties or going above and beyond gets the results of awards and certificates," Alexander said.

However, Alexander cautions, knowing how to correctly determine what is an accomplishment is important. And, knowing where to add this information to a resume can be vital as well.

"You want to seem positive, but not arrogant or proud," she said. "Keep your information straight and to the point."

Types of awards to mention and how to mention them

Give a brief description of what the award is, said Dan Garule, Senior Graduate Employment Specialist at Concordes Kansas City, Mo. campus.

"For example, our company (Concorde) has the Torch award. If you were not familiar with Concorde, you would not know exactly what that represents."

If you have several different accolades, Garule suggests creating a section within the resume to list them in chronological order along with the organization that awarded them.

"Be sure to include any community service awards as well," he said. "Employers often see that as a sign you're invested in the community."

Areas to be cautious

If you have an award that is tied to a particular religion, you might want to make sure it relates to your resume and the job you are trying to obtain, Garule said.

"Religion is one of those things that is a very personal thing," he said. "It should not matter, but you don't want to give the potential employer any reason not to keep your resume at the top of the stack."

If you are a recent graduate, be sure to include any and all awards or certificates you have received during your academic study, Garule said.

"Again, be sure to explain what they are," he said. "Many employers will not know what a 4A award is."