Blog #29 - Dear Graduate Physio, This is what we would like to see on your CV/ Resume for physiother

Your résumé is your shopfront: You need to make a good first impression; otherwise, no one will bother to stop and look.

Most private practice owners spend just six seconds scanning a CV – so you need to make yours scream DREAM EMPLOYEE.

At Physiomentor we have seen hundreds of CVs and conducted countless interviews with graduate physios. Let us reveal how to get a recruiter calling you in for an interview faster than you can say, ‘When do I start?’

1. How should I format my CV/ Resume?

With a job market where employers and recruiters are receiving hundreds of applications every day, you need a clean, well-formatted and readable résumé. Ditch the Times New Roman and scripted font and use an easy-to-read font such as Arial or Calibri. Make sure your name and contact details are at the top and have a link to your LinkedIn profile (go to linkedin.com/public-profile/settings to customise your public URL). You’d be surprised how many people make it hard to find their contact details or leave them off altogether.

2. Is it a big fat no-no to use a head shot on my CV/ Resume?

In our job as a service business it is relevant to your job, we as business owners like to put a face to a name. But most people just add a link to their LinkedIn profile. Also, make sure all your social-media profile pics look professional – if a recruiter Googles your name (trust me, we do) and a Facebook profile pic of you doing a beer bong pops up, they might think twice about calling you in for an interview.

3. What are some simple tweaks I can make to get ahead of other job seekers?

Having a LinkedIn profile link is essential. Recruiters are also actively searching for candidates on LinkedIn. Make sure your profile is up-to-date and turn the ‘Let the recruiters know you’re open’ on (click on ‘jobs’ at the top of your news feed, then ‘career interests’).

Craft an ‘elevator pitch’. Instead of launching into a bullet-point list of your current job skills, write a snappy blurb that summarises your qualifications and highlights your most marketable and relevant skills. This will reframe your experience and set the tone for the rest of the résumé.

Add the title of the role you are applying for under your name. This will plant the seed in the mind of the recruiter or hiring manager of you holding this position. For example, under Todd Jones, add Graduate Private Practice Physiotherapist, if that’s the role you’re applying for.

4. Should I be adding a You Tube Video of an introduction to myself and what I am looking for in my first job as a physio?

Yes, we encourage this addition to your resume. It is a great way to convey your personality and communication skills to your prospective employer. We as business owners hire mainly on attitude, personality and your willingness to learn, so this should be the main message in your video content.

5. Is it ever OK to, ahem, lie on your CV? Or at least exaggerate?

No to lying. You will get caught out and private practice owners are fully aware of your capabilities as a graduate. Exaggerating your abilities is such a turn off when we are hiring graduates.

6. What’s the best way to tailor our CV for a specific role we’re applying for?

Do your research on the clinic you would most like to work at in your graduate year and tailor the language to suit their business culture. We want to see that you want to be a part of our business.

7. What should I do if I have not had a private practice placement or experience? What should I put on my resume?

Take the initiative and go out and volunteer to gain some experience in a private practice. No physio business owner will ever turn down a keen student willing to learn the ropes of private practice. Who knows where this may lead to, probably a job offer. A student that chases their own private practice experience is a highly sort after employee of the future, it shows you have a bit of get up and go to get the job done, you did not just sit back and accept that you did not get a private practice placement.