Epidemiologist Resume Example

This complete guide to an epidemiologist resume will equip you with the tools you need to compete in your applications. You'll find useful insights on constructing a resume that makes the most of your unique skills, experience and strengths. You'll also learn how to tailor your resume according to the job description, and depending on your experience levels. Read on to learn how to write a perfect epidemiologist resume, from the advice of careers experts at Jobseeker.

What to include in an epidemiologist resume

It's essential to include a few core sections in your epidemiologist resume, while there are also a few optional sections you can make use of to strengthen your application.

How you choose to present your resume is up to you. There are plenty of options for a professional resume layout and format, but every application should include the following:

Header and Personal Information

In your epidemiologist resume header, list your name, email address, phone number and address or location. You can also add your LinkedIn, if you have one, to help employers better understand your work history and skills. While in some countries, you might include additional personal information or a photo, these aren't necessary. Make sure your resume header is as brief as possible and doesn't take up too much valuable space. Choose a clear, professional design that sets the tone for your application.

Use an email address that's professional and appropriate for professional communication. Typically this would be an email address based on your first and last name, or your initials. If necessary, you could include your profession or another unique identifier. Avoid using old email addresses that could be considered unprofessional or inappropriate. Additionally, always check your contact details before sending your resume to ensure they're up-to-date.

Resume Profile

Your resume personal profile is a short, concise paragraph to highlight two or three key skills and achievements in epidemiologist roles. You may also see this section named as 'resume summary' or 'resume objective'. Resume summaries tend to focus on your career experience, while resume objectives cover your ambitions and plans for the future. Always make sure your summary reflects the job description and highlights some of the key skills required for epidemiologist roles.

Alternatively, you could use this section to reference your objectives and ambitions, and how this role would fit into your career journey.

A great resume summary should highlight why you're an ideal candidate for epidemiologist roles by showing key skills and qualities that reflect the job description and provide evidence to support them. It should also introduce your personality and unique qualities to the reader, to help them start to form an opinion about you as a candidate. Take a look at some strong examples of how to approach a epidemiologist resume summary in the graphic below.

Conversely, a bad resume summary might be too generic, lacking focus on the specifics of the job description. It will also fail to provide any useful insights on what makes you a unique candidate. In the graphic above you can find some negative examples of how to write a resume summary.

Work Experience

Under your work experience section, add any jobs you've had in the past that are relevant to the position of an epidemiologist. For each entry, list the job title, the name of the employer, its location and the dates you worked there. Add each job in reverse-chronological order, starting with your current or most recent role.

Add some bullet points under each job entry, explaining your achievements in the role, so the reader can see how you contributed towards success for the company. Provide evidence of your impact and make sure each point addresses a requirement listed in the job description.

A good work experience section pulls the reader in with clear examples of where you've put the skills necessary for the job into good use in your career to date. This typically includes evidence of how your skills and activities contributed to positive outcomes for the organization. See the examples below for some ideas of what a great resume work experience looks like.

In the graphic above you can see a great example of what to avoid when writing your resume work experience section. Poor examples of resume work experience sections tend to be vague and fail to quantify your achievements and the impact you've made in your career to date. They may also focus on responsibilities above relevant skills and how you've used them.

Education

Your resume's education section provides space for you to list your highest and most relevant qualifications for epidemiologist roles.

An epidemiologist role tends to require candidates to have a university or college degree, so make sure you list yours in your resume. A Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree or similar is the most suitable for this job, but you could also include any other relevant qualifications that show your public health methodologies or infectious disease modeling.

For each entry in this section, add the name and level of your qualification, the institution you studied at, its location and your dates of study. If you have space, include some bullet points outlining any specialist areas of study, awards or high grades, so the employer can learn more about your unique skill set and knowledge.

If you were a member of any clubs or societies, or volunteered for any causes while studying, you could also mention these in your education section.

Skills

Listing your key skills can help to prove your suitability for epidemiologist jobs. These could be infectious disease modeling, critical thinking abilities or various other relevant skills. Additionally, read the job description to make sure your skills match those required for epidemiologist positions. You could also include some unique skills that help you stand out as a candidate.

Showcasing hard skills on your epidemiologist resume

In your hard skills list, include any specific abilities related to the role you're applying for. These could be technical skills or industry knowledge that showcases your expertise in your chosen profession. Furthermore, these skills are essential for an epidemiologist resume as they showcase your expertise in the field. Include around four or five key hard skills that are listed in the job description. These skills will help to convince the hiring manager that you're a good fit for the position.

If you want to make a strong impression with your hard skills list, focus on hard skills that align with your specific industry expertise, and that reflect the job description. For inspiration on the right type of hard skills for an epidemiologist resume, see below.

How to list soft skills on your epidemiologist resume

Soft skills are your transferable skills and personal qualities that make you a good match for an epidemiologist position and the organization. Soft skills tend to be more universal than hard skills, and can often apply to multiple jobs and industries. Indeed, transferable skills are growing in importance in the modern world of work, so make sure you include several of these in your resume. It's best to aim for four or five soft skills that match the job description and reflect your strongest personal qualities.

The strongest resume soft skills sections include a mix of skills that match your best personal strengths, and that reflect the skills listed in the job description. See below for some examples of effective soft skills for an epidemiologist resume.

Certifications

Your certifications section is the place to mention any relevant professional epidemiologist certifications, licenses or qualifications. These could be professional accreditations and licenses, or certifications that improve your level of suitability for the position. Therefore, list any official licenses and certifications, along with their dates, so employers can assess whether you've got the necessary qualifications to work as an epidemiologist.

See below for some suggestions of relevant certifications for an epidemiologist resume:

Optional Information

There are several additional sections you could add to an epidemiologist resume, to improve your chances of success. Choose any optional sections that showcase essential or desirable skills or experience for epidemiologist jobs.

Hobbies and Interests

Hobbies and interests can be a useful way of showing your skills and experience beyond your work and education. They also help to show a different side of your personality, and can help your resume create a more memorable impression on hiring managers. If you're short on real world work experience, hobbies and interests can be a useful way of providing more information about your qualities. Only include hobbies and interests that showcase your personality and personal qualities, and add something different to your application.

Volunteering

Adding voluntary roles can be a useful way of showing relevant experience and skills for epidemiologist roles beyond your main employment history. Add your volunteer job title or role, the name of the organization, its location and the dates you were involved.

References

It's relatively unusual to include references in a standard epidemiologist resume, but they are required occasionally. Check the job advert to see if you'll need to add references to your resume. Be sure to prepare your referees in advance, so they've agreed to provide a reference and are ready to be contacted.

Best words to use in an epidemiologist resume

Action words can help illustrate to the hiring manager the difference you made in each of your previous jobs. Choose from the list of words below to make the best possible impression.

For help creating an eye-catching resume design to catch the attention of hiring managers, see Jobseeker's professional resume layouts. You can also use our clear, effective cover letter templates to complete your application.

Sample resume for epidemiologist positions

The epidemiologist resume example below incorporates all the information from above into a full-designed resume template, so you can see how a final resume will look:

How to make your resume ATS compliant

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) are increasingly taking responsibility for the management and processing of job applications, helping hiring practices to become more efficient. This can include screening resumes by scanning and ranking each application according to how closely it matches the job description. When you're writing your epidemiologist resume, there are several things you can do to make sure your resume stands the best chance of passing the ATS stage.

Create an ATS-optimized resume by following these quick tips:

• Adopt a traditional structure for your resume, such as a reverse-chronological format or a functional format. These are likely to be the easiest layouts for ATS software to scan.
• Use of job description keywords throughout your resume will help it rank higher in the ATS scanning stage, as it will more closely match the requirements laid out in the job description.
• Add each section with clear headings that match the established resume conventions, so ATS software can easily identify each part of your resume.
• Use a resume design that includes clean, professional design elements to give your content space to breathe. This might include clear, readable fonts, subtle color accents and simple design elements.
• Use simple, concise language to keep your resume to a maximum of one to two pages in length. This will make it easier for ATS software to read.

Key takeaways for your epidemiologist resume

An effective resume is a concise, professional summary of your relevant skills and career achievements, showcased through a chronology of your career history. Choose the most suitable resume format for your experience levels, and focus on tailoring your resume based on the requirements listed in the job description.

Use Jobseeker's resume templates, other tools and resources to create an application that impresses employers. Sign up today to access a wealth of valuable resume and cover letter resources. Whether you're a junior or senior candidate, a professional cover letter can help to grab the attention of the employer. Jobseeker's cover letter examples were created by careers experts to provide useful tips and ideas for your cover letter.

Sources:

(1) Tips for Writing a Federal Resume, U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/general/jobs/tips-for-writing-a-federal-resume

(2) Resume Tips, Duke University: https://careerhub.students.duke.edu/resources/resume-tips/