Pediatric Medical Assistant Resume Example

The aim of this article is to equip you with all the knowledge required to create a resume that positions you to succeed in your pediatric medical assistant applications. The article will take you through the key steps of creating a resume that presents your key skills, qualities and career achievements in a format that employers favor. It will also help you tailor your resume according to your unique skills and experience level. Continue reading to find the best pediatric medical assistant resume tips from careers experts at Jobseeker.

Key sections for a pediatric medical assistant resume

It's essential to include a few core sections in your pediatric medical assistant resume, while there are also a few optional sections you can make use of to strengthen your application. If you're a candidate without much experience, you may wish to present your resume in a way that draws attention to your most valuable skills. These might not be in traditional work settings, so sections like education, projects, hobbies and skills can be more prominent.

You will have some choice over your resume layout and structure, but be sure to include these sections as the core of your document:

Resume Header

In your pediatric medical assistant 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. Keep your header clear and concise, with only the most necessary information included. Opt for a stylish, professional design that creates a strong first impression.

Make sure the email address you list in your header is professional-looking and doesn't contain any inappropriate content such as nicknames or unsuitable language. Opt for an email address based on your name or profession, or a combination of both. Finally, check your contact details before sending your resume, to ensure everything's up-to-date.

Resume Profile

Following your resume header, write a resume summary to introduce yourself and showcase some of your key skills and achievements. Alternative names for this section are 'resume objective' and 'personal profile'. While a resume summary focuses on your career experience, a resume objective covers your ambitions and career plans. However, make sure you keep your resume summary short and snappy, and focused on the skills and experience listed in the job description.

Alternatively, write a paragraph that concentrates on your career objectives and how this role fits with your wider ambitions and progression.

The best resume summaries reflect the job description and focus on qualities that are relevant to working as a pediatric medical assistant, while highlighting elements of your personality that make you an ideal candidate. They also quantify the information provided with evidence. Take a look at some strong examples of how to approach a pediatric medical assistant resume summary in the graphic below.

Conversely, an ineffective resume summary would include generic, unspecific information on your skills and experience, while failing to provide any useful information on what makes you a unique and interesting candidate. See above for some examples of things to avoid when writing your pediatric medical assistant resume summary.

Skills

Listing your key skills can help to prove your suitability for pediatric medical assistant jobs. These could be immunization administration, time management skills or various other relevant skills. Again, refer to the pediatric medical assistant job description for an indication of the types of skills the employer is looking for, and make sure your skills section reflects these.

Showcasing hard skills on your pediatric medical assistant resume

Hard skills are the key technical skills required for pediatric medical assistant positions. They include specific industry knowledge and abilities that you could learn on the job, or through a specialist qualification. Furthermore, your hard skills list helps to show employers how competent and experienced you are at key pediatric medical assistant duties and responsibilities. If possible, add four or five hard skills that reflect the requirements of the job description. These will boost your chances of success in your applications.

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 a pediatric medical assistant resume, see below.

Soft skills on your pediatric medical assistant resume

In your soft skills list, include any personal characteristics that make you a good fit for a pediatric medical assistant job. Soft skills tend to be more universal than hard skills, but they're no less important. Indeed, transferable skills are growing in importance in the modern world of work, so make sure you include several of these in your resume. In this section, add four of five transferable skills that match the job description.

An effective pediatric medical assistant resume soft skills section should be targeted to include skills that reflect your personality and unique characteristics, while also matching the job description. The graphic below includes some examples of good resume soft skills.

Education

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

If you're applying for pediatric medical assistant positions you'll typically need to have a degree. A Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences will usually help your chances of success. You could also list any qualifications that demonstrate your phlebotomy and injections or EMR software proficiency.

Enter the name and level of the qualification, the institution you studied at, its location and your dates of study or graduation. Include bullet points to show any specialist modules you studied, awards or exceptional grades and achievements that can set you apart from other candidates. These will all contribute to creating a positive impression on employers.

Additionally, mentioning any leadership roles or any societies and clubs you participated in while studying shows proactivity and initiative.

Licenses and Certifications

In this section, include any pediatric medical assistant certifications, training or licenses you hold that are relevant to the job. These might be licenses that show you're qualified to operate certain equipment, or certifications that give you the edge over candidates with otherwise similar career history. Therefore, add any professional licenses or certifications, along with valid dates that show they're still valid.

Read on to see some relevant example certifications for a pediatric medical assistant resume:

Work Experience

In the next section, list your employment history focusing on the most relevant previous roles and achievements that showcase your pediatric medical assistant skills. List each relevant role in reverse-chronological order starting with your current or most recent role. Add your job title, the organization name, its location and the dates you worked there.

For each job listed in this section, add some bullet points so the employer can understand the skills you developed, and your achievements. Focus on showcasing the impact you made on the organization, and show evidence of how you made a difference.

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. Take a look at the examples below for some guidance on what works best for your work experience section.

See above for some of the pitfalls to avoid with your resume work experience section. A bad resume work experience section might fail to address skills and achievements that relate directly to the job description. Falling back on clichés, vague descriptions and basic responsibilities, rather than showing the impact you made, is likely to disengage the reader.

Optional Sections

As well as the main sections of a pediatric medical assistant resume, optional sections can help you prove your credentials to employers. Add any of the sections below that help you showcase your key skills and experience.

Hobbies and Interests

Hobbies and interests can be a useful way of showing your skills and experience beyond your work and education. Consider listing hobbies and interests to help your resume stand out, or to provide the employer with some insight into your personality and wider interests. They're perfect for candidates who might lack genuine work experience as a pediatric medical assistant. Think about adding hobbies and interests to your resume if they add some insight into your personality that you can't express elsewhere in your application.

Voluntary Work

Listing volunteer work is another useful way to prove your relevant experience for pediatric medical assistant roles. Add any voluntary roles, including your position, the name of the organization, the dates of your voluntary work and a brief explanation of your responsibilities and achievements.

References

Although it's rare to include references on a pediatric medical assistant resume, some employers may ask for it. Don't add references unless they're specifically mentioned by the employer in the job advert. Only include referees that you've had prior approval from, and notify them to expect contact from the employer.

Best words to use in a pediatric medical assistant 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.

Example resume for pediatric medical assistant applications

The pediatric medical assistant resume example below includes all the sections above, so you can see how a completed resume looks:

How to make an ATS-friendly resume

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) help recruiters and employers to streamline their hiring process. They can store and process data, including applications and applicant data, quickly and efficiently. One of the jobs ATS applications are increasingly responsible for is initial candidate screening. The systems can quickly scan and rank resumes based on how closely they match the job description. When writing your pediatric medical assistant resume, a few simple tips can help you pass the ATS stage with a higher-ranking resume, giving you a better chance of success with your applications.

Here a some simple tips to follow for an ATS-friendly resume:

• Choose a resume structure that matches the traditional, reverse-chronological layout or alternatively, the functional resume structure. This should make your resume more readable for ATS applications.
• Add keywords that match the job description throughout your resume, as ATS applications scan for these and well-placed, considered use can help your resume rank more highly.
• Include clear headings in each section that match the traditional resume structure and format. This will make it easier for the ATS software to scan your resume.
• Utilize a clean, clear resume design that helps make your content more readable. Use simple fonts and subtle color accents and design elements that don't detract from the written content.
• 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.

Takeaways for your pediatric medical assistant resume

The key to a strong resume is to showcase your relevant skills and achievements through your work experience and other activities. Select a resume format that suits your experience levels and the job you're applying for, and make sure you tailor your resume for each application.

HR-approved resume templates and other tools by Jobseeker are the easiest way to create a winning job application. Sign up and follow the simple instructions to complete a resume that stands out from the crowd. Jobseeker's expert-designed cover letter generator can help your applications make a strong first impression on hiring managers. Find detailed cover letter examples to complement your resume and get your application noticed.

Sources:

(1) Writing a Resume, California Department of Human Resources: https://www.calhr.ca.gov/employees/Pages/resume-tips.aspx

(2) Resumes, Cover Letters and Job Applications, New York State Department of Labor: https://dol.ny.gov/resumes-cover-letters-and-job-applications