A skilled massage therapist can completely transform how a person feels not only physically, but also emotionally. After all, customers may visit a massage therapist for any range of reasons. Some are seeking a pick-me-up to reduce their stress, while others wish to relieve the tension or pain they’re experiencing. Customers may even visit just to treat themselves to a relaxing massage session.

Needless to say, the quality of the massage they receive is dependent on the massage therapist they go to. And soon, there will be a whole lot more choice in this regard considering that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that employment of massage therapists will grow 22 percent from 2018 to 2028. 

This is a huge projected growth compared to the 5 percent average for all occupations. The BLS notes that 3 main factors are driving this growth:

• The increase in the number of states adopting licensing requirements and standards for massage therapists.
• The increase in the number of healthcare providers that recognize the benefits of massage as part of treatment plans. 
• The continued demand for massage services from particular groups of people such as sports teams.

This is both good and bad news for massage therapists like yourself. The good news is that you can expect to see more jobs to apply for. The bad news is that this will be coupled with increased competition from other massage therapists vying for the same jobs as you.

If you want to cement yourself as an attractive candidate for just about any job you desire, you’ll need to submit a powerful resume. Our massage therapist guide below will outline exactly how you can do this by answering common questions candidates have, such as:

• What qualities are recruiters actually looking for?
• Do I only need to impress a recruiter in order to score an interview?
• What’s the best way to write different sections of your resume?
• What do experts recommend you should do to make your resume stand out? 
• Is there an easier way to put together an amazing massage therapist resume?

1. Multiple Template Examples

2. How Do You Write a Massage Therapist Resume That Will Get You the Job?

How to format the resume

A well-written resume that’s poorly formatted isn’t going to leave a positive impression on a recruiter. It’s equivalent to you providing a customer an incredible massage in an uncomfortable environment. You need to offer both aesthetics and substance to truly impress.

Most HR professionals recommend candidates to use a reverse-chronological format. This format puts primary focus on your professional experiences as a massage therapist. It also arranges each one from most to least recent to convey your journey as a professional.

Your resume’s layout is another consideration you’ll need to be mindful of when piecing it together. Below, we’ve provided the layout guidelines that HR professionals generally advise candidates to abide by:

• • Number of Pages: A single page.
  • Fonts to Use: Any fonts that allow for easy scanning by the recruiter, such as Palatino and Tahoma.
  • Fonts to Avoid: Any fonts you wouldn’t use to type up an invoice for a customer, such as 28 Days Later and Amatic SC.
  • Margins: 1 inch on all sides.

• Line Spacing: 1 or 1.15.

• Header size: 14-16 point size.
• Text size: 11-12 point size.

What are recruiters looking for?

Recruiters are looking for candidates who can show that they are likely to succeed in the given role. In order to do so, recruiters will keep their eyes peeled for any resume that highlights that the candidate in question has the ideal blend of relevant licensure, training, certifications, skills, and professional experiences to smoothly transition into the role.

The bar for hiring is set so high by recruiters because hiring the wrong massage therapist usually spells disaster for a business. Customers expect to leave feeling satisfied after their massage session. So if they aren’t, the business may not only lose them as a customer, but also have their overall reputation tainted.

That’s why it’s crucial for recruiters to only hire massage therapists who show that they know precisely how to meet and exceed customers’ expectations. They’ll also be looking for someone who has the proven ability to carry out all of the other responsibilities involved in the given role.

So what exactly are these expectations and responsibilities? Well, they will change from role to role as no two massage therapist roles are the same. This means it’s not possible to create a so-called ‘perfect’ resume that will secure any job you want.

Rather, in order to get hired, you’ll need to create a resume that convinces a recruiter that you offer the ideal blend of relevant licensure, training, certifications, skills, and professional experiences for the specific job you’re applying for.

This will require you to target your resume for each application. In other words, you’ll need to customize your resume each time so that each section of it directly addresses the unique criteria a recruiter has stated in a job ad. If you’d like to learn more about how to target your resume, keep reading as we explore this throughout our guide.

What technical and interpersonal skills should you emphasize in a massage therapist resume?

Massage therapists are some of the most skilled professionals out there. You need to rely on a range of technical skills to physically perform your massage sessions. You also need to draw on a variety of interpersonal skills to ensure both the way you operate and interact with others is optimal.

These skills work together to make you the one-of-a-kind massage therapist you are. However, there simply isn’t enough space on your resume to fit them all in, nor is it conducive to your application to do so. After all, a recruiter is primarily interested in learning about whether or not you possess the particular skills they’re on the hunt for.

You can pinpoint which skills a recruiter is after by going line by line through a job ad. When you do so, look for words – referred to by recruiters as “keywords” – that represent what a recruiter is seeking from an ideal candidate.

A number of different attributes can be represented by keywords. In addition to representing an ideal candidate’s skills, they may relate to their current and previous job titles, duties, achievements, training, education, and so on.

After you’ve collated a list of skill-based keywords from a job ad, you’ll need to determine which ones you would feel confident with offering. Remember to include a balance of both soft and hard skills! Then, it’s time to integrate them throughout your resume. To do this, you’ll need to:

• List 6 to 8 skills that you feel will be particularly valuable to offer in your resume’s “Skills” section.
• Integrate these skills as well as all of the other relevant skills you identified that apply to you throughout your “Employment History” section.
• Mention a handful of stand out skills in either your “Resume Objective” or “Resume Summary” section.

If you’re curious about what skills recruiters for massage therapists could be after, take a look at our lists below. We scoured real-life job ads to identify some of the most sought after skills.

Technical skills

• Administering massage therapy treatments
• Ability to perform one or more types of massage 
• Evaluating clients' soft tissue condition, joint quality, unction, muscle strength, and range of motion
• Developing and proposing client treatment plans
• Knowledge of massage therapy standards, concepts, practices and procedures
• Ability to evaluate information and detect changes in conditions
• Monitoring and maintaining cleanliness and sanitation of assigned work areas
• Setting up and organizing workstations with designated supplies and forms
• Scheduling guest appointments
• Sanitizing implements

Interpersonal skills

• Customer service
• Time management
• Planning, prioritizing, and organizing workloads
• Ability to work effectively with a diverse client group
• Maintaining positive guest relations at all times
• People skills
• Highly organized
• Attention to detail
• Problem solving
• Teamwork

Pro tip: Need a reminder of what types of massage you may need to demonstrate your skills in? Look at this list of the 12 main types of massage.

How do you get your resume past ATS?

Have you ever wondered if impressing a recruiter with your resume was all you needed to do in order to score an interview? While it’s absolutely crucial that your resume gets the tick of approval from them, you’ll also need to get it past ATS.

ATS is an acronym for Applicant Tracking System. It is a type of recruitment software which offers recruiters a revolutionary way to vet candidates that is far easier and quicker than manually doing so. ATS takes a number of different factors into account to ultimately decide whether a resume should receive a pass or fail.

To get your resume past ATS, be sure to keep our expert tips below in mind:

• Include keywords: Keywords are one of the major factors ATS accounts for. It’s therefore critical to incorporate keywords from a job ad naturally throughout your entire resume, as we explored in the previous section.

• Don’t keyword stuff: Many candidates who are aware of ATS try to ‘keyword stuff’ their resume so that the ATS passes it. This practice of manipulating the ATS includes adding keywords either arbitrarily or unnaturally. 99% of candidates who do this get caught red-handed, so it’s simply not worth the risk!

• Follow standard layout guidelines: The ATS has great difficulty processing anything but standard fonts that appear within standard margins. If you include a font the ATS doesn’t recognize or include any text outside of standard margins, chances are the ATS won’t process the text. This is why it’s absolutely vital to stick to the HR-approved layout guidelines we shared in the very first section of this guide.

• Leave off any images, charts, or imported symbols: As a consequence of the ATS’ limited processing ability, it isn’t capable of processing any images (such as your headshot), charts (such as pie charts representing your skill levels), or imported symbols (such as custom bullet points you downloaded from a website). Given they won’t be counted by the ATS, it’s a better use of space to replace these features with information the ATS and recruiters will both be able to read and process.

How to list your education

You can bet that recruiters will be keen to check out your resume’s “Education” section. After all, in many cases, it shows that you have the appropriate qualifications to even be legally hired. Moreover, it shows that you have honed your knowledge and technique of massage therapy under the guidance of trained professionals.

The educational requirements to become a massage therapist vary significantly from state to state. As the BLS points out, you’ll usually be required to show that you at least have a high school diploma or equivalent to be admitted to a massage therapy program. These programs can either take place in private or public postsecondary institutions.

So how do you highlight your educational background in your “Education” section?

Make sure not to make a recruiter’s eyes glaze over by writing too much and/or not optimally structuring this section, like this candidate did:

EDUCATION

After starting high school in 2015 at Flagler Palm Coast High School, I graduated in 2019. Following this, I researched different institutions that would allow me to earn my Massage Certificate. I settled on Florida School of Advanced Bodywork, where I studied full time for 6 months. I finally received my certificate in 2020.

In order to correctly write and format your “Education” section, you should list the following information about each one of your educational achievements:

• The name of the degree or program
• The name of the school, college, or institution
• The state you completed your studies in
• The year/s you studied

For example:

EDUCATION

• Massage Certificate, Florida School of Advanced Bodywork, FL, 2020
• High School Diploma, Flagler Palm Coast High School, FL, 2015-2019

Should you include any additional details, like an LMP license, training, and certifications? If so, how should you list them?

LMP License

Wondering if you need to show that you’re a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) in your resume?

According to Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP), massage therapists in 43 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands are required to hold proper licensure (i.e. an LMP License) in order to practice massage therapy. In such jurisdictions, licensure must be renewed on a regular basis

If you’re working in a jurisdiction that requires licensure, you must list your license clearly on your resume. Failure to do so could cause your application to be rejected on the spot. If this sounds harsh, keep in mind that working without a license where one is required is illegal. It’s for this reason most recruiters won’t want to take the risk of assuming you or other candidates have one.

So how do you include your LMP license, or any other relevant licenses you have, in your resume? Create a separate “Licence” or “Licenses” section and list:

• The name of the license
• The institution that administers the license
• The state the license is valid in
• The year you obtained it

For example:

• Texas Massage Therapist License, Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB), TX, 2020

Pro tip: It’s helpful to include the fact that you’re licensed in your resume summary or objective to reassure the recruiter that you’re properly qualified for the role.

Training and Certifications

It’s also essential to list any relevant training you’ve undertaken or certifications you’ve obtained as a massage therapist in your resume. To be clear, a massage therapy certification is different from a massage therapy license. While licensure is a form of professional regulation mandated by the Government, certification is administered by a board or educational institution to allow professionals to demonstrate that they have achieved a certain level of professional knowledge, skills, or understanding.

The most well-known massage therapist certification involves becoming board certified in massage therapy by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB). After becoming certified, you’ll be able to call yourself a Certified Massage Therapist (CMT). Generally speaking, being a CMT will not only open the doors to more job opportunities, but also allow you to apply for higher paying ones at that. It’s for this reason that you should definitely include it in your resume.

So how do you select which other certifications would be beneficial to list in your resume? It all comes down to selecting those that have direct relevance to the job you’re applying for. For example, if you want to apply for a job as a massage therapist specializing in Swedish massage, make sure to feature any of your training or certifications in this type of massage.

To include any relevant training or certifications in your resume, create a separate “Training and Certifications” section and list:

• The name of the training or certification
• The name of the institution that administered it
• The state you undertook the training or certification
• The year you obtained it

For example: 

• 500 Hour Massage Therapist Certification, North Texas School of Swedish Massage, TX, 2020 

Pro tip: It’s a good idea to obtain and list your CPR certification in your resume as many jobs require candidates to hold one. Even if you’re applying for jobs that don’t require one, remember that being trained in CPR could save someone’s life!

How to write a resume objective and examples of this

A resume objective is a 2 to 4 sentence long section that appears right under your contact information. It offers entry level candidates the opportunity to introduce themselves to the recruiter as a candidate who possesses a range of desirable qualities that would make them a strong hire.

Considering that a resume objective is often the first thing a recruiter reads, you need to ensure it genuinely strengthens the recruiter’s positive perception of your candidacy. Unfortunately, many entry level candidates end up creating uninspiring resume objectives which actually hinder their application. To see what we mean, take a look at this example:

• Aspiring massage therapist who just completed a Massage Therapy certification. I am passionate about massage therapy which is why I want to be a proper massage therapist. I would now like to put the knowledge and skills I developed during my studies into action by working for your company.

This resume objective isn’t all out terrible, but it provides such little insight about the candidate that it’s simply a waste of space. Instead of sharing what genuinely drives them to become a massage therapist, the candidate relies on the overused line that they’re passionate about massage therapy. Moreover, the candidate fails to shed a light on both what makes them stand out as a candidate and the relevant qualities they plan to bring to the job.

Let’s now explore what an inspiring resume objective looks like:

• Certified massage therapist who achieved a score of 800 in the MBLEx wishes to become a Deep Tissue Massage Therapist at Massages R Us. I want to apply my problem solving skills as well as my growing knowledge of deep tissue massage therapy standards to support clients’ unique health concerns.

There are a number of features in this resume objective that make it so eye-catching. What’s particularly notable about it is that the candidate manages to paint themselves as a strong hire despite their lack of experience.

For example, instead of hurriedly mentioning they are certified, they take the time to share their impressive score in the MBLEx. They also refer to the specific job title as well as the company name to highlight the fact that they’ve tailored their resume objective for the particular application.

Moreover, the candidate mentions their top soft skills (problem solving) and hard skills (knowledge of deep tissue massage therapy standards to support clients’ unique health concerns). All of these features would lead a recruiter to think that they’re a candidate who is set to take the massage therapist world by storm.

How to write a resume summary and examples of this

Just like a resume objective, a resume summary is 2 to 4 sentences long. It similarly appears below your contact information. The fundamental difference is that only experienced candidates should use a resume summary. The reason being is that it focuses on neatly packaging your most outstanding professional skills and experiences so that the recruiter views you as an exceptional choice for the given role.

When you’re writing your resume summary, you’ll need to be mindful to avoid the usual mistakes candidates make. To see what not to do, take a look at this lacklustre example:

• Massage therapist with 4 years of experience. Skilled in a variety of massage techniques, with my knowledge of some greater than others. I am known for being a well-rounded massage therapist, so I strongly believe I would add value to your hotel’s spa center.

The candidate provided such few details about themselves that a recruiter would find it all but impossible to differentiate them from any other candidate. The candidate also indicates that they’re skilled in a variety of massage techniques, but hasn’t clarified which ones they are referring to.

The adjective “well-rounded” is also unhelpful to use – it would be far more beneficial for the candidate to list some relevant hard and soft skills they possess. Finally, they state that they believe they would “add value” to the company, without demonstrating to the recruiter how they would do so.

If that’s what you should avoid doing, what should you aim for? Check out the following example:

• Massage therapist with 4 years of experience working in a hotel spas wishes to apply for the Shiatsu Massage Therapist role at Hotel Paradise. I specialize in Shiatsu massage, as exemplified by my Shiatsu Certification from the Zen Shiatsu School in Chicago. I am known for both my holistic approach to developing customized client treatment plans and strong customer service skills. Rated 5 stars on Rate My Massage Therapist.

This resume summary is far stronger than the previous one because the candidate provides the recruiter with the exact information they’re after. For starters, the candidate provides an overview of how long they’ve been working while also pointing out the fact they have relevant experience. They also naturally incorporate the name of the role and the company to make it clear that they created the resume summary just for them. As we explored previously, tailoring each section of your resume is critical to the success of your application.

In addition, the candidate emphasizes their skills in shiatsu massage by highlighting their Shiatsu Certification from a well-regarded school. This would instill the recruiter with the confidence that they are highly skilled in the very massage technique they’re hiring for. Unlike the previous candidate, this candidate mentions specific hard skills (their holistic approach to developing customized client treatment plans) and soft skills (strong customer service skills) they have to further establish themselves as a consummate professional.

The candidate ends on a strong note as well, by highlighting their exceptional rating on Rate My Massage Therapist. This serves as evidence that customers genuinely think they’re skills and essentially, they’re not just all talk.

How to make your resume stand out

Your ultimate goal should be to create a resume that offers a recruiter everything they’re seeking from their ideal candidate. The thing is, creating a great resume doesn’t guarantee it will immediately capture a recruiter’s attention. Here are 3 expert tips to help your resume stand out even more:

• Make your resume skimmable: The harsh reality is that most recruiters skim through the majority of resumes they receive. Consequently, you’ll only have seconds to capture their attention. If your resume is crammed to the brim, it will be difficult for them to identify what’s really worth looking at. That’s why you need to ensure that your resume can be easily skimmed. To do so, focus on quality over quantity and don’t be afraid to cut out any irrelevant information that could be weighing your resume down.

• Transform your actions into achievements: The “Employment History” section, otherwise known as the “Work Experience” section, is your chance to really make your application shine. Don’t make the common mistake of solely stating what you did in each role. While a recruiter is in fact interested in learning about the duties you carried out, they’re far more interested in learning about the impact your actions had. You can do this by providing evidence of the impact each of your actions had in the form of numbers, percentages, and brief examples. This way you’ll be able to transform your actions into achievements.

• Include a cover letter: We’ve focused on the importance of applying for a job with a strong resume, but it’s also crucial to include a cover letter in your application – even if it’s only optional to do so. A cover letter gives you the opportunity to expand on and support everything you touch on in your resume. What’s more, you’ll look like you put far more effort into your application than those candidates who only include their resume. If you’re after some writing tips, check out Harvard Business Review’s cover letter guide.

3. How Massage Therapists Can Use Resumebuild.com’s Resume Builder Tool to Efficiently Make an Eye-Catching Resume

There’s no denying that making a massage therapy resume is usually a time and energy consuming process. We’re sure you have much better things to be doing than selecting fonts, resizing margins, adjusting formatting, and writing and rewriting each part of it multiple times.

Fortunately, creating your resume doesn’t need to be a drawn-out process that drains you of all of your time and energy. At least, not if you’re an in-the-know jobseeker who instead uses a resume builder to put together their resume!

If you’ve never heard of a resume builder, you’re probably wondering what on earth it is. A resume builder is an online tool that helps you to build a resume from scratch. Our easy-to-use resume builder at Resumebuild.com is the best one around. You’ll find that it gives you all the direction you need to create a massage therapist resume that turns heads.

Once you give it a try for yourself, you’ll quickly notice how streamlined its entire design is. Each step is designed to make it as easy as possible for you to complete all of the fundamental sections of your resume. We’ve even thrown in dozens of pre-written examples of job responsibilities, achievements and attractive resume templates that you can use to put your best foot forward.

If you’re ready to wow recruiters with an amazing massage therapist resume, it’s time to give our impressive resume builder a try.

Increasing automation has made the job market look bleak for many professions. However, not every job is impacted by this phenomenon. Caregiving is a prime example of an occupation that is set to offer job security for years to come. After all, there isn’t a machine replacement for the human to human care and contact that caregivers offer their patients.

There’s also another significant factor that makes caregiving one of the most secure professions. The population is ageing at an unprecedented rate. The United States Census Bureau projects that the 2030s will be a transformative decade in part because the population is expected to grow at a slower pace and age considerably.

In fact, within a few decades, the Bureau projects that older people will outnumber children for the first time in U.S. history. “By 2034 (previously 2035), there will be 77.0 million (previously 78.0) people 65 years and older compared to 76.5 million (previously 76.7 million) under the age of 18," says Jonathan Vespa, a demographer at the Bureau.

By implication, the need for caregivers is likely to exponentially increase in order to keep up with the growing demand for caregiving services. This is reflected by data from the US Bureau of Labor Statics that projects a 36 percent growth of overall employment of home health aides and personal care aides from 2018 to 2028. Given that the average projected employment for all occupations during that same period is only 5 percent, this signifies eye-wateringly high expected job growth in the caregiving sector.

So does that mean that you no longer need to bother fixing up your resume in order to apply for caregiver jobs? Definitely not!

Keep in mind that just because there are more jobs, that doesn’t mean they’ll all be worth applying for. And it certainly doesn’t mean you’re a shoo-in for a great position if you don’t make any effort with your resume. If you want to be hired for a caregiving job that comes with solid pay and benefits, you will need to create a winning caregiver resume.

Our resume guide below will run through all of the essential information and tips you need to make an incredible caregiver resume. You should read it if you want to learn crucial matters including:

• Which sections to include in your resume
• How to correctly list your education, training, and certifications
• Expert tips for selecting the right achievements and skills
• What you should do if you’re an entry-level caregiver
• How to easily and quickly make a stunning resume

1. Multiple Template Examples

2. How to Write a Caregiver Resume That Will Get You Noticed

How to format your caregiver resume

We strongly advise that caregivers who wish to put their best foot forward should use a reverse-chronological format for their resume. This format is designed to enunciate your professional progression. It does this by ordering your work history from your most to least recent job.

Another recommendation we believe that all caregivers will benefit from is following some tried-and-true resume layout guidelines, which we’ve noted below. These guidelines were created to make it easier for candidates’ resumes to align with recruiters’ expectations of them.

• • Number of Pages: All resume content must fit within a single page.
  • Fonts to Use: Standard fonts that won’t rock the boat. For example, Cambria and Helvetica.
  • Fonts to Avoid: Any font that you wouldn’t use to update your patient’s files with. For example, FF Trixie and Jacques & Gilles.
  • Margins: 1 inch on all sides.

• Line Spacing: 1 or 1.15.

• Header size: 14-16 point size.
• Text size: 11-12 point size

What should a caregiver put on a resume?

Every strong caregiver resume will invariably feature a number of standard sections. These sections are required due to the practical information they provide about your professional experience, skills, and training. They also offer you the opportunity to put a spotlight on the attributes you have as a caregiver that distinguish you from other candidates. Here are the most critical sections to include in a caregiver resume: 

• Contact information: Information that allows a recruiter to easily contact you or look further into your professional background. Include your name, home address, phone number, email address, and LinkedIn profile URL.

• Resume objective or resume summary: A short statement that aims to frame you as an ideal candidate. Include one or the other, based on your level of professional experience.
• Education: Significant details about your educational background.
• Training and certifications: Details about any additional training and certifications you have undertaken that are relevant to the position at hand.
• Professional experience: An overview of each relevant position you’ve held that features your most attractive and relevant achievements.
• Skills: A list of 6 to 8 of the most relevant skills you possess that will help you succeed in the position. 

How to list your educational background in your caregiver’s resume

Many caregivers assume that after all of their years of professional experience, they no longer need to list their educational background on their resume.

The thing is, recruiters will only consider applications from caregivers who at least meet the minimum educational requirements to work in the given position. It’s worth keeping in mind that recruiters won’t waste their time trying to figure out if you meet them. So make your educational background as clear as day on your resume. 

In order to correctly list details about your education background, make sure to provide the following information. The order in which you do so will depend on the resume template or overall format you use:

• The name of the degree
• The name of the college or institution
• The state it is located in
• The year you graduated or the years you have studied 

For example:

• Certified Nurse Aide Course, Austin Community College, TX, 2019 - Present
• High School Diploma, Bellville High School, 2014 - 2018

Pro Tip: Instead of separating your “Education” and “Training and Certifications” sections, you’re welcome to create a singular section that combines the two called “Education, Training, and Certifications”.

How to list additional training and certifications as a caregiver

If you have any additional training and certifications as a caregiver, listing them on your resume is critical for three main reasons.

Firstly, there may be specific licencing, training, or other certifications that are mandatory in your particular state. Moreover, there may be particular certifications the Professional Association of Caregivers recommends caregivers in your state to hold.

If you’re wondering what they are for your state, Caregiverlist provides a clear state-by-state outline of them. For example, the resource states that in Arizona, licensure for home care agencies requires basic caregiver training and direct care worker caregivers (DWC) for Medicaid (ALTECS) must have 6 hours of training. In terms of non-medical training, it states that the Professional Association of Caregivers recommends Arizona caregivers to undertake a 8 hour certification course.

Secondly, there may be mandatory training and certifications requirements for the specific type of caregiving work you currently do or want to do. For example, in order to work as a respite care provider, you must undertake additional training. While some workplaces offer in-house training, it’s usually preferable to have the appropriate training needed to work in a given role.

Last but not least, listing additional training and certifications, such as CPR and first aid training, will make you a more attractive candidate in the recruiter’s eyes. Why? Further training exemplifies both your passion for your professional development and your desire to provide your patients with the best quality care possible. So if it boils down to two comparable candidates, a recruiter will, no doubt, give strong preference to one who has more relevant training.

So how should you list your additional training and certifications on your resume?

We advise that you provide the following information about each one:

• The name of the training or certification
• The name of the organization that issued it
• The state where you undertook it (as appropriate)
• The year you received the training or certification

Below are some examples of this format in practice: 

• National Caregiver Certification Course (NCCC), American Caregiver Association, 2017
• Certified Nursing Assistant, Advanced Medical School of Nursing, CA, 2018 
• First Aid Training, Red Cross, 2020
• CPR Training, Red Cross, 2020

Be sure to order your certifications and training from most to least relevant in regards to the given position!

Pro Tip: It’s always a good idea to update your resume with new certifications and training if you want to retain your competitiveness as a candidate. If you’re after some ideas, check out this list of 50 courses and training for caregivers.

How to highlight your most important achievements

If you want to highlight your most important achievements in a way that immediately commands a recruiter’s attention, you’ll need to use the following method:

Before you start working on your “Professional Experiences” section, you will first need to select the most appropriate achievements to include. A simple rule of thumb to remember is to choose those that are directly relevant to the job application.

So how do you pinpoint which of your achievements are actually relevant? Just take a careful look at the job ad of the position you wish to apply for. Keep your eyes peeled for words that describe the qualities a recruiter is looking for from their ideal caregiver. These words are referred to in the human resources industry as ‘keywords’.

Keywords are used by recruiters to make it clear what attributes candidates like yourself need to offer in order to get a look in. These attributes may include both mandatory requirements a caregiver must have as well as ‘nice to haves’.

In order to inform the recruiter which of these attributes you personally possess, you need to incorporate the keywords that apply to your professional experiences into your achievements.

To make this all clearer, let’s use a hypothetical scenario to run through the entire process of identifying keywords and creating an achievement around them.

First of all, you’ll need to pretend that you want to apply for a position with the following job requirement:

• Experience with housekeeping, meal preparation, and other caregiving tasks

In order to target this requirement in your achievement, you’ll need to first identify the keywords in it. Have a go for yourself. 

You should have successfully identified 3 keywords:

1. Housekeeping
2. Meal preparation
3. Caregiving tasks

Next, you’ll need to work out if your experiences match up with these keywords. For the sake of this scenario, let’s assume they all do. You’ll then need to select a relevant work achievement that exemplifies your understanding of the duties and skills that these keywords represent.

Finally, you’ll need to write out this achievement, making sure to do so in an engaging way that includes the chosen keywords. 

To show you how to do this properly, let’s compare how a good vs bad caregiving resume achievement with these keywords looks like:

• Performed quality housekeeping, meal preparation, and other caregiving tasks using my skills in housekeeping, meal preparation, and other caregiving tasks to get the job done. 

Have you picked up on why this achievement sounds so off? The candidate has unnaturally added the keywords into their achievement, which is a practice known as ‘keyword stuffing’. Keyword stuffing is heavily frowned upon for two main reasons.

Firstly, it represents a clear attempt by a candidate to manipulate the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). ATS is a type of recruitment software that evaluates whether a resume meets a recruiter’s criteria, based on the keywords it does or doesn’t include.   

Keyword stuffing is also frowned upon, because it makes your writing sound stiff and disjointed. Needless to say, writing like this is an easy way to cause a recruiter to instantly lose interest in your application.

So what should you do instead? Take a look for yourself:

• Performed all caregiving tasks, including housekeeping and meal preparation, in line with my knowledge of each patient’s needs to ensure they all received personalized care.

Just like the example above, your sentences should flow well. You can achieve this feat by incorporating keywords into each achievement in a natural way. If any of them are difficult to read or sound robotic, it’s time to rewrite them. 

Another thing you should follow suit on is ensuring that your achievements emphasize why they’re noteworthy. Unlike the previous candidate, this candidate didn’t just plainly state that they can perform the caregiving tasks the recruiter is looking for. They additionally explained how they performed the tasks and the result doing so had. That is, this candidate applied their “knowledge of each patient’s needs” so that the patient’s could “receive personalized care.”

So if you want to write an equally impactful achievement, remember to explain both what you did and the positive result it brought about.

Which hard and soft skills should be mentioned on a resume?

If you’re finding it tough to determine which skills to include in your resume, the good news is that it’s more black and white than you think.

In fact, if you read the section above, you already know how to select the right ones. Yes – it all comes down to keywords! 

You can use the method we described above to pinpoint which skills-focused keywords the recruiter is after. To recap, all you need to do is scan the job ad for keywords that represent what the recruiter is looking for. In this case, you should hone in on finding skills-focused keywords.

You’ll then need to select which ones are most relevant to your own skill set. A recruiter may ask you to elaborate on your skills, so honesty is always the best policy.

Where should you mention them, then? You should list the best 6 to 8 of your skills in your resume’s “Skills” section. Additionally, you should add them naturally throughout your work experience achievements. One final section you should include 1 or 2 of them in is your resume objective or summary.

It’s vital to search for both hard and soft skills when looking at a job ad. Hard skills are measurable technical skills that are usually related to a specific profession. Soft skills are intangible interpersonal skills that are usually shared across a range of professions.

Here are some examples of common hard and soft skills for caregivers that we extracted straight from real-life job ads:

Hard skills

• Setting up, serving, and cleaning up after the meals
• Providing laundry service 
• Following incident reporting guidelines
• Organizing individual resident and group activities
• Facilitating move-in and move-out processes
• Assisting residents with their daily routines 
• Transporting residents 
• Assisting patients in and out of bed
• Proper wheelchair transfer
• Maintaining a healthy environment

Soft skills 

• Compassionate
• Patient
• Dedicated 
• Reliable
• Prompt
• Friendly
• Resourceful
• Positive attitude
• Honesty
• Written and verbal communication skills

What are the differences between resume objective and summary? When should I use each one?

A resume objective or resume summary both allow you to define yourself as a strong candidate to a recruiter as soon as they start reading your resume. These sections share a number of features in common. For example, they should both be positioned directly below your contact information. This means that one or the other will represent the first major section of your resume. Another key similarity is that they should both be around 2 to 4 sentences long.

However, while they are similar, you should not mistake them for being the same. In fact, you should only use one of them on your resume. It’s easy to work out which one is suitable for your situation. It all depends on your level of experience. That is:

• If you’re an entry level candidate with little to no experience, use a resume objective.
• If you’re an experienced caregiver, use a resume summary.

It is vital that you don’t use the wrong one as the purpose and focus of each is distinct. 

The purpose of a resume objective is to convince a recruiter that you are a worthy candidate even in spite of your minimal or non-existent professional experience. You can do this by  focusing on all of the other relevant attributes that you can bring to the table.

Compare this to the unique focus and summary of a resume summary. The purpose of a resume summary is to explain why you’re the most ideal candidate, compared to all other candidates. You can do this by focusing on the ideal blend of relevant professional competencies you offer as an experienced caregiver.

Once you’ve worked out which is best for your situation, read our pointers below for writing either an amazing resume objective or summary.

How to write a resume objective? (Examples included)

To accomplish writing an incredible resume objective, you need to know what to avoid and what to aim for.

A common mistake entry-level candidates make is that they project their lack of confidence onto their resume objective. An equally common mistake is that they don’t give a recruiter a convincing reason to hire them. Here’s a resume objective example that shows these mistakes clearly:

• Aspiring caregiver who lacks any professional experience is after an entry-level role. I think I’ll make a great caregiver but as I haven’t developed any of the necessary skills yet I’m looking for an employer who will teach them to me.

So what should you do instead? Make sure you don’t undersell yourself. You might not feel confident about your worthiness as a candidate, but try to put that aside for a minute. If you want to score your dream job, your resume objective needs put a spotlight on your very best and most relevant attributes. 

To do this, concentrate on branding yourself as a highly-competent aspiring caregiver. To show you have a bright future ahead, make sure to mention any relevant skills, training, education, internships, and professional experiences you have. The following example shows all of these features in action: 

• Aspiring caregiver with first aid and CPR training is eager to put their passion for caregiving into practice in an entry-level role at Sunny Caregivers. Thanks to my internship at Hillside Caregivers, I have developed a range of skills, such as assisting patients in and out of bed and proper wheelchair transfer, that I can utilize in this role.  

How to write a resume summary? (Examples included)

Think of your resume summary as your elevator pitch to a recruiter. Imagine if you had the opportunity to read it out loud to them - how do you think they’ll react? 

If your resume summary sounds uninspiring and is irrelevant to what the recruiter is looking for, you’ll be sabotaging your chances. Many experienced candidates think that the ‘main’ part of their resume will do the talking for them, so they just write a vague and bland resume summary like this candidate did:

• Caregiver with 5+ years of experience who loves their job. Looking for a new role at Paradise Caregivers so I can keep developing my useful caregiving skills.

If your own one looks anything like that, don’t expect to make it to the interview stage. Your resume summary should convince a recruiter that the rest of your resume is worth reading. It should make it clear that out of all of the competent caregivers out there, you bring something extra special to the table.

You can do this by hand-picking the most relevant and impressive attributes you offer that a recruiter would be intrigued by. Ultimately, you need to make it clear why it would be in the recruiter’s interests to hire you – and not the other way around like the previous candidate did. 

Be sure to include a summary of your most eye-catching qualifications, skills, training and certifications, as well as professional experiences. For bonus points, try to quantify your achievements (you can read more about this further below). The following example exhibits all of these recommended qualities a resume summary should have: 

• Caregiver with 5+ years of experience who has won “Employee of the Month” twice due to the unwavering dedication and positive attitude I demonstrate when assisting residents with their daily routines. Looking to work at Paradise Caregivers so that I can utilize the patient-focused approach I take – one that has led to a 25% increase in patient referrals – at a larger caregiving organization.

How to write a caregiver resume with little to no experience

The most important thing to keep in mind if you have little to no caregiving experience is to make the recruiter aware of the unique qualities, skills, and knowledge you offer. Don’t underestimate the impact this will have! It’s common for entry-level candidates to overemphasize what they lack, so taking this more positive approach will be sure to leave a great impression.

For example, while you may not have any caregiver certifications to your name, you can instead emphasize your training in other relevant areas such as first aid, CPR, or anaphylaxis. 

Likewise,  in the place of caregiver-specific work experience, you’re welcome to highlight any relevant work experiences, volunteer experiences, and internships. Just make sure to make them as relevant as possible to caregiving. For example, if you worked at Target, you can feature your customer service skills and communication skills as these are also skills used in caregiving. 

At the end of the day, recruiters for entry-level roles are looking for someone who is responsible, proactive, and passionate about their future in caregiving. If you can show these things in your resume, and also put a spotlight on your most relevant attributes, you’re sure to score your very first caregiver job in no time.

How to make your resume stand out

An effective way to distinguish your resume from the pack is to make a concerted effort to make your resume stand out. Here are our top 3 tips for doing so:

• Quantify your achievements: We’ve already explained the importance of highlighting the positive outcome your achievements have had. But to really impress, quantify this impact whenever possible by using relevant numbers and percentages. For example, to quantify “Received positive feedback from patients” you could add, “...leading to a 98% satisfaction rating in the annual patient survey.”
   

• Cut the fat: While you’ll need to include detailed information in a patient’s case report, you shouldn’t take this same approach with your resume. Each section should directly address what the recruiter is looking for. Anything else may need to be cut out if your resume is starting to look too full. White space can go a long way in making your resume look more presentable.

• Read your resume out loud: You should only submit your resume once you’re certain that it’s 100% mistake free. Even after using a spell checker and proofreading it, mistakes can still slip by. That’s why we recommend reading your whole resume out loud. While your eyes may have glazed over reading it countless times, this method provides a new opportunity to catch any sneaky errors.

3. How Resumebuild.com’s Resume Builder Tool Helps You Create a Resume That Impresses Recruiters 

If you can effectively do absolutely all of the things we mentioned above, then you’re set to make an unforgettable impression on a recruiter. If you’re able to apply a few of the pointers we shared, you’ll at least be able to make some leaps and bounds with your resume. However, it will still fall short of completely wowing a recruiter.   

Your job is stressful enough without needing to add the stress of putting together a perfect resume. That’s why it’s a wise decision to utilize a reliable resume builder to get the job done. 

If you’re feeling a bit guilty about doing so, just remember that recruiters use ATS software to help themselves out. Similarly, you can use a resume builder to help yourself out. It’s also worth keeping in mind that a high-quality resume builder like Resumebuild.com’s offering won’t just spit out a generic resume for you. In fact, any resume builder that does this has red flags all over it!

Our resume builder is designed to do most of the heavy lifting for you – it even provides pre-written examples just for caregivers! That being said, you’ll still need to provide information about yourself in order to make your resume unique to you. The reason we don’t offer a ‘one size fits all’ approach is because we recognize that customizing your resume to each specific application is a surefire way to get noticed by recruiters.

So if you’re ready to use a resume builder that has your best interests in mind, rest assured that our professional and efficient resume maker is it.