The first step in landing your ideal locum doctors job is to write a strong CV. Whilst there are many tips online about how to write a business CV, it is important to recognise that a medical CVs are very different. RIG Locums has put together the following tips to help you best present your expertise and make your CV stand out from the crowd.
Do’s
Locum doctors in particular should update their CV on a regular basis after each locum job so potential employers are able to see their full range of experience.
Medical CV’s should be kept concise – whilst medical CVs don’t need to be kept to 2-3 pages as business ones do, it is important that it can be read quickly. To achieve this, opt for bullet points instead of lengthy paragraphs.
Make sure your CV is tailored to the locum role by highlighting your relevant experience in a summary area so it is immediately visible to potential employers.
Keep formatting consistent – a neat and well-formatted CV demonstrates attention to detail and makes a good first impression.
Proof read. Proof read. Proof read. Before sending your CV out to potential employers, ensure you have taken a break away from the screen then read it through again before pressing “send”. Professional proof readers even read documents up-side-down to make sure they fully read every single word, which should certainly ensure that there are no mistakes.
Don’ts
Although it adds a personal touch, doctors shouldn’t include a photo on their CV. Employers are objective in their approach to selecting the most ideal locum doctor for the job, basing their decisions on skills, qualifications and suitability for the role. Therefore, adding a photograph wastes valuable space on a medical CV.
Don’t be tempted to add a table of contents to your CV – this also takes up precious space, and if your CV flows well in a sensible order and clearly headed sections, employers will be compelled to read your CV from beginning to end.
Be sure not to lie or embellish information on your CV, if you are found out, this could damage your professional reputation and have a negative impact on your future employability as a locum doctor.
Don’t forget to download RIG Locums’ medical CV template that comes pre-formatted and provides guidance on what information to include.
If you need any further information or would like to register with RIG Locums to find your next locum doctor job, call our friendly team on 0800 690 6044 today.