Crafting a CV that succinctly yet comprehensively showcases your diverse skill set and experience is a prevalent challenge for medical assistants. By tapping into our guide, you'll gain access to targeted advice that will help you finesse your CV into a compelling narrative that highlights your qualifications and appeal to potential employers.
- Design and format your professional medical assistant CV;
- Curate your key contact information, skills, and achievements throughout your CV sections;
- Ensure your profile stays competitive by studying other industry-leading medical assistant CVs;
- Create a great CV even if you happen to have less professional experience, or switching fields.
When writing your medical assistant CV, you may need plenty of insights from hiring managers. We have prepared industry-leading advice in the form of our relevant CV guides.
How complex should the format of your medical assistant CV be?
Perhaps, you decided to use a fancy font and plenty of colours to ensure your medical assistant CV stands out amongst the pile of other candidate profiles. Alas - this may confuse recruiters. By keeping your format simple and organising your information coherently, you'll ultimately make a better impression. What matters most is your experience, while your CV format should act as complementary thing by:- Presenting the information in a reverse chronological order with the most recent of your jobs first. This is done so that your career history stays organised and is aligned to the role;
- Making it easy for recruiters to get in touch with you by including your contact details in the CV header. Regarding the design of your CV header, include plenty of white space and icons to draw attention to your information. If you're applying for roles in the UK, don't include a photo, as this is considered a bad practice;
- Organising your most important CV sections with consistent colours, plenty of white space, and appropriate margins (2.54 cm). Remember that your CV design should always aim at legibility and to spotlight your key information;
- Writing no more than two pages of your relevant experience. For candidates who are just starting out in the field, we recommend to have an one-page CV.
One more thing about your CV format - you may be worried if your double column CV is Applicant Tracker System (ATS) complaint. In our recent study, we discovered that both single and double-column CVs are ATS-friendly . Most ATSes out there can also read all serif and sans serif fonts. We suggest you go with modern, yet simple, fonts (e.g. Rubik, Lato, Raleway) instead of the classic Times New Roman. You'll want your application to stand out, and many candidates still go for the classics. Finally, you'll have to export your CV. If you're wondering if you should select Doc or PDF, we always advise going with PDF. Your CV in PDF will stay intact and opens easily on every OS, including Mac OS.
PRO TIP
Use bold or italics sparingly to draw attention to key points, such as job titles, company names, or significant achievements. Overusing these formatting options can dilute their impact.
The top sections on a medical assistant CV
- Contact Information ensures the recruiter can reach you.
- Professional Summary reflects your career goals and value.
- Work Experience showcases your relevant job history.
- Clinical Skills detail your medical competencies.
- Certifications and Licences confirm your qualifications.
What recruiters value on your CV:
- Highlight your certifications and training specific to medical assistance, such as a Certificate of Completion from an accredited programme or a Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) credential, emphasising your eligibility for the role.
- Detail your clinical skills, like taking vital signs, administering injections, and performing EKGs, showcasing your hands-on experience and capability to support healthcare professionals.
- Emphasise your knowledge of medical terminology and proficiency with Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems, demonstrating your ability to efficiently navigate patient records and communicate within a healthcare setting.
- Showcase your interpersonal skills by sharing examples of patient care, support, and communication, reflecting your capability to provide excellent service within a patient-centred environment.
- Mention any relevant administrative experience, such as scheduling appointments, processing insurance claims, and managing inventory, to illustrate your versatility and contribution to the smooth operation of a healthcare facility.
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Our checklist for the must-have information in your medical assistant CV header
Right at the very top of your medical assistant CV is where you'd find the header section or the space for your contact details, headline, and professional photo. Wondering how to present your the name of the city you live in and the country abbreviation as your address;
- are tailored to the role you're applying for by integrating key job skills and requirements;
- showcase what your unique value is, most often in the form of your most noteworthy accomplishment;
- select your relevant qualifications, skills, or current role to pass the Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessment. Still not sure how to write your CV headline? Our examples below showcase best practices on creating effective headlines:
Examples of good CV headlines for medical assistant:
- Certified Medical Assistant | 5+ Years of Primary Care Experience | Phlebotomy & Patient Education Specialist
- Senior Medical Assistant | Expert in Paediatric Support | Team Lead | BLS & First Aid Certified
- Medical Administrative Assistant | 3 Years Hospital Experience | Medical Billing Pro | EMR Systems Proficient
- Lead Medical Assistant | 8-Year Clinical Track Record | Surgical Prep & Patient Coordination Expertise
- Junior Medical Assistant | Newly Qualified | Eager in Chronic Care Management | Multilingual Support Skill
- Experienced Medical Assistant | 10+ Years in Obstetrics & Gynaecology | CMA Certified | Patient Advocacy Champion
Choosing your opening statement: a medical assistant CV summary or objective
At the top one third of your CV, you have the chance to make a more personable impression on recruiters by selecting between:
- Summary - or those three to five sentences that you use to show your greatest achievements. Use the CV summary if you happen to have plenty of relevant experience and wish to highlight your greatest successes;
- Objective - provides you with up to five sentences to state your professional aims and mission in the company you're applying for
CV summaries for a medical assistant job:
- Dedicated Medical Assistant with over 7 years of experience in fast-paced urban clinics, adept at handling all aspects of patient care with proven ability to multitask efficiently. Key skills include phlebotomy, medical billing, and patient education, with a landmark achievement in implementing a clinic-wide electronic health record system that increased efficiency by 30%.
- Compassionate certified Medical Assistant with a strong track record of providing top-quality patient care in both paediatric and geriatric units for more than 5 years. Proficient in electronic medical record keeping, vital signs monitoring, and preparing patients for examinations, with a notable accomplishment of contributing to a 20% reduction in patient wait times.
- Experienced Finance Manager transitioning to a career as a Medical Assistant, bringing forth strong analytical skills, adeptness in budget management, and extensive client-facing experience. Currently holding a certification in medical assisting, eager to apply transferable skills to provide exceptional patient care and support clinical procedures.
- Diligent Educator with a decade of experience in developing inclusive curriculum now pursuing a new path as a Medical Assistant. Recently certified, showcasing a blend of strong communication skills, organisational abilities, and a lifelong dedication to learning and educating, ready to make a significant impact in patient care delivery.
- As a recent graduate with a diploma in Medical Assisting, I am eager to begin my career by contributing to a healthcare setting that prioritises patient care and community health. My objective is to utilise my skills in patient preparation, data entry, and appointment scheduling, coupled with my passion for healthcare to ensure efficient and compassionate patient support.
- Aiming to launch a career in healthcare, I seek an entry-level Medical Assistant position where I can apply my recent certification and knowledge in clinical procedures, anatomy, and patient interaction. I am driven to leverage my strong work ethic and commitment to lifelong learning to assist in delivering excellent patient care and support to healthcare professionals.
How to meet job requirements with your medical assistant CV experience
We've now reached the essence of your actual CV - your experience section. This is the space where you can list your career roles and on-the-job successes. Many candidates tend to underestimate just how much time and effort they should put into writing this CV section. Your experience shouldn't be a random list of your responsibilities, but instead:
- Match the job description with your skills, values, and accomplishments;
- Start each bullet with a strong action verb, followed up with one key skill and your outcome of applying this skill;
- Spotlight parts of your career history that are relevant to the job you're applying for.
Before we move on, make sure to check out some professional CV experience sections.
Best practices for your CV's work experience section
- Administered medications and injections as prescribed, maintaining meticulous records to ensure patient safety and compliance with protocols.
- Assisted in minor surgical procedures, providing both pre-operative and post-operative support, and ensuring all instruments and equipment were sterilised and ready for use.
- Performed routine diagnostic procedures, such as ECGs, phlebotomy, and spirometry tests, contributing to a timely and accurate diagnosis.
- Managed front office duties including scheduling patient appointments, updating medical records, and handling billing inquiries to enhance clinic efficiency.
- Collaborated with healthcare professionals to implement patient care plans, offering compassionate support and education to patients and their families.
- Maintained inventory of medical supplies and equipment, regularly checking expiration dates and reorder levels to ensure availability and compliance with regulations.
- Conducted patient interviews and took vital signs to gather essential health information, which provided the basis for clinicians' diagnosis and treatment plans.
- Utilised medical software for data entry and patient management, ensuring the accuracy and confidentiality of patient information.
- Participated in continuous professional development and training sessions to stay updated with the latest medical practices and emerging healthcare technologies.
- Managed triage for over 30 patients daily in a high-volume general practice, ensuring efficient patient flow and minimal wait times.
- Performed over 500 blood draws and injections, enhancing patient comfort and reducing procedural errors by 25% year-over-year.
- Implemented a new electronic health record system, training 15 staff members which boosted record accuracy and patient processing speed by 35%.
- Led a team of 5 assistant staff in a paediatric clinic, coordinating tasks and schedules which decreased patient wait times by 15%.
- Spearheaded the initiative to integrate vaccine reminders into the clinic's software, improving immunisation rates by 20%.
- Optimised inventory management, reducing medical supply waste and resulting in a yearly saving of £4,000 for the clinic.
- Provided essential support for 3 surgeons during minor operations, contributing to a 10% increase in the number of successful procedures.
- Developed patient education materials on post-operative care which were adopted clinic-wide and praised for enhancing recovery outcomes.
- Improved patient registration process, cutting down on administrative time by 20% and increasing patient satisfaction.
- Managed patient intake and electronic filings for an average of 50 patients per day in a fast-paced dermatology clinic.
- Conducted preliminary examinations using dermoscopy, assisting in the early detection of melanoma in over 150 cases.
- Collaborated on the launch of an online patient portal, which facilitated appointment scheduling and repeat prescription requests, improving overall administrative efficiency by 30%.
- Delivered patient care across various departments with a focus on geriatrics, involving assessment, treatment assistance, and follow-up support for over 600 elderly patients.
- Trained 10 new medical assistants, ensuring consistent quality of care and adherence to the latest healthcare regulations.
- Coordinated with external healthcare providers to manage appointments and information exchange for patient referrals, enhancing continuity of care.
- Conducted comprehensive patient interviews and recorded medical histories for an average of 20 new patients per week, leading to more personalised patient care plans.
- Oversaw the migration to a new digital x-ray system, which reduced imaging time by 40% and increased patient throughput.
- Implemented a patient feedback system to capture satisfaction metrics, ultimately improving the clinic's rating by a full star on healthcare review platforms.
- Performed administrative and clinical tasks to support 4 general practitioners, which allowed for an additional 10 patient appointments to be scheduled each day.
- Created a cross-training program for clinic assistants focusing on emergency response, which reduced incident response times by approximately 50%.
- Led a community health initiative that provided free health screenings, reaching over 200 community members and raising health awareness.
- Entrusted with conducting telehealth sessions during the pandemic peak, handling over 15 virtual consultations per day and maintaining patient care standards.
- Pioneered a digital prescription service for chronic care patients, which streamlined medication delivery for 300+ patients.
- Acted as a liaison between patients and health insurance companies, enhancing the claims process and reducing the average resolution time by 22%.
How to ensure your medical assistant CV stands out when you have no experience
This part of our step-by-step guide will help you substitute your experience section by helping you spotlight your skill set. First off, your ability to land your first job will depend on the time you take to assess precisely how you match the job requirements. Whether that's via your relevant education and courses, skill set, or any potential extracurricular activities. Next:
- Systematise your CV so that it spotlights your most relevant experience (whether that's your education or volunteer work) towards the top;
- Focus recruiters' attention to your transferrable skill set and in particular how your personality would be the perfect fit for the role;
- Consider how your current background has helped you build your technological understanding - whether you've created projects in your free time or as part of your uni degree;
- Ensure you've expanded on your teamwork capabilities with any relevant internships, part-time roles, or projects you've participated in the past.
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PRO TIP
Talk about any positive changes you helped bring about in your previous jobs, like improving a process or helping increase efficiency.
Describing your unique skill set using both hard skills and soft skills
Your medical assistant CV provides you with the perfect opportunity to spotlight your talents, and at the same time - to pass any form of assessment. Focusing on your skill set across different CV sections is the way to go, as this would provide you with an opportunity to quantify your achievements and successes. There's one common, very simple mistake, which candidates tend to make at this stage. Short on time, they tend to hurry and mess up the spelling of some of the key technologies, skills, and keywords. Copy and paste the particular skill directly from the job requirement to your CV to pass the Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessment. Now, your CV skills are divided into:
- Technical or hard skills, describing your comfort level with technologies (software and hardware). List your aptitude by curating your certifications, on the work success in the experience section, and technical projects. Use the dedicated skills section to provide recruiters with up to twelve technologies, that match the job requirements, and you're capable of using.
- People or soft skills provide you with an excellent background to communicate, work within a team, solve problems. Don't just copy-paste that you're a "leader" or excel at "analysis". Instead, provide tangible metrics that define your success inusing the particular skill within the strengths, achievements, summary/ objective sections.
Top skills for your medical assistant CV:
Clinical skills
Phlebotomy
Medical terminology
Patient care
Electrocardiography (ECG/EKG)
Infection control
Medical record management
Diagnostic testing
Medication administration
Vital signs measurement
Communication
Empathy
Teamwork
Attention to detail
Organisational skills
Problem-solving
Adaptability
Interpersonal skills
Customer service
Stress management
PRO TIP
Focus on describing skills in the context of the outcomes they’ve helped you achieve, linking them directly to tangible results or successes in your career.
Further professional qualifications for your medical assistant CV: education and certificates
As you're nearing the end of your medical assistant CV, you may wonder what else will be relevant to the role. Recruiters are keen on understanding your academic background, as it teaches you an array of hard and soft skills. Create a dedicated education section that lists your:
- applicable higher education diplomas or ones that are at a postgraduate level;
- diploma, followed up with your higher education institution and start-graduation dates;
- extracurricular activities and honours, only if you deem that recruiters will find them impressive.
Follow a similar logic when presenting your certificates. Always select ones that will support your niche expertise and hint at what it's like to work with you. Balance both technical certification with soft skills courses to answer job requirements and company values. Wondering what the most sought out certificates are for the industry? Look no further:
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Focus on describing skills in the context of the outcomes they’ve helped you achieve, linking them directly to tangible results or successes in your career.
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Key takeaways
What matters most in your medical assistant CV-writing process is for you to create a personalised application. One that matches the role and also showcases your unique qualities and talents.
- Use the format to supplement the actual content, to stand out, and to ensure your CV experience is easy to comprehend and follows a logic;
- Invest time in building a succinct CV top one third. One that includes a header (with your contact details and headline), a summary or an objective statement (select the one that best fits your experience), and - potentially - a dedicated skills section or achievements (to fit both hard skills and soft skills requirements);
- Prioritise your most relevant (and senior) experience closer to the top of your CV. Always ensure you're following the "power verb, skill, and achievement" format for your bullets;
- Integrate both your technical and communication background across different sections of your CV to meet the job requirements;
- List your relevant education and certificates to fill in gaps in your CV history and prove to recrutiers you have relevant technical know-how.
