Well-composed and easy-to-read resumes easily convey the value that you would add to the organization and catch an employer's attention. Given that employers generally review resumes for less than 30 seconds to decide whether to interview you, you’ll want to put your best effort into its preparation.

The best resumes aren't chronological lists of every job you’ve ever had—they are outlines of the specific skills or competencies that you can bring to the new position you are seeking.

The competency-based resume takes the focus off your job titles and puts it on your skills, abilities, and accomplishments that are more universally understood. Instead of focusing on responsibilities, think more accomplishment-based statements that showcase the outcomes or results you achieved. Validate the statements using numbers or percentages when possible. If you improved a process at your company, take it to the next step and describe the impact. Did it improve sales by a certain percent? Reduce costs? Earn money? If so, include those amounts. This sample competency-based resume  illustrates the concept and can help you develop your own.

Competency-based resume example

What to leave off your resume

• Objective statements—There is no need to include an objective statement, unless you are posting your resume on a general job search website.
• References—You should not list references in your resume unless specifically requested by the employer. Include them in a separate document. It is also not necessary to state, “References available upon request.”

Formatting your resume

Appearance is the key to a good resume. If it appears wordy, cluttered, and hard to read, chances are it will not be read. To enhance readability:

• Select a resume type that highlights important content, and use a layout that makes the resume easy to read.
• Avoid using a resume template as they can be difficult to edit, and the design may hinder a professional appearance.
• Limit to one page if possible, two pages if necessary. If you must go to a third page to cover pertinent information, be sure that you can justify each entry.
• Consistent formatting throughout all sections of the document is key—this pertains to margins, fonts, heading styles, etc. 
• Use italics, boldface, capitalization, and underlining for emphasis, but do so sparingly and consistently.  
• Use bulleted phrases instead of sentences to separate job tasks and responsibilities. When describing responsibilities, be specific and detailed, yet concise.
• For achievements and accomplishments earned, use sentence fragments with no subjects. Maintain the correct tense: present tense for current jobs and past tense for prior jobs.

More resume tips

• Check your spelling, and have someone proofread your resume to catch mistakes that spellcheck does not pick up.
• Resumes should be tailored for different purposes. You might have one version for clinical practice and another version for a position within industry. Each should highlight skills and experiences important to those different roles.
• Update your resume on a regular basis to keep track of employment and accomplishments. As the years pass, when you acquire an additional responsibility, award, or achievement, take a moment or two to add it to your resume so all the details are accessible when the time comes to send out your resume for a new stage of your career.

Resume vs. CV

It is important to know when to use a resume or a curriculum vitae (CV). Although the terms “CV” and “resume” are often used interchangeably, a CV is typically used when applying to academic or research-related positions, whereas a resume is appropriate to use in most other situations.  The primary differences are the length, the purpose, and the layout. A resume is a one-to- two-page snapshot of your skills, experience, and education. It is brief and concise— a marketing document that highlights skills relevant to the position you are seeking.  A CV is typically longer in length and is a more comprehensive review of your work and academic history.

A cover letter accompanies a resume when submitting your application for a particular position and serves as an introduction. It is intended to highlight your experience, training, and specific skills that you may have as it relates to the position to which you are applying. Thoughtful, well-written and succinct documents tailored specifically to the particular job and/or employer will catch an employer's attention and place you above the rest of the applicants.

We’ve all written cover letters before. But it’s important not to take this piece of your job application for granted. This is often your prospective employer’s first introduction to you. Follow these guidelines to make a good first impression:

• Make your cover letter specific to the job you’re applying for. Don’t send the same letter to all employers, switching out only the name of the position and employer. Look through the specific job description and tailor your cover letter to show how exactly you would be the best candidate for that particular position.
• Focus on specific transferable skills important to the job. Include any type of technology, problem solving, organization, project management, or finance skills and experience that would be pertinent to the job you’re seeking. Show how you bring a unique value. Be brief but to the point.
• Help the employer envision how you can apply your experience and skills to deliver results for the business.
• Be short, brief and specific!

Structure of a Cover Letter

Every cover letter should be customized to the employer and contain the following:

• Heading
• Opening salutation (e.g., Dear Dr. Pierce)
• Introduction
• Body
• Closing paragraph
• Closing salutation (e.g., Sincerely, Respectfully, Best Regards)

Introduction

State the position for which you are applying and why it specifically interests you. Indicate your knowledge about the employer by including what interested you about the employer’s practice.

You can also acknowledge any previous contact with the employer, with one of their colleagues, or why a mentor or colleague encouraged you to contact to the employer. If you are applying for a position outside of your current residence, the opening paragraph is a great place to connect yourself to the employer geographically.

Body

Your cover letter’s middle paragraph(s) are the opportunity to really distinguish yourself from other applicants. You should demonstrate that you have the skills the employer is seeking, using language from the job posting. Think about the value you bring to the table beyond your clinical and medical training. The body can sell your strengths by emphasizing your educational credentials, experience, skills, and abilities using concrete examples. For example, instead of simply indicating that you meet a particular ability, provide an example from work or school that demonstrates that ability in action. Every sentence counts.

Closing

Sum up by reiterating your interest in the position by mentioning something unique to that practice and your unique qualifications for the position. Thank the reader for their consideration of your application and indicate that you look forward to hearing from them regarding next steps. This should not be a long paragraph.

More cover letter tips

• Make your cover letter specific to the job you’re applying for. Don’t send the same letter to all employers, switching out only the name of the position and employer. Look through the specific job description and tailor your cover letter to show how exactly you would be the best candidate for that particular position.
• Focus on specific transferable skills important to the job. Include any type of technology, problem solving, organization, project management, or finance skills and experience that would be pertinent to the job you’re seeking. Show how you bring a unique value. Be brief but to the point.
• Help the employer envision how you can apply your experience and skills to deliver results for the business.
• Be short, brief, and specific.
• Make sure to always have someone review your cover letter before you send.
• When sending your application via email, best practices suggest attaching it as a separate document, just as you would your resume.

Once finished, put your cover letter to use and apply to positions using the AVMA’s Veterinary Career Center.

Interviewing is one of the most important steps in the job search process. It is your chance to show the employer that you have the skills, personality, and ability to do the job, while also assessing if it is the right fit for you. Preparation is the key to an interview that goes well. Below are tips on what to do and what not to do during an interview.

Prior to the interview

• Reread your resume and cover letter to remind yourself of your experience, qualifications, and skills. 
• Review the job description to recall the qualities the employer is seeking for the position.  
• Research the company by reviewing their website thoroughly.
• Write down a list of questions you would like to ask during the interview.
• Consider the type of interview it will be and plan for the corresponding logistics. Is it an in-person working interview, or will it be conducted virtually? Will you be interviewing one-on-one, or will it take place in a group setting? If you are unsure about specific details, such as what type of apparel is expected, you can ask the interviewer for clarification ahead of time.    
• If it is an in-person interview, plan to arrive 15 minutes early. You may want to test drive the route before the interview at the same time of day your interview will occur to account for potential traffic issues. If it is a virtual interview, you will want to test your equipment and connection a few days beforehand so that you have time to fix any issues.   
• Verbally practice giving succinct answers to interview questions, such as telling something about yourself, why you want to work for a particular business, what your strengths are, what you want to improve, and where you want to be in 3-5 years. Practice will make you less nervous about what you want to say so you can concentrate on making a connection with the interviewer.

During the interview

• Dress appropriately for the type of interview it will be.
• Be on time for your interview.
• From the moment you enter the building, smile and be positive, confident, and enthusiastic. Warmly greet each person you encounter whether they are a part of the formal interview or not.   
• Turn off your cell phone during the interview or leave it in your car.
• Answer questions thoroughly. Make sure the interviewer knows that you are enthusiastic about what you do and will make a great employee for them. Use examples of your skills when you are talking.
• Avoid negative comments about previous employers or jobs.
• Ask detailed questions about the organization, the duties of the position, performance expectations, and the culture of the organization. Show that you have done your homework.
• While you want to be sure to get information on the salary and benefits offered for the position, that should not be the first and only thing you ask about. Ideally, wait for the interviewer to bring up those topics for discussion. Employers want to hire candidates who show passion and interest in the position and the organization.
• Ask the interviewer some questions about working there—what they like about the organization, what the typical work day is like, and what the business's long term plans are. Listen to the answers and wait until they are finished speaking before asking another question.
• Try to keep your body language relaxed and friendly. Breathe deeply and talk slowly to help calm down and think about what you want to say. Make good eye contact throughout the interview.

After the interview

• Thank the interviewer, express interest in the position, and succinctly restate why you have the skills for it.
• Send the interviewer a thank you note or e-mail for the time they spent talking to you. Use their name and spell it correctly on any correspondence.

Tips for answering interview questions

The point of an interview is to see if you are the right candidate for the job. You landed the interview because you met the employer’s needs on paper, and the interview is your chance to provide more information to the interviewer about your ability to do the job.

Interview questions give the interviewer an opportunity to see how you think on your feet, how you handle stress, and whether you have the experience and skill to perform the job. An interview will often have a set of standard questions asked of every interviewee, plus other questions that arise based on your responses or your resume.

In general, interviewers ask open-ended questions:

• Tell me about yourself.
• Why are you interested in this opportunity?
• What skills from your previous position can be transferred to this position?

Challenges and perceived areas of improvements

Interviewers also ask questions regarding your challenges or perceived areas of improvement:

• What are your weaknesses?
• If you could change one thing about yourself professionally, what would it be and why?

In answering these questions, try to always end on a positive or constructive note by describing how you are working to improve. For example, you might say, “I find giving constructive feedback to be my weakness, but I have been working with my supervisor to practice this skill and look forward to developing this competency further in this position."

Behavior-based questions

Behavior-based questions are designed to find out how you would perform or behave. You might be asked to reference previous experiences and training to demonstrate a particular skill or characteristic:

• Describe your most rewarding experience.
• Give me an example of a time in which you worked with a difficult client. How did you handle the situation?

When answering behavior-based questions, it's helpful to use the STAR method to guide your response:

• S: Describe the specific situation (set the scene)
• T: Task (what was the goal/objective)
• A: What action did you take to meet these goals or resolve this challenge?
• R: What was the result?