Before you can find and apply for healthcare job openings, you need to clean up your resume. That means, take out what could hurt your job hunt, keep only what will make you stand out, and polish your application until it shines.

For starters, create a professional-looking resume that takes filtering software into account. Many employers, especially the larger ones, use software to manage the number of applications they receive in response to a job announcement. This is true particularly for online job applications.

Follow these tips to maximize your chances of getting your resume through the filtering software and into the hands of a hiring manager:

Content

Customize your resume to the position. Use information in the job description to highlight your strengths and why you are a good fit.

Start with a professional summary, followed by a bulleted list of your qualifications and achievements.

Use keywords found in the job posting. For CNA job postings, relevant keywords that hiring managers look for may include “CNA certification,” “assisting patients,” “patient care,” etc. Vary your keywords. In addition to “CNA,” also use “certified nurse assistant.” Again, use the job description to tailor your resume to what they are looking for.

Demonstrate your experience and familiarity with what the job will entail. Include relevant education and experience, including volunteer positions you’ve held in the past.

Use only abbreviations that are common in your field. “CNA” is acceptable. “Mgr.” is not; use “Manager” instead.

Formatting

Use a clean, easy-to-read font such as Times New Roman, Arial, Century, Century Gothic, or Trebuchet. Do not, under any circumstances, use script or designer fonts. A 12-point font size is best.

Do not use tables, borders or continuous lines across the page. Stick to paragraphs and bullet-points.

Don’t include logos or graphics. Keep your document scannable by using only text.

Don’t use exclamation marks in your cover letter or introductory email. This includes both the subject line and body of the text.

Proof-read all documents. It’s helpful to have someone else look over your application to ensure that you don’t miss any errors and/or misspellings.

Submissions

When submitting a printed document, only use clean white paper and black ink.

If submitting by email, do not submit attachments, unless specifically instructed to do so. Instead, paste your application and resume into the body of the email.

If submitting through an online form, completely fill out the form, even if the requested information is in your resume. Complete even optional sections on the application.

When job hunting, it’s important to present a professional image, whether you’re applying in person, online or by email. Your resume is a representation of who you are and what you can contribute to a company, whether it’s a hospital, a rehabilitation facility or a private patient. If you’re on Facebook, friend our page, where we post healthcare job openings, application tips and resources to further your career.

As a healthcare student, balancing work and home life becomes a three-way juggling act. In addition to a job and family, there are classes to attend and exams to study for. You’re also in the middle of planning a career in healthcare. That includes job searches, creating a resume, looking at job postings, and preparing for interviews.

Add Facebook, Twitter, and the never-ending barrage of information arriving via your cell phone, and it’s a nonstop world of go, go, go.

With all things you need to do, you might feel that you are “always on.”

You’ve heard of the need for work-life balance. In your case, your studies also go into the mix. But why is there a such a need for balance in the first place?

• Stress Management

The warning against “all work and no play” has been repeated often enough. Focusing solely on work or your studies (if you’re a healthcare student) is a surefire path to high stress. Giving yourself a break by spending quality time with family and friends allows your mind and emotions to be renewed. Laughter is a great stress-reliever, after all, and what better way to laugh than with loved ones?

• Better Focus

Taking time away from your job and studies actually benefits the quality of your own work in the long run. When you return to your work after a break, you’re able to focus better on the tasks in front of you.

Striving for work-life balance lets you engage better, whether at home, in your job, or studies. That, in turn, leads to better performance and higher personal satisfaction.

• Greater Contentment

All the busyness of an “always on” world doesn’t necessarily translate to happiness or contentment. Instead, the happiest people are those who have productive lives and meaningful relationships. In other words, they are those who are able to balance their work and personal life.

So how does one go about balancing work, home and studies? Here are some practical tips:

1. Schedule quality time

Just as you schedule your work hours, classes, and study time, you should also include family time and relaxation in your calendar. Schedule an extended vacation (or staycation), or simply plan on taking your kids to a park or zoo during the weekend.

2. Set SMART goals

Having specific and measurable goals, both for your career and personal life, will help you manage your time better. Your priority should be those tasks and activities that help you reach your goals. Break down your big goals into weekly and daily items.

3. Be all there

Whether it’s for work, study or family, make sure that you are giving your full attention to the task at hand. That means turning off your cellphone and computer when it’s time to spend time with your family.

4. Take care of yourself

Take good care of yourself through by exercising, taking walks, engaging in a favorite hobby, etc. These periods of self-renewal are necessary for you to function at your best when you are at work or in classes.

5. Take the long view

There are times when day-to-day balance is hard to achieve. There are periods (days or even weeks) that may be busier than most. Examples of these are exam weeks. During these high-intensity periods, do what you need to do, and then allow yourself extended downtime afterward.

Striving for balance in work, home and studies is an ongoing endeavor. There are times when you have to adjust your goals, priorities and schedule to achieve what you want, and still enjoy quality time with your loved ones.

Welcome to 2013! It’s the perfect time to set some goals for the new year. It is, after all, a new beginning. It’s a chance to get a positive start on where you want to be and what you want to accomplish.

SMART Goals

A big part of charting your course for the year is sitting down and setting goals. And not just any goal. Successful people set smart goals. As a healthcare student, follow the guidelines below to set your own SMART goals:

Specific Goals

Don’t set vague goals. Be as specific as you can be.

An example of a vague goal is “I’ll graduate someday.” A specific goal is one with a definite result that is achievable within a time frame. For example, “I will be a certified CNA by July 2013.”

Measurable Goals

As 2013 progresses, you must be able to assess the results of your work. Are you moving closer to accomplishing your goals? For example, successfully completing half of your required classes means you’re 50% closer to your goal of finishing your CNA course.

Attainable Goals

It’s important to set realistic goals. This will keep you from becoming discouraged and allow you to move forward toward completion. It’s better to set small, realistic goals than one big impossible one. The best way to do this is to chop up a big goal into more manageable steps. Securing financial assistance for your education could be the first step toward becoming a CNA.

Relevant Goals

Your goals must reflect the bigger picture of what you want to do this year and in the long term. It is irrelevant to set a goal of “learning how to fix computers” if you want to have a career in healthcare. You may be interested in computers, but learning to fix them isn’t in line with your long-term goal of working in a hospital, nursing home or other medical facility. Think about specific goals that move you forward in your chosen career.

Time-based Goals

Setting goals at the beginning of the year is useful, because you have the whole year ahead of you to accomplish them. You can look forward to the next 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months, and set goals to fit those time-frames.

Putting a target date to a specific accomplishment helps you focus on completion before that date arrives. You will also be able to clearly set both small and long-term goals. A 6-month goal for a healthcare student may be “complete all requirements for CNA certification.” A 3-month goal may be “finish the Phlebotomy Technician Program.”

Time management tools

Once you’ve set your goals for 2013, you must also make an effort to manage your time in order to achieve those goals. It’s not enough to simply write them down on a piece of paper, and forget about it the rest of the year.

Break down your goals into monthly or weekly tasks and put those into some type of planner or calendar. You can then make sure that you’re doing something every day, week or month that gets you closer to achieving what you want.

Your planner or calendar may be digital or paper-based. It may even be just a 3×5 index card with your weekly schedule on it. The important thing is to regularly make time to do those things that truly matter to you.

Every week, look over your work schedule, classes, activities, and even blocks of free time. Slot tasks into your schedule, checking to see that those tasks are relevant to one or more of your long- or short-term goals.

For example, if a long-term goal is to get certification as a CNA, and you have a CNA class scheduled for the coming week, one of your tasks may be to prepare for or complete requirements for that class. Slot that into your schedule to make sure you’ll be able to give it the time and attention it needs.

Use these tips to set SMART goals for yourself and accomplish them by the end of the year. Remember, we are here to help you have the career you want.

“Make New Year’s goals. Dig within, and discover what you would like to have happen in your life this year. This helps you do your part. It is an affirmation that you’re interested in fully living life in the year to come.”

- Melody Beattie