Hot Tip -- by Melanie Ackerman

If you want to land a job as a health tech, there a few things that you will need to keep in mind when you apply. Aside from the necessary educational requirements and certifications, what else is there that you can add to your resume to give it that extra punch and make an employer take a second look?

Below are a list of some key phrases and words that an employer will be looking for in their health tech. The qualities and personal attributes that are listed below, will definitely catch the eye of an employer if used in a resume.

Things to show on your resume/cover letter:

• You have a high sense of responsibility
• You have a high level of integrity
• You are patient
• You are sensitive
• You are able to help people relax in stressful situations
• You think independently
• You are conscientious, precise, accurate with thought to detail
• You are able to perform routine tests and tasks
• You are comfortable using and maintaining equipment
• You think on your feet and solve problems
• You enjoy working with others, or alone

Other important information to include specifically on a resume:

• Your year of graduation and the site at which your training was taken
• Your registration number if you are a member of an association
• A list of modalities taken during training
• Any special skills that you have acquired
• Any post graduate courses you have taken for further certification
• Highlight your patient care skills or previous related employment where you have worked as a registered technologist

Employers within this industry are looking for people with not only paid employment experience but also related volunteer experience. Make sure to include those related experiences on your resume, as those experiences often hold as much weight as paid employment experiences.

If you are applying for a position that requires a specific skill, and you have specialized training or experience in that area, be sure to list the classes and/or training that would apply to that position. Listing those specifically on your resume and cover letter will definitely put you a head above the rest.

Below is a list of specific details to include if you were applying for a Medical X-ray Technologist position. Here are some specific examples of information you would want to include given by the Director of Medical Imaging for the Chinook Health Region:

• Registration number with the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologist
• A list of modalities covered during training, for example: radiography, angiography, fluoroscopy, portables, operating room, special procedures, angiography, mammography, any exposure to CT scanning, familiarity with radiology information systems
• Any experience with the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) or Computed Radiography (CR)
• Any post-graduate courses to move into modalities like Diagnostoc Ultrasound or Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Any experience worked as a registered technologist, rather than in student radiographer status
• References from both technical and administrative personnel, and from a radiologist

(Melanie Ackerman is a career counsellor at the Calgary Youth Employment Centre.)