How to transform your physician CV to an industry resume | MatchDay Health

What’s in This Article:

• The importance of a resume for industry jobs
• What are the differences between a doctor CV and a resume?
• How do you write a resume for an industry job?
• How do you customize your resume for specific industries?

• What are other things doctors should know about resumes?
• Next steps

The importance of a resume for industry jobs.

If you want to move from direct care and shift work to a non-clinical job, you’ll need to rethink how you present yourself professionally. A resume is important to highlight your relevant skills and accomplishments to potential employers in a short, concise, and impactful way.

What are the differences between a doctor CV and a resume?

A resume and a curriculum vitae (CV) are drastically different documents. Both show your experience, education, and background. But they differ in length and scope. 

A CV is exhaustive, containing all your certifications, qualifications, and experience. A resume, on the other hand, highlights the most relevant skills and experiences for the job you’re applying for. 

Length is also a big difference. A CV can be many pages, but a resume should be short – no more than two pages. 

How do you write a resume for an industry job?

So, now you know the importance of preparing a resume highlighting your medical experience. You’ve also found some roles you’re really interested in. Time to apply.

So, what’s the next move? Actually, making it reality. Here are some steps that will get you going in the right direction.

Focus on Your Goals

Think about why you want to transition from a clinical to a non-clinical role. What are your motivations? Is it professional? Personal? What do you hope to accomplish?

Next, you have a few options.

Try adding the titles you’re qualified for or applying to like Physician Executive and/or Chief Medical Officer, followed by specific skills you have that relate to it. Examples of skills for a Chief Medical Officer could be communication, clinical acumen, or leadership.

Keywords Relevant to the Desired Role

You know the jobs you’re interested in. Now you need to study those roles and the industries you want to enter. Get to know the keywords and phrases used in job descriptions. Then sprinkle those into your resume.

If you’re applying for a medical science liaison role, highlight your scientific and clinical expertise in a specific therapeutic area or your ability to establish and maintain relationships with key opinion leaders and healthcare professionals. Add how you gather insights from data or research and have developed and delivered presentations to internal and external audiences as well. Other keywords to include could be clinical trials,  

Show your impact

Potential employers don’t want to know what you did in your past role. They want to know how you made things better and created positive results. 

Look back at your work history and see where you made a difference. Find a way to quantify your impact and provide proof of your talent. 

Example: Increased patient satisfaction scores by 35% by surveying patients and implementing quality improvement initiatives.

Translate your clinical experience to non-clinical settings

While your background may be in caring for patients, your skill sets can apply anywhere. You just have to show potential employers how your thoughts and actions in a clinical setting could apply in a non-clinical one. 

You want to emphasize your ability to solve problems and to be a leader. Most importantly, you want to demonstrate how you drove positive outcomes.

Example: Led multidisciplinary teams to develop and implement evidence-based clinical protocols, resulting in a 10% drop in readmission rates and a 5% cost savings.

Find your transferable skills

You know how to work with others, lead when necessary, and handle a crazy case load. You can break down a problem and come up with three ways to solve, possibly more if you have time.

Those skills translate into any industry. Look into your strengths and identify the skill sets that help you succeed and thrive. Then write how those skills can apply to the industry role you’re applying for.

Example: Demonstrated leadership skills as chief resident by overseeing resident education and program development.

Include relevant education and information

It’s important to include your education and certifications, even if they’re not relevant to the role. Also add any learnings as well.

Example: Board-certified internal medicine physician with expertise in clinical research methodologies.

How do you customize your resume for specific industries?

Different industries seek different skill sets, backgrounds, and experiences. Here are some suggestions on how you can tailor your resume for roles in these industries. Obviously, not everything will apply for the role you’re interested in. Use these suggestions as a starting point.

Pharmaceutical and Biotech

Employers generally want candidates with expertise in clinical research, regulatory affairs, and drug development. Types of roles include: medical director, clinical research physician, and medical science liaison.

Here are suggestions on what to emphasize:

• Experience with clinical research, including study design, data collection, and analysis.
• Knowledge of regulatory requirements along with experience navigating the FDA approval process.
• Involvement with drug development. This includes clinical trials, drug safety monitoring, and pharmacovigilance activities.
• Relevant certifications in Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and regulatory compliance.

Healthcare Consulting

Consulting firms look for candidates with strong problem-solving abilities and data analysis skills. Available roles within consulting include focuses in healthcare, strategy, or management.

Here are suggestions on what to emphasize:

• Analytical skills and experience using a data driven approach to make decisions and to solve complex problems.
• Any consulting experience, including client engagements, project management, and delivering strategic recommendations.
• Examples of successful consulting projects and their impact on improving things like healthcare delivery or patient outcomes.
• Ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders and work in multidisciplinary teams.

Health Technology

Employers in health technology want candidates with expertise in areas such as digital health and health informatics along with familiarity with various healthcare technology platforms. Positions in health tech include chief medical officer, health informatics physician, and digital health advisor.

 Here are suggestions on what to emphasize:

• Experience with digital health solutions, including electronic health records (EHRs), telemedicine platforms, and mobile health apps.
• Knowledge of health informatics principles, experience with data management, interoperability, and health information exchange.
• Familiarity with healthcare technology platforms such as Epic, Cerner, or Salesforce Health Cloud.
• Certifications or training in health informatics, healthcare IT, or software development relevant to the role.

Medical Communications and Writing

Employers in medical communications and writing want to see strong editing or writing skills coupled with scientific knowledge. They also want to know if you have experience in medical editing or publishing. Positions within this industry include medical writer or editor and scientific director. 

Here are suggestions on what to emphasize:

• Writing skills, including types of content you’ve worked on like scientific manuscripts, clinical trial protocols, or regulatory documents.
• Scientific knowledge and expertise in interpreting and translating complex medical information to diverse audiences.
• Examples of your writing or editing work. 

What Are Other Things Doctors Should Know About Resumes?

First and foremost, make sure your resume is specific to the role you’re applying to. Don’t take a cookie cutter approach.

Here are some other tips to help you:

• Length: Aim for two pages or less. Keep it short and simple when you describe your qualifications and achievements. 
• Format: Keep it clean and professional. It must be easy to read and visually appealing.
• Readability: Make sure it’s scannable and has clear headings and sections.

Next Steps

We’ve laid it out for you. Now it’s your turn to take some time and craft that resume.

Remember, you have the skill set and experience for the industry role you want. You just need to describe your background in a way that stands out to a potential employer.

Ready to take the plunge into a non-clinical role? MatchDay can help! Learn how we can support your career transition and help you find your dream industry job.