One of the most important tools you have when you’re hunting for any job is your resume. It’s what tells potential employers that you might be worth hiring. But what are they looking for when hiring medical transcriptionists?

1. Education

This is particularly important when you’re trying to land your very first job as a medical transcriptionist. If you don’t have the educational background, employers aren’t going to be even remotely interested in you.

This is where choosing a good medical transcription school counts. If you didn’t complete a good program, it’s going to be much harder to land that first job. You want a school that is trusted by employers, so you can get past that experience requirement on the basis of the quality training you’ve gone through.

It can help to note your scores, particularly if you had high ratings on your classes. This tells employers that you worked hard on the course and really learned what they had to teach.

2. Certifications, if any

If you’ve tested and gotten your RMT or CMT, make sure to mention it! These certifications demonstrate your level of knowledge and competence as a medical transcriptionist. With some companies you can earn a little extra for being certified.

3. Experience

Any medical transcription experience you already have is vital to list here. You can also list any experience you have in the medical industry on the whole, but anything to do with transcription is most important.

If this is the first medical transcription job you’re looking for, you may not have anything directly relating to medical transcription to list here. As with other resumes, you can list other jobs you have held in the past.

4. Equipment

It’s good to note that you have the basic equipment required for the job. Take a look at the job listing and employer’s website so that you can list any equipment they expect you to have that you already own. This can include information such as the type of computer and operating system you have and the type of internet connection you have.

The software you have available may matter as well. Some companies will expect you to have Microsoft Word, for example. Others will provide their own software to you.

You may not need to own things such as a foot pedal already. Sometimes employers will provide one for you, to be certain that it is compatible with their software.

No matter how much you love your basic resume, pay attention to the individual needs of different employers, and customize it to emphasize the skills you have that they’re looking for. This can make a big difference in your job hunt.

Ready to train as a medical transcriptionist? Check out Career Step’s online training program.