An objective is not necessary, but serves to entice an employer to read on. The focus should not be on you, but on the specific job you're applying for and what skills set you apart as an asset to this employer; in one sentence, briefly detail what you will bring TO THE EMPLOYER, i.e., efficiency, productivity, creativity... by utilizing skills such as customer service, organization, communication, computer knowledge, etc.
As a "seasoned" professional, you may want to include awards, special recognition letters, licenses, certifications, and documentation highlighting special projects (particularly if specific positive results are quantified); as a recent graduate with limited experience, national certifications are huge, together with licenses, letters of recommendation from instructors, mentors, externship supervisors and, in the medical arena, HIPAA/OSHA certification, validation of CPR/First Aid training can also be important.
Yes! Please click on the Contact an Advisor link to work directly with one of our Career Services members at the campus nearest you. We're happy to review your old resume and provide feedback or walk you through creating a resume from scratch. We maintain current information by meeting twice a year with Advisory Boards, made up of professionals from our medical communities, who keep us apprised of the key skills, experience, credentials and personal traits they seek when hiring.
We are assuming, in this scenario, that you have no current resume so the first step would be to take a few moments to jot down your educational and work experience in a chronological format. Click the Contact an Advisor link and arrange to work directly with a member of our Career Services team at the campus nearest you. We will assist you with formatting your resume, drafting a cover letter and networking with employers in the Phoenix community. If you're feeling a little uneasy about interviewing, we'll also do some practice / mock interviews in preparation for the real thing.
A lapse in experience can signal challenges, from an employer's perspective. You may want to return to your campus for a skills assessment or to audit some classes (at no cost to you). This might well serve to increase your confidence, and it will show a potential employer that you're serious about staying on top of your professional game.
In updating your resume, focus on all the skills you've honed while taking this break from the professional arena – volunteer work you've done, serving on a committee at your church, taking a leadership role in a family business, joining a professional organization – anything that involved utilization of the organizational, computer, customer services skills you relied on every day as a Medical Administrative Assistant. If you need assistance with this exercise, please contact a Career Services Advisor at the campus nearest you.
Visiting with one our Career Services team members to review the details of your interviewing experience will very likely help isolate challenges you're facing. It may be that you are unprepared for today's interviewing techniques, as employers have gotten away from direct questions and are more likely to pose "situational scenarios", such as, "Explain a very difficult challenge you've faced in the past and how you dealt with it." A practice/mock interview session with one of our Career Services team members might give you the pointers you need to ace that next interview.