2024 is the perfect time to embark on a new and rewarding career in the growing field of senior healthcare.
With an ongoing nursing shortage and an increasing need for healthcare professionals, The Kensington Sierra Madre offers plenty of senior living job opportunities.
From licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) and traveling registered nurses (RNs), to essential roles such as care partners (CNAs and HHAs), custodians, and dining staff, each position plays an important part in running a senior living community.
This article is your quick guide to getting your healthcare resumé ready to seize these opportunities.
Whether you’re an experienced professional already or completely new to the field, we’ll help you craft a resumé that stands out and pave the way for you to join the team at The Kensington Sierra Madre today!
Our promise is to love and care for your family as we do our own.
What interviewers look for in a healthcare resumé
When it comes to securing a job in senior living, your resumé will be more than just a list of jobs and education—it’s a testament to your suitability for a role that demands both trained skills and empathy.
From nursing roles to support staff, certain qualifications and experiences are non-negotiable.
For example, nursing roles will have varying education levels: licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) need a specific 1-2 year training program whereas registered nurses (RNs) often require a degree in nursing.
Each position might also demand specialized certifications or experience in areas such as geriatric care or emergency response.
Beyond formal qualifications, demonstrating hands-on experience in patient care, and other related job roles will help interviews assess your ability to handle the unique challenges and responsibilities in healthcare roles.
General tips for resumé crafting
- Make it professional, clear, and concise
- Aim for one page
- Use a clean, professional layout
- Avoid overly decorative fonts or graphics.
- Aim for consistency across the resumé, using consistent font sizes, headings, and bullet point styles
- Use online resumé builders for a professional look, such as Canva, Google Docs, and Resumé.com.
- Once your resumé is mostly complete, use proofreading tools such as Grammarly to catch typos and grammatical errors.
- Use an active voice and action verbs to describe your experiences and achievements.
Healthcare-specific resumé advice
Healthcare resumés need to communicate your clinical expertise and adaptability across various healthcare settings, such as hospitals, clinics, and other senior living communities.
Highlighting clinical experiences and skills
If you’re a nurse, mention specific nursing skills such as wound care or IV therapy.
For care partners (certified nurses aides CNAs and home health aides HHAs) focus on abilities in assisting with daily living activities and basic medical care.
Include specialized training or knowledge areas, such as California’s healthcare regulations or specific medical procedures.
Describe specific scenarios where you provided exceptional patient care, whether in a hospital, assisted living community, or a home health setting.
Incorporating keywords in healthcare resumés
Use terminology that resonates with healthcare professionals, such as:
- Patient-centered care
- Medical charting
- HIPPA compliance
- Emergency response
Each healthcare role has unique certification and training requirements. Make sure to include specific degrees or certifications you have completed.
For non-nursing roles, such as maintenance, transportation, dining, life enrichment activities assistant, and more, focus on relevant technical skills or managerial competencies.
Presenting achievements and accomplishments
Beyond the necessary training and certifications, the achievements section of your resumé is where you get to shine as an individual.
This is your opportunity to demonstrate how you’ve gone above and beyond in your role, showcasing your exceptional qualities and the impact you’ve made in previous roles.
How to show off accomplishments
In general and senior healthcare resumés, it’s a great idea to quantify your accomplishments by attaching numbers, percentages, and other measurable data.
For example: If you’re a nurse, mention how many patients you’ve managed daily, which can showcase your ability to handle a high-volume workload.
As an administrator, you could highlight a project where you reduced operational costs by a certain percentage.
Showcasing soft skills and attributes
Soft skills are also known as ‘people skills.’ They demonstrate your ability to work well with patients, families, and other healthcare professionals.
Highlight your soft skills in the following ways:
- Mention specific instances where your empathy made a big difference in patient care or a team setting.
- Highlight experiences where your effective communication skills improved patient outcomes.
- Provide examples of collaborative projects or situations where your teamwork skills were instrumental.
- Discuss times when you successfully adapted to new protocols, technologies, or environments.
Interview preparation and follow-up
Depending on the role you’re applying for, such as a care partner (CNA, PCA, and HHA) or administrative role, you may be invited for a one-on-one interview or a group interview.
In both instances, aim to arrive about 10 minutes early with multiple copies of your resumé to hand out.
For administrative and leadership roles, dress more formally, whereas business casual will be fine for other positions.
Before interviewing with The Kensington Sierra Madre, understand our mission, values, and specifics for the job role.
For group interviews, common for nursing and care partner roles, this knowledge can help you stand out. Practice speaking clearly and confidently. Listening actively to others will also show your ability to work collaboratively.
Post-interview etiquette
Send a thank-you email or note within 24 hours of the interview. Personalize it by referencing specific discussion points or topics from the interview to show you’re a great listener.
If you discussed any healthcare-specific topics or challenges, consider following up with additional thoughts or how you might address those challenges in the role.
If you haven’t heard back within the timeframe they provided, it’s appropriate to send a polite follow-up email to inquire about the status of your application.
The Kensington Sierra Madre: Now hiring!
The Kensington Sierra Madre is a premier assisted living and memory care community in Los Angeles County, California actively seeking compassionate and dedicated individuals to join our team.
Renowned for our focus on dementia and Alzheimer’s care, we are leaders in providing specialized memory care services.
We have a variety of open positions ranging from healthcare professionals to support and administrative roles. Each role plays an important part in enriching the lives of our residents and maintaining our high standard of care.
We encourage you to view our job openings page and to contact us to explore how you can start a fulfilling career and become part of the family at The Kensington Sierra Madre.