Clinic  Owner  Thoughts  on  the  Perfect  Resume  and  Cover  Letter     December  2012  
 
 
A  focus  group  of  6  clinic  owners  reviewed  a  dozen  CVs  students  submitted  for  critiquing.  
Here  are  their  tips.  
 
Cover  Letter    
The  cover  letter  must  be  short  and  to  the  point.  You  need  to  introduce  yourself  and  explain  
why  you  are  applying,  but  it  should  not  highlight  everything  on  your  resume.  Review  the  
prospective  employer’s  vision  statement  so  that  you  can  mirror  them  in  your  introduction.    
   
-­‐ Keep  it  into  one  page.  You  want  the  employer  interested/captivated  throughout  the  
cover  letter.    
 
-­‐ condense  each  attribute  into  one  or  two  concise  sentences.  
 
-­‐ Some  key  attributes  that  we  look  for  are:  self-­‐motivated,  takes  initiative,  team  
player,  etc.  
 
-­‐ One  of  the  most  important  things  is  to  see  that  the  applicant  has  researched  my  
clinic  and  feels  that  he/she  would  be  a  good  match  for  the  clinic  (ie;  they  share  our  
values,  commitments,  treatment  approach,  etc).  
 
-­‐ Include  a  short  section  to  your  knowledge  of  the  workplace  and  your  fit  tailored  it  
for  each  employer.  
 
-­‐ Include  involvement  in  activities/clubs  during  the  program,  but  also  include  would  
what  you’ve  learned/gained  from  this  involvement  (in  addition  to  time  
management)  that  would  be  attractive  to  an  employer  
 
-­‐ Make  the  last  paragraph  memorable;  show  the  employer  that  you  have  put  some  
thought  into  why  you  really  want  this  particular  position  (ie;  passionate/excited  
about  our  clinic’s  vision,  approach,  etc).  Be  honest  –  you  want  to  show  your  
personality  to  the  employer  knows  you  are  a  potential  “fit”  but  you  also  want  to  be  
sure  they  are  a  fit  for  you.  
 
Resume  
 
-­‐ Include  profile  section,  such  as  this  example  which  makes  you  stand  out  in  any  way  
you  can    
A  current  Masters  of  Science  student  of  the  University  of  British  Columbia  (graduating  
in  October  2012)  with  over  one  year  in  clinical  practice  and  over  seven  years  of  
volunteering  in  healthcare  and  therapy-­‐related  positions.  An  energetic  team  player  with  
proven  time  management,  interpersonal,  leadership,  and  problem-­‐solving  skills.  Fluent  
in  English  and  Cantonese  with  conversational  Mandarin  
 -­‐ Condense  the  education  section  so  that  each  degree  just  takes  one  line.  We  don’t  
need  too  many  details  about  this.  
 
-­‐ Under  each  clinical  work  experience  be  sure  to  cite  what  skills  you’ve  gained  as  
opposed  to  just  the  populations  you’ve  worked  with  or  the  duties  you’ve  had.    
 
-­‐ Include  a  continuing  education  section  to  show  that  you  are  highly  motivated  
professionally  (e.g.  PABC  lectures  and  courses  during  student  years)    
 
-­‐ Include  your  volunteer  involvement  –  it  shows  that  you  take  the  time  and  initiative  
to  get  connected  to  the  physio  community  and  to  potential  clients,  while  honing  
your  new  skills.  But  don’t  list  one-­‐day  events  under  separate  points  –  put  them  all  
together  to  show  a  sustained  involvement  in  a  particular  type  of  activity.  Better  yet  
is  to  have  one  long-­‐term  volunteer  involvement    
 
-­‐  We  look  for  CPA/PABC  members;  be  sure  to  include  that    -­‐  it  tells  us  you  are  
connected  to  your  profession  and  have  a  commitment  to  keeping  current  in  your  
practice  
 
-­‐ Include  hobbies,  passions  and  interests  to  convey  your  values  and  personality  
 
 
Sample  attached  
 
Strengths:  
-­‐ Their  favorite  in  terms  of  layout  and  organization  (liked  the  touch  of  colour  too)  
-­‐ A  very  strong  resume  overall  and  definitely  held  their  attention  
Weaknesses  
-­‐ Should  include  a  profile  section  at  the  beginning  to  highlight  her  unique  attributes  
and  experience  (drawing  together  her  pilates,  dance  and  kinesiology  experiences-­‐  
these  are  things  that  will  help  her  stand  out  above  other  new  grads)  
-­‐ Should  change  the  point  under  each  clinical  education  section  so  that  it  is  more  
oriented  towards  what  she  learned  or  what  skills  she  gained