As a travel allied health or nursing professional, you have lots of skills that you can highlight on your resume. You may have certification in a specialized area, management experience, or additional education that makes you stand out from the pack.
These are all considered your hard skills. While these skills are essential to employers, they are not the only determining factor of landing an interview. Soft skills are another piece to the puzzle which should be listed prominently on your resume. Consider these examples of soft skills and how to present them on your resume to bring you closer to your dream travel therapy or travel nursing career.
Soft Skills vs. Hard Skills
Soft skills are personal attributes that display your personality and demonstrate essential behaviors in the workplace. Soft skills include how you interact and relate to other people, while hard skills are considered skills that demonstrate knowledge, such as an understanding of EMR technologies. Soft skills can be challenging to teach; therefore, employers put value into employees who already exhibit a range of soft skills from the start.
Soft Skills for Nurses and Therapists
Communication
The ability to communicate effectively is fundamental for both the interview process and while joining your new position. Communication involves active listening and the ability to provide constructive criticism without creating conflict. If a conflict arises, resolving the dispute is another form of valued communication and is a great soft skill to identify when applying for a leadership position. Communication skills refer to how you talk with patients and colleagues in the allied health and nursing fields. Communication is demonstrated in both verbal and nonverbal forms, and the ability to understand both is something that employers value.
Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is crucial in the healthcare field. If you want your resume to stand out, listing your critical thinking and analysis skills will certainly help. Critical thinking embodies many details and requires you to analyze situations and make informed decisions based on your knowledge. At its core, critical thinking means you can understand problems when they occur and problem-solve to find the best solution. Critical thinking also requires using logic, resourcefulness, and thinking outside of the box. This soft skill is essential to both travel nursing and travel therapy professionals as these careers often involve unexpected circumstances that need efficient and prompt resolutions.
Leadership
You may be revising your resume to reflect skills that will assist you in finding a new position in a leadership role. Leadership is considered a soft skill and one that employers are expecting to see if you are looking to manage employees. Communication skills play a role in leadership as well, especially when conflict needs resolving. Leaders must be able to handle difficult conversations, manage teams and timelines, and host impactful meetings. They are the employees that are making sure questions are answered, needs are met, information is properly shared. Leadership also requires you to provide constructive criticism when necessary and offer feedback that colleagues can apply. Motivating and coaching are also part of leadership skills when working in the healthcare field.
Positivity
Sharing your soft skill of positivity can go a long way when creating your resume. Employers are always seeking staff that brings positivity to their teams. Plus, this is a soft skill that is challenging to teach. Friendliness and eagerness are important in the workplace, especially when bedside manner is in play. This soft skill is particularly important in demanding workplaces like hospitals and clinics, as these environments can be fast paced with high stress. Patience, honesty, and respect also tie into a positive attitude and are all upstanding qualities to present on your resume. Bringing a good vibe to the workplace in your resume and interview is ultimately what every employer desires, and it will help you maintain a healthy work-life balance, too!
Teamwork
Working for the good of the team and the patients is considered teamwork. This soft skill is another one that employees are always seeking out when searching through resumes. There is a level of emotional intelligence with the capability of collaboration that allows you to understand how to work with individuals and how you accept and give feedback. Teamwork embodies several aspects, including awareness of both self and others, the ability to juggle tasks and adjust priorities, and the critical thinking skills mentioned above to sort through difficult situations. Overall, teamwork skills show that you have excellent social and collaborative skills and the ability to persuade or win people over.
Work Ethic
Last but not least, every employer wants to hire a staff of professionals with a strong work ethic. This skill shows that you can follow through on what you commit to and do so promptly with quality work. Work ethic focuses on following instructions and budgeting time. Having this skill takes a level of dedication to your job and to the tasks required of you, including staying on task and meeting deadlines. This dedication and follow-through shows that you can form a positive relationship and level of trust with your employer or future employer. Listing your work ethic skills on your resume reveals you’re able to commit and be a dependable employee.
It only takes a few moments for a new employer to glance at your resume, and while hard skills are essential, when soft skills are left out, it can be detrimental to your job search. Soft skills are more about your personality and how you interact with others. Employers are always looking for an employee for a travel RN or travel PT position that can be trusted and bring positivity to the work environment. Listing and portraying your best soft skills on your resume and throughout your interviews are a great way to land your perfect travel job!
Need help revising your resume and finding your next career move? Contact Core’s expert recruiters today!