SLP Resume Tips That Will Set You Apart

If you’re a veteran of the field or a soon-to-be graduate, having a top-notch resume goes a long way in securing your next job. Here are some helpful tips and resources to strengthen your resume and highlight your unique skills and experience.

getting started: the SLP Resume

One resource I found helpful when building my first resume was a course by Ross Stonefield, M.S., CCC-SLP from the Florida Speech and Hearing Association (FLASHA) Conference in 2013. Ross’s presentation on building a resume, drafting a cover letter, and preparing for the interview was perfect for the graduate student about to enter the workforce!

Here is a condensed version of Ross’s Resume Checklist:

Does your resume contain:

Contact information
- name, address, phone number, email
Objective
- A clear, concise statement indicating the specific position for which you are applying.
Education
- List in reverse chronological order. Include degree, name of institution, location, and month/year degree obtained (or anticipated date).
Licenses/certifications
- Include all states with license number or “pending/in process.” Board Certified Specialists (BCS) can be reported here as well as other certifications (CNT: Certified Neonatal Therapist, CLT: Certified Lymphedema Therapist, etc.)
Clinical/work experience
- List in reverse chronological order. Include name of facility, location, your title, dates, and specific responsibilities/accomplishments with bullets. This is your chance to shine! So highlight the areas that demonstrate your leadership, your initiative, your teamwork, and the value you added to the department/hospital/region.
Volunteer experience
- Format same as clinical/work experience. Limit list to relevant examples for the desired job. For example, if you are applying to a hospital, it’s not relevant to list the time you spent volunteering at a non-profit day care. Unless you spent that time doing hearing screenings and providing health education to parents on auditory wellness for pediatric ears. Important to note that if this was set up by your university, it’s not volunteer experience but clinical experience. If you proactively found this opportunity and did it in addition to your school/work obligations, then it is volunteer experience (and did not count as time towards your 450 clinical hours).
Research
- Include title of research project
Presentations
- State name of the event, location, date of presentation, title of presentation.
Associations
- Ex: NSSLHA, state associations, ANCDS, Aphasia Access, etc. Include any leadership roles.
Honors/awards
- List graduate assistantships, fellowships, scholarships, honors, recognitions.
Additional skills
- List skills that would be beneficial to your employer or the role you seek to fill (Ex: CPR, professional outreach, etc.)
References: “Available upon request”
- Unless specifically requested, don’t include names on the resume. Prepare a separate page for list of references with contact information.

“Don’t have anything to enter for Presentations, Volunteer experience, Associations, or Research?
Pick one area and make a goal to add to that section each year!
You can join an association. You can partner with professors on research projects! You can present at work, state associations, and local support groups for Alzheimer’s, Stroke, TBI, Parkinson’s Disease, etc.
Pick one section a year and commit to enhancing your professional development and as a result, your resume.”

— leigh ann

Tips for resume excellence

resume Format: consistency is key

Consistent punctuation, verb tenses, font, font size, and format matter a great deal.
Avoid passive statements. Change “I ensured the monthly continuing education lectures were coordinated for the rehab department” to “I coordinated the monthly continuing education lectures for the rehab department.”
Eliminate pronouns. Simplify by starting sentences with the verb. Change “I coordinated…” to “Coordinated….”
Eliminate articles a, an, and the. Simplify: “Coordinated the monthly continuing education lectures for the rehab department” to “Coordinated monthly continuing education lectures for rehab department.”

content

Highlight experiences and projects that show initiative, adding value to a role, leadership, and teamwork.
Do not exaggerate your accomplishments. When it is uncovered (and that is when, not if), it will not end well.

The proofing process

Have a non-SLP read your resume for comprehension. HR and most hiring managers are not SLPs and may not understand jargon, acronyms, or be impressed by certain achievements (without a succinct explanation).
Have multiple people review your resume for spelling, grammar, and readability. Don’t rely on spell check alone!
Tell your proofreader exactly what you want them to do: “I’m looking for feedback on spelling and grammar only.” Or “In addition to pointing out spelling errors, please let me know if something isn’t clear in my description of job duties.”

the Submission process

Pay extra close attention to the job listing and instructions to submit an application/resume. For example, they may ask for a one-page resume. If you submit a two-page resume, it is highly likely they will immediately discard it. Details matter! Again, pay close attention to instructions when submitting your application/resume.
Many companies are moving towards digital applications and will ask you to enter your work history, license info, and more in separate fields on a web browser. Consider having a “format-free” (plain text) resume to copy and paste this information into the online application software.
Even though companies have digital application processes, they may still ask for you to upload your resume. If allowed (check the instructions!), upload a PDF version to avoid formatting errors.

your resume on the day of your interview

Bring a printed copy of your resume to the interview. Offer it to the HR rep or hiring manager when introducing yourself. “Hi! My name is Leigh Ann Porter. I am applying for the full-time acute care SLP position. Here is a copy of my current resume. Thanks for meeting with me.”
Bonus points if you have been able to add to your resume since you submitted it for the job. “Since I completed the online application, I have presented at the local Parkinson’s Support Group on the topic of Dysphagia Management and joined the Kansas Speech-Language-Hearing Association, KSHA. Here is my updated resume to reflect those additions.”

“Bottom line: your resume should reflect who you are as a person and employee and how you will fit in with that company. So each resume you send to a company should be personalized for that company. ”

— Leigh Ann