- What should your EMT resume include?
- How can you create a professional summary?
- How should you describe your work experience as an EMT?
- Include a fitting EMT resume education and certifications section
- Which key skills are relevant for an EMT resume?
- How to select the most impactful EMT resume template
- Key takeaways for writing an EMT resume
As an emergency medical technician (EMT), you provide lifesaving care to patients in accidents and emergency situations. Your resume needs to show a hiring manager that you have the right skills for this vital role. Not sure what information to highlight on your resume? We’ve provided this guide and resume example to offer some help.
In this article, we’ll discuss:
What your EMT resume should include
How to write about your experience, training, and certifications
The skills to include to optimize your resume
How to choose the proper resume template
What should your EMT resume include?
EMTs respond to medical calls and accidents to provide emergency care. Your resume should explain why you’re qualified to provide this care. Include details about your medical experience and relevant qualifications, such as your knowledge of emergency interventions and your crisis management skills.
There are some key sections to include on an EMT resume. These elements are:
A resume header with your contact information
A resume summary
An employment history section
An education section
A resume skills section
How can you create a professional summary?
A professional summary introduces you to the hiring manager reviewing your resume. It’s in a prime location at the top of your resume, so it needs to highlight your top qualifications. Consider what you can include in your summary to stand apart from other candidates. For example, you might mention an ambulance driver certification or an advanced skill, such as intravenous medications.
Compassionate and dedicated professional with training and successful background in providing emergency care to patients in variety of critical, life-threatening, and dangerous situations.
Expert Tip
Use bullet points for readability
To make it easy for a hiring manager to see your top qualifications, format your summary as a bulleted list, like we’ve done in the example. In each bullet point, highlight a unique skill, attribute, or career achievement to make your experience stand out.
How should you describe your work experience as an EMT?
An employer will want to know about the relevant medical experience you have, so provide these details in your work experience section. Show how your past experience has prepared you to perform emergency care in high-pressure situations.
Include your work history in reverse-chronological order. Provide your job title, employer’s name, and dates of employment. Craft bullet points to outline your relevant job duties and achievements in each role.
It’s difficult for EMTs to quantify their achievements, so focus on your special skills and attributes instead. You can also note the ways you’ve gone above and beyond to perform your duties, as we do in the example resume. Here’s another example of a skills-focused bullet point:
Delivered compassionate, patient-focused care, using bilingual skills to provide resources and answer questions for patients in both English and Spanish.
Emergency Medical Services Instructor at Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa, CA 2016 - Present
Provide instruction and training to future Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs).
Establish clear objectives and create daily lesson plans to educate students on EMT/EMS procedures and equipment, including Emergency Medical Responder (EMR), and conduct adult/child AED and CPR training.
Deliver specific testing/classroom instruction to draw students into learning environment.
Administer, grade, and record exams, homework, and projects.
Provided technical expertise and “hands-on” student training on all EMT/EMS filed equipment, including rarely-used but critical life-saving equipment.
Researched and instructed students on new emerging technologies and medical procedures to build knowledge of current healthcare methodologies and practices.
ER Radiology Patient Transport Specialist at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, Newport Beach, CA 2015 - 2016
Provided ER patient support to emergency medical staff, nurses, surgeons, and doctors, transporting patients safely to/from ER to operating rooms and X-ray/Imaging facilities.
Managed equipment and facilitated Radiology Techs in completing CT, MRI, X-ray, Nuclear Med, Angio, and Ultrasound procedures.
Utilized current and past EMT training to guide nursing staff in assessing patient conditions/scenarios, recognizing life-threatening symptoms, and treating patients as per hospital standards.
Trained and mentored new ER Radiology Transporter/ER Admit Transporter employees.
Emergency Medical Technician / Ambulance Operator at Care Ambulance, Los Angeles/Orange County, CA 2006 - 2015
Delivered high-level emergency treatment and urgent patient care in a variety of critical/life-threatening situations on a daily basis.
Managed crises, assessed patient injuries, administered emergency medical care, and transported injured/sick patients to medical facilities.
Forged and sustained positive relations with police, sheriffs, firefighters, nurses, and 911 personnel.
Documented details of every call. Managed vehicle/communication equipment and replenished medical/first aid equipment and supplies.
Utilized variety of emergency equipment to perform emergency diagnostics and stabilize patients during transport to hospital or other medical facility.
What can you do without any relevant experience?
If you’ve recently completed an EMT program, you might wonder how to convey your qualifications without having prior work experience. In this case, list other experiences you’ve had, such as an internship or volunteer work. You can also mention the training or ride-alongs you completed as a student in an ambulance or hospital setting.
Include a fitting EMT resume education and certifications section
To work as an EMT, you need to complete a program and earn a license. In your education section, you can show employers you have the necessary academic qualifications to work in this position.
Here are some general guidelines to keep in mind:
Keep it simple. Provide the basic details about your education, including the name of the program you completed and the school.
List your education in reverse order. Include your highest degree first. List your certifications below your degree.
Include your certifications. Mention all the relevant certifications you have, starting with your certification from the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT). Also include your other medical certifications, such as CPR and Basic Life Support.
Associate of Science in Biology at Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa, CA
National Registry EMT Certification | CPR Instructor | CPR / BLS / AED
Which key skills are relevant for an EMT resume?
Along with your experience, a hiring manager will want to know about the skills you can bring to the position. Keep this section focused on your hard skills and technical proficiencies, such as your familiarity with patient charts and your ability to operate field equipment.
It’s also a good idea to read the job description again to make sure you’re including skills an employer has specifically requested. Many companies use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to screen and rank resumes based on keywords. By including some words from the job description on your resume, you can optimize your resume for the ATS. (If you want more information about using keywords, check out our article on resume ATS optimization.)
Some common EMT skills for a resume include:
Emergency care
Triage
Medical charts
Emergency equipment
Airway management
Ambulance driving
Medication administration
CPR Certified
AED
Coordinate with healthcare team
Assessing service requirements
Chart medical issues
Implement patient care plans
Resource to patients and families
Explaining doctor instructions regarding medications
Bilingual in English/Spanish.
How to select the most impactful EMT resume template
You want to impress a hiring manager with your qualifications, so you can keep your resume simple. Use a clean, professional format with neutral colors and fonts. Label each section clearly in a bold font so an employer can easily review your skills, training, and experience.
Unless you have many years of experience as an EMT, keep your resume to one page. Be concise when describing your duties and achievements. Remember, a resume should inspire a hiring manager to contact you for an interview, where you can provide more details about your skills and qualifications.
You can find a variety of professional templates in our resume builder, which you can use to craft your EMT resume in minutes. You can also check out over 100 resume examples we have available for some additional advice.
Summary example
Compassionate and dedicated professional with training and successful background in providing emergency care to patients in variety of critical, life-threatening, and dangerous situations.
Employment history example
Emergency Medical Services Instructor at Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa, CA 2016 - Present
Provide instruction and training to future Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs).
Establish clear objectives and create daily lesson plans to educate students on EMT/EMS procedures and equipment, including Emergency Medical Responder (EMR), and conduct adult/child AED and CPR training.
Deliver specific testing/classroom instruction to draw students into learning environment.
Administer, grade, and record exams, homework, and projects.
Provided technical expertise and “hands-on” student training on all EMT/EMS filed equipment, including rarely-used but critical life-saving equipment.
Researched and instructed students on new emerging technologies and medical procedures to build knowledge of current healthcare methodologies and practices.
ER Radiology Patient Transport Specialist at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, Newport Beach, CA 2015 - 2016
Provided ER patient support to emergency medical staff, nurses, surgeons, and doctors, transporting patients safely to/from ER to operating rooms and X-ray/Imaging facilities.
Managed equipment and facilitated Radiology Techs in completing CT, MRI, X-ray, Nuclear Med, Angio, and Ultrasound procedures.
Utilized current and past EMT training to guide nursing staff in assessing patient conditions/scenarios, recognizing life-threatening symptoms, and treating patients as per hospital standards.
Trained and mentored new ER Radiology Transporter/ER Admit Transporter employees.
Emergency Medical Technician / Ambulance Operator at Care Ambulance, Los Angeles/Orange County, CA 2006 - 2015
Delivered high-level emergency treatment and urgent patient care in a variety of critical/life-threatening situations on a daily basis.
Managed crises, assessed patient injuries, administered emergency medical care, and transported injured/sick patients to medical facilities.
Forged and sustained positive relations with police, sheriffs, firefighters, nurses, and 911 personnel.
Documented details of every call. Managed vehicle/communication equipment and replenished medical/first aid equipment and supplies.
Utilized variety of emergency equipment to perform emergency diagnostics and stabilize patients during transport to hospital or other medical facility.
Education example
Associate of Science in Biology at Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa, CA
National Registry EMT Certification | CPR Instructor | CPR / BLS / AED
Skills example
CPR Certified
AED
Coordinate with healthcare team
Assessing service requirements
Chart medical issues
Implement patient care plans
Resource to patients and families
Explaining doctor instructions regarding medications
Bilingual in English/Spanish.
Key takeaways for writing an EMT resume
An EMT resume should emphasize your medical training and experience, relevant certifications, and technical skills.
Focus on the outcomes of your work and the ways you’ve gone above and beyond as an EMT.
Review the job description to include keywords so you can optimize your resume for the ATS.
Keep the format of your resume simple, so a hiring manager can focus on your skills and experience.
