Why a good resume is essential when applying for a new radiology tech (RT) job

A well-executed and effective resume is important for securing a position as a rad tech. Your resume is your first introduction to a new employer and is a tool to showcase your professional qualifications, skills, and experience. A compelling resume is your initial point of contact with a new employer, and it should be written to make a lasting impression.

Your resume should be detailed, yet concise, and should highlight your associate’s degree in radiologic technology, additional education, specialized training or certification. It should demonstrate your proficiency in radiography and to differentiate you from other candidates.

We will provide a few important tips and an example of a template resume to help improve your resume/CV and secure a surgical tech job interview.

How long should the radiology tech job resume be and what information should be included?

You should provide enough information to showcase your qualifications, skills, and experience, but a resume should be around one page. It’s important to prioritize your content over the length.

Your resume should include contact information, resume summary or objective, education, certification, clinical experience, skills, professional membership, continuing education, and any honors and awards.

Points that need to be included in a Radiology Technician resume

Contact Information: Include your full name, professional title, phone number, email address, and LinkedIn profile (if applicable).

Pro Tip: Your name should be highlighted with the biggest text on the page and listed near the top. Your address should only include city and state. The provided email should be an professional email, but not an employer email. (Never use your current job email for a resume.)

Resume Summary or Objective: Provide a brief, targeted statement summarizing your expertise, career goals, and what you offer as a surgical technician.

Education: Include your educational background, including the name of the institution, degree earned, and graduation date. List your education in reverse chronological order with your most recent and highest degrees first. List your associate’s degree and certification.

Pro Tip: If you are a new graduate, you should place the education section above the experience section.

As you gain work experience, shorten the education section. If you have not graduated, you can add “expected graduation date” to the school.

Certifications and Licenses: Specify any relevant certifications including the ARRT and/or CT, MRI, NMT, Ultrasound or Mammography is applicable.

Clinical Experience: Include your work history in reverse chronological order. For each position, include the name of the hospital or clinic, location, and dates of employment. Highlight any specialized procedure or technique you have experience with.

This is the most important section as a surgical tech. Your professional experience should be presented in bullet points, and a separate section should be created for each relevant previous job. The headline for each previous job experience section should in bold with the addition of the time you were employed. Beneath the company name, the position should be mentioned, and the bulleted points should list the job responsibilities.

Pro Tip: It is important to mention not only the job responsibilities but also the achieved results at that job.

Skills: Outline both your technical and interpersonal skills that are relevant to radiology. Include your proficiencies in relevant technology or subspecialties.

Professional Memberships: List any associations you are a part of including the ASRT.

Awards and Honors: Highlight any special recognition or awards you have received for your contributions to the profession.

Professional Development: Showcase ongoing education and training that you have attended to stay current in the field.

Note: If applicable, mention any languages that you proficient in.

A radiology tech’s resume should highlight a combination of medical, technical, interpersonal, and leadership skills. Here are some important and relevant skills to include:

  • Medical Skills:
    • Knowledge of Anatomy & Physiology to position patients and identify body structures on images.
    • Basic understanding of Pathology to recognize abnormalities or artifacts on the images that may require repositioning or another image.
    • Knowledge and application of ALARA to protect patients and their own self from unnecessary exposure to radiation.
    • Ability to evaluate the condition and change the procedures as needed for limited mobility or trauma patients.
  • Equipment and Skill Proficiency:
    • Demonstrate competency with x-ray, fluoroscopy, CT, MRI and/or mammography as certified.
    • Troubleshoot and/or report equipment malfunctions or repair as indicated.
    • Use imaging systems to store and retrieve images.
    • Familiarity with EMR systems.
    • Accurately position patients for optimal image quality with minimal exposure.
  • Teamwork and Communication Skills:
    • Collaborate with colleagues including doctors, nurses, and other technologists.
    • Clearly explain the procedure to the patients.
    • Provide empathy to the patients when they are in pain or feel anxious.
    • Focus on patient satisfaction and comfort during the procedure.
  • Leadership Skills:
    • Efficiently prioritize cases in a high-volume or emergency location.
    • Assist in training new staff or students as needed.
    • Proactively improve patient care and efficiency.

Pro tip: It is common for a job post to receive hundreds of applications and a resume checking system is often used by recruiters to filter through relevant applications. You should customize your resume to each specific radiology tech job you are applying for. Be sure to emphasize your relevant skills and experience to demonstrate to the employer you understand the requirements of the job and are the best candidate. You need to identify the key phrases in the job description and incorporate them into your resume.

Resume example-template: You can build, view sample resumes, and customize your resume on LiveCareer.

Now that you have the perfect resume, check out our open Radiology Technologist positions here!