Before you get a travel sterile processing tech contract, you need to first apply! Your resume is the first thing a recruiter or hiring manager sees, it’s their first impression of you. They say don’t judge a book by it’s cover, but people do judge you by your resume! You want to ensure your sterile processing technician resume highlights your experience, certifications, and education. Below are some tips to creating a resume that will get you that next travel contract!
How Long Should A Travel Sterile Processing Tech Resume Be?
Usually a sterile processing tech resume is 1-3 pages long depending on experience. For example, if you have multiple 13-week travel contracts throughout the year, your experience section will be longer than that of a SPT who worked at the same facility for the last decade. Hiring managers want to be able to scan your resume. According to HR Drive on average, a hiring manager will only look at your resume for 7.4 seconds! To prepare for that You should delete any fluff and make your resume as concise and easy to read as possible.
Sections to Include in Your Resume
When creating your resume for a travel allied contract, you will want to include these key sections below to ensure you are covering the bases of what a hiring manager will be looking for in a candidate.
- Contact Information
- Experience
- Education
- Certifications
- Skills
- Awards/Recognitions
- References
Contact Information
This is the first bit of information the account manager will scan for. You want your first and last name at the top of your resume with your certification and license number. Also provide a phone number and email that you check regularly. Listing your permanent city and state gives the recruiter an idea where you want to travel. If you are open to traveling, you can say “Willing to Relocate: Anywhere”.
Experience
Your experience as a sterile processing technician should be listed in your resume in chronological order. The most recent position should show up on the page first. Hiring managers want to see the month and year of your start and end date with each position. They also want to see what trauma level the hospital was. All these pieces help the hiring manager get a snapshot of your overall experience and if you are a good fit for the position.
In the travel allied world, you need at least one year of experience within the last two years to fill open positions. If you have experience as a travel sterile processing tech, that is what recruiters and hiring managers want to see on your resume! Make it a habit to update your resume after each assignment.
Education
This section is short and sweet. List your high school and secondary education. Remember to always include your start and end date with the month and year.
Certifications
You’ll want to list any relevant certifications you have in your sterile processing tech resume. Most hospitals require a specific certification from an accredited institution. A hiring manager will look for one of these two certifications from HSPA and CBSPD:
- Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST)
- Certified Sterile Processing and Distribution Technician (CSPDT)
Other certifications that are nice to have before beginning your sterile processing travel contract are:
- Basic Life Support (BLS)
Skills
When you are a traveling sterile processing tech, you may notice many hospitals require a skills checklist. This includes your proficiency with specific software, on-the-job skills, and other expertise in the field. Some of these skills include:
- Decontamination Techniques
- Types of Sterilizers/ Equipment
- Decontamination Chemicals
- Decontamination Activities
- Assembly Activities
- Sterilization Activities
- Storage
- Distribution of Supplies and Equipment
- Tray Set-Up
- Disposal Methods
- Knowledge of Instruments
- Isolation and Infection Prevention
You can get a head start on the skills checklist by including some examples of these skills in your resume. An example of this is below:
- Experience with heat sensitive, immersible, mechanical, non-heat sensitive, and non-immersible decontamination techniques
- Work experience with gas, plasma, ultrasonic, washer/decontaminator, and washer/sterilizer equipment
- Tray set-up for general surgery, trauma, neuro surgery, orthopedic surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, and urology, etc.
- Experience with chemical concentrations, chemical pH, chemical level of disinfection, detergents, disinfectants, enzymatic, etc.
Awards and Recognitions
Time to toot your horn. List any awards are recognitions given by your hospital. A few examples of sterile processing awards are the Golden Slipper for Service Excellence Award and the SPD Quality Award.
References
References are important to both agency recruiters and hiring managers at hospitals. These are used to gain insight into a candidate from someone who has already worked with them. Try to include three authority figures from recent positions. This may be a manager, supervisor, shift lead, or director. Include their first and last name, job title, facility name, email, and phone number. Pro Tip: give these individuals a heads up that you are using them as references and that someone may be calling them about a new job opportunity for you. This way they will be prepared and won’t be caught off guard when they get a call from someone inquiring about you.
Sterile Processing Tech Resume Example
Following these resume tips will help put your resume ahead of others applicants! At PRN Healthcare, we help our sterile processing techs apply for local and travel contracts. One step to this process is building a resume for them focused on getting them hired at certain hospital systems. Check out our open positions we have nationwide!
