Health promoter skills for your resume and career

The most important thing I push students to do on their resumes is to quantify the employment and academic experiences they do have. While many UG students don't have any real tangible healthcare experience yet, many of them have held various summer and part-time jobs where they can demonstrate time management, employment responsibilities, etc. We also strongly encourage our students to attain a meaningful internship to provide them with a bridge between their academic preparation and an applied setting. I also encourage them to highlight the skills they possess with respect to the use of technology, software training, student club leadership, fundraising, etc.

Many of our students are very involved in THON, which is the largest student-run philanthropic program in the country, raising more than $10 million dollars for pediatric cancer at the Children's Hospital of Penn State Hershey Medical Center every year. Lastly, I encourage them to become involved in a professional association such as the American College of Healthcare Executives, Medical Group Management Association, Society for Human Resources Management, or whatever association best fits their career goals. That is clearly an indication for future employers of a student's passion and interest in their field of interest, as well as incredible networking opportunities. While none of those things will erase the experience many employers seek, it at least closes the gap a bit in many cases.