Learn about the important requirements, skills, and keywords that should be included in a respiratory therapist resume.
If you are passionate about helping patients breathe better, you need a well-crafted respiratory therapist resume. We’ll help you create a compelling account of your career that will impress any doctor reading it. That way, you get invited to interview for your dream job.
Not keen on the idea of taking on the task yourself? No problem! Contact one of our preferred picks for the best resume writing service for assistance. After you’re satisfied with your resume, you can start applying for new roles on ZipRecruiter.
Respiratory Therapist Resume Example
Before you start writing, take a look at this respiratory therapist resume example for guidance:
Basil Nasal, RRT
(555) 212-3456
Tallahassee, FL
Registered respiratory therapist with 11 years of experience working in a 250-bed nursing home. Serve a caseload of 10 patients per shift and run more than 40 diagnostic tests per week. Maintain a 98% patient satisfaction rating.
Work Experience
Senior Respiratory Therapist, 2012-Present
Shady Pines Retirement Home
- Examine, diagnose, and treat elderly patients in a 250-bed nursing home
- See 10 patients per shift
- Run 40+ diagnostic tests per week
- Achieved (and have maintained) a 98% patient satisfaction rating
- Mentor junior respiratory therapists
Education and Licensure
Registered Respiratory Therapist, 2012
American Association for Respiratory Care
Associate in Respiratory Care, 2010
ABC College
Skills
- Lung capacity assessments
- Respiratory rehabilitation
- Life support equipment
- Chest X-rays
- Plan of care
- Patient education
- Aerosol-based medication administration
- Artificial airway management
- Chest physiotherapy
- Vital sign assessment
What Is Unique About A Respiratory Therapist Resume?
If you look at it quickly, a respiratory therapist resume looks similar to other kinds of resumes. The general formatting and the types of information included appear the same. But this resume gets written specifically to earn interviews with professionals hiring for this particular role.
What Should Be Included On A Respiratory Therapist Resume?
Join The Break Community
Your respiratory resume should include these sections in this sequence:
Contact Information
Before discussing your professional accolades, you must make it easy for a recruiter or hiring manager to contact you. Write your full name, cell phone number, professional-looking email address, and the city and state where you want to practice respiratory therapy.
Resume Summary or Resume Objective
The following section should be a few lines about why you’re the best candidate for the role. If you’re an experienced respiratory therapist, write a resume summary detailing your top professional achievements. But if you’re pursuing your first role post-graduation, write a resume objective explaining how your education and experience to date have prepared you for the job.
Work Experience
List the relevant roles you’ve filled in reverse chronological order. Each listing should contain your job title, your employer's name, and the dates you held the position. Below that, write three to five bullet points that capture your main contributions to the organization.
Bullet points should follow this format: Skill used (written as a verb) + impact achieved (written as measurable results). By using this simple template, resume readers will see what you’ve done for previous employers — and, more importantly, what you can do for your next one.
Education, Certifications, and Licenses
In this section, list all your profession-related degrees, certifications, and licenses in reverse chronological order. For each listing, you should include the name of the credential, the governing body that granted it, and the year you earned it.
If you’re a recent grad, it’s wise to supplement this information with details about relevant internships, coursework, and activities. But if you’ve worked in the field before, you can keep it short and sweet.
Pro Tip: Write an abbreviation of your credentials after your full name at the top of the document. For example, Registered Respiratory Therapist would be RRT.
Skills
Before writing this section, you should re-read the job description for your desired role. Then, include the skills it references on your resume (if you possess them). That way, your document has the best chance of getting past the applicant tracking system (ATS) filters and impressing the human reader.
Other Sections
If you’ve conveyed everything your next potential employer should know about you, that’s great. You’re done! But if you speak other languages, belong to a professional association, or you’ve done related volunteer work, here’s the place to talk about it.
What Should Be Left Off A Respiratory Therapist Resume?
The recruiter or doctor reviewing your resume will likely decide on your candidacy in just a few seconds. That means every word on the document needs to convince them to interview you. If a piece of information doesn’t help to accomplish that goal, you must omit it. For example, if you’re applying for your second (or more) respiratory therapist position, there’s no need to include details about your college job as a restaurant server.
Important Job Skills For Respiratory Therapists
As a respiratory therapist, you need many competencies to be successful in the role. Here are some of the skills to include on your resume:
Hard Skills
- Lung capacity assessments
- Respiratory rehabilitation
- Life support equipment
- Ventilation system management
- Chest X-rays
- Plan of care
- Patient education
- Patient interviews
- Patient examination
- Patient diagnosis
- Patient treatment
- Patient progress documentation
- Medical file maintenance
- Physician consultations
- Aerosol-based medication administration
- Artificial airway management
- Chest physiotherapy
- Vital sign assessment
- Blood gas analysis
- Cardiopulmonary disorders
- Breathing issues
- Lung disease
- Underdeveloped lungs
Soft Skills
- Leadership
- Mentorship
- Interpersonal
- Bedside manner
- Teamwork
- Conflict resolution
- Compassion
- Patience
- Communication
- Problem-solving
- Time management
- Stamina
- Tech-savvy
Pro Tip: Ten is an ideal number of skills to list on your resume. If you write more than that, you risk overwhelming your reader with a word soup. But if you include fewer competencies, the recruiter or hiring manager may not think you’re skilled enough for the position.
The Bottom Line
It’s time to write your respiratory therapist resume. Are you up to the task? We bet you can handle it!
But if you’re still hesitant, hire one of the best resume writing services to ensure your resume gets done right. Then, visit ZipRecruiter to search and apply for your next career opportunity.
