How to Write a Surgical Tech Resume
Are you freshly out of surgical tech school? Or maybe you’re a seasoned professional? Either way, this guide on how to write a surgical tech resume will help you step up your game and land more interviews.
Surgeons rely on you to prepare patients and rooms for operations, sterilize and stock equipment, and assist during procedures. As part of the medical staff that performs surgeries, you execute incisions, close sutures, and pass the right tools to surgeons. You are a hero, although not a well-known one, so we know that with a little help you can be done with an easy task such as writing a resume in no time.
You don’t need surgical precision to prepare your resume, but you have to be able to showcase your skills and experience effectively to catch recruiters’ attention. Using a clean and simple resume format is your first step to achieving this.
Appropriate sections, spacing, bullet points, bold and strategically aligned texts are your best friends. These things help you create a document that is comprehensive and fits everything you need in one to two pages. Above all, make sure your surgical tech resume is always easy to read and skim through.
Begin your document with a surgical tech resume summary just under your contact details. This short text briefly presents your key accomplishments and explains what you can bring to prospective companies. It’s also important to learn the best way to present your experience. Many candidates simply list their tasks, but not you. You use our tricks to describe your past roles by achievements with numbers, percentages, and other useful data. You could mention how long you take to complete certain tasks, how many patients you support daily, how many procedures you performed in your last role and so on.
Whether you need to create your first surgical technologist resume or want to start over with your current one, save time and download our resume sample below.
Surgical Tech Resume
Lisa M. Simpson
Springfield, CA 95370 | 555-555-5555 | l.m.simpson@mail.com | linkedin.com/l.m.simpson
Surgical Technologist
Skilled and dedicated professional supporting surgeons, anesthesiologists, and registered nurses in providing effective patient care during surgical procedures. Consistently contributing advanced knowledge and creative problem-solving to function as a valuable assistant and integral member of surgical team. Strive to support the best possible patient outcomes.
Core Competencies
Equipment Sterilization - OR Protocols - Sterile Technique
Calm Under Pressure - Cross-Functional Collaboration - Time Management
Flexibility/Adaptability - Regulatory Compliance - Complex Problem-Solving
Medication Administration - Stress Management - Emergency Response
Professional Experience
Surgical Technologist | Hospital One| Springfield, CA | 20XX to Present
- Prepare operating rooms for surgery, sterilize, and supply appropriate equipment, and prepare patients for surgery, including washing incision sites.
- Pass instruments and other sterile supplies to surgeons and nurses, anticipating patient and surgeon needs to ensure successful operations whenever possible.
- Maintain operating room (OR) sterility, exhibiting diligence and thoroughness to serve as “third hand” to surgeons and surgeon assistants during procedures, helping prepare medications and administer to patients.
- Earned workplace safety award for recovering unaccounted-for sponge before incision suture avoiding patient harm.
Surgical Technologist | Medical Center One| Shelbyville, CA | 20XX to 20XX
- Served as scrub person, circulator, or first assistant as needed. Prepared operating rooms, instruments, equipment, and supplies for surgical procedures.
- Passed instruments and other sterile supplies to surgeons and assistants during surgery. Transported patients to recovery rooms; cleaned and restocked operating rooms.
- Employed sterile technique expertise to maintain safe and therapeutic patient environments while lowering costs and reducing operating room waste.
Education and Credentials
Education
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Psychology Minor | University One, 20XX
Associate of Science in Surgical Technology | Community College One, 20XX
Certifications
Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) | National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting
Tech in Surgery-Certified | National Center for Competency Testing
Certified Operating Room and Surgical Technician (CORST) | National Health Career Association
Membership
Member | Association of Surgical Technologists
Don’t wait any longer to start, you can download the surgical tech resume template here.
As with all healthcare staff, surgical technologists have good employment outlooks for the future. Based on the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) data, the need for these professionals will grow at 6% in the next decade. This means around 9,600 spots will open every year that you could put your resume forward for.
So, which types of facilities have the most opportunities for you to showcase your surgical tech resume skills? BLS statistics show the following organizations provide the highest levels of employment:
- general and surgical hospitals and clinics
- physicians’ offices
- outpatient care centers
- dentists’ offices
- specialty hospitals
In terms of earnings, Monster’s salary data reveals that surgical technologist jobs pay $23.81 per hour on average. However, ultimately, various elements such as education, experience, the type of facility, and location will impact your wage. For instance, specialty hospitals pay the most ($28.45 per hour), followed by colleges and universities ($27.95 per hour) and other ambulatory healthcare services ($27.43).
Regarding location, here are the states in which your surgical technologist resume is more valuable:
The metro areas below in particular have the most demand for surgical tech jobs:
Curious about how your city compares? Just visit Monster’s Salary Calculator and look up your profession and location. This tool also gives you information about possible career advancements and similar job salaries. For example, after a surgical tech role, you could progress into a cardiovascular tech position.
Put Your Surgical Tech Resume to Work on Monster and Find the Right Job for You
Is your surgical technologist resume ready to go under the knife of recruiters and hospital managers? Have Monster’s resume writing services turn your resume into a best-selling tool for your talent. A certified writer will help you craft the perfect resume by picking the right keywords for your desired role and tailoring it to your unique set of skills.