EMT/Paramedic Resume: Skills, Examples and Job Description

From maintaining your ambulance in tip-top condition, to responding to 10-33s, to providing urgent medical care en route, you’re an everyday hero.

Here’s the thing— 

The medical director isn’t yet aware of how awesome you’d be.

You need an effective EMT resume that gets their heart beating fast with excitement (but just short of atrial tachycardia).

It’s not tough at all.

In this guide:

• The best EMT resume example to get those emergency response jobs.
• How to tailor an EMT resume to the emergency medical technician job description.
• How to write resumes for EMT positions that score medical job interviews.
• Expert tips on how to write a job description and skills on a resume for a paramedic.

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Before we start, here are a few other resume examples similar to EMT jobs: 

• Case Manager Resume Examples
• CNA Resume Examples
• Dentist Resume Examples
• Doctor Resume Examples
• Emergency Room Nurse Resume Examples
• Firefighter Resume Examples
• Healthcare Resume Examples
• Home Health Aide Resume Examples
• LPN Resume Examples
• Massage Therapist Resume Examples
• Medical Assistant Resume Examples
• Medical Resume Examples
• Medical School Resume Examples
• Medical Scribe Resume Examples
• Medical Student Resume Examples
• Nurse Manager Resume Examples
• Nursing Resume Examples
• Nursing Student Resume Examples
• Occupational Therapy Resume Examples
• Pharmacist Resume Examples
• Phlebotomist Resume Examples
• Physician Assistant Resume Examples
• Veterinarian Resume Examples

Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our Professional Resume Examples.

Now— 

EMT Resume Example You Can Copy and Use

This is how to write an EMT resume for yourself:

1. Format the EMT Resume for Perfection

Want to deliver an EMT job application with no adverse side effects?

Then your resume must be formatted as neatly and orderly as you organize your ambulance equipment.

That being said—

This is how to format a resume for EMT:

• Go in reverse-chronological order for dated entries, such as your job history and education sections.
• Pick a resume font that causes no confusion and is easy to read.
• Leave a border of an inch around all sides of your paramedic resume.
• Choose only appropriate resume sections. If it doesn’t improve your chances at scoring an EMT job interview, leave it off. 

Expert Hint: Save resumes in PDF format. EMT resumes saved as an MS Word doc may display incorrectly on some devices, but PDFs look perfect almost anywhere.

2. Start with an Paramedic Resume Objective or Summary

You know the ABCs of medicine, and it’s crystal clear which step goes first.

A paramedic resume is similar.

Before you can get to the B and the C of it all, you’ll have to take care of the A— 

A compelling EMT resume heading statement.

This introductory paragraph comes in two forms, either an objective or summary. 

Which one is right for you?

Use the career summary statement when you’re an EMT-P, AEMT, or EMT-I. 

The summary paragraph is perfect for experienced EMT resumes. It impresses the medical director with your past work experience, array of emergency skills, and professional background. To top it off, the summary adds a numbered accomplishment for verification.

Here’s how to write a paramedic resume summary:

EMT / Paramedic Resume Summary Example

That bad example will see your EMT career go up in smoke as if it went through a nebulizer.

The good example, on the other hand, is in the pink of health— 

First, it’s personalized to a specific job. Then, it gives detailed descriptions of your certifications and skills. Finally, it throws in a numbered achievement to help them understand your level of medical mastery.

But— 

What if you’re a newbie, like an EMT-B or Emergency Medical Responder (EMR)?

Use the career objective statement. 

The objective is perfect for those without experience. Rather than listing your EMT background, it impresses the employer with relevant skills and a passionate statement on your career goals. This, too, should include a numbered win to keep your job application in stable condition.

Here are two sample EMT resume objective paragraphs to ponder:

Entry-Level EMT Resume Objective Examples

Like the previous set of examples, a good EMT resume objective includes relevant details, impressive skills, and a quantifiable achievement for the trifecta. 

Resumes need details about outcomes, not just activities. If a resume only has roles and activities with very few outcomes and achievements, it gets overlooked for other candidates’ resumes, regardless of their experiences.

Expert Hint: Writer’s block keeping you from coming up with these opening sentences? Write it at the end. Many people find that completing the other paramedic resume sections first inspires what they’ll write in the introductory paragraph.

3. Create a Top-Notch EMT Job Description and Skills Sections

Do you want to deliver an EMT resume that stands out like the blue Star of Life?

It’s time to wow the medical director with an impressive work history section.

How?

Here’s the basic strategy for creating your EMT or paramedic job description:

• Organize each work entry reverse-chronologically, with your current or most recent job at the top.
• For each entry, list your job title, the dates you held that position, the name of the company or fire department, and the city and state.
• Next, give 4–6 bullet points identifying your job duties. Make them as relevant to this particular EMT job as possible.
• Finish it off by including numbered accomplishments just as you had in the heading paragraph. 

Here’s how it looks in practice:

EMT Job Description for Resume Examples

One’s in critical condition, while the other has a clean bill of health.

A good EMT job description resume section, like our first example, gives detailed tasks and assignments. It also adds a measurable feat to elicit a favorable response.

If you have an entry-level resume without experience in EMT work, simply list job duties you performed which are the closest match to what you’ll do as an EMT.

Like AED and CPR, the work history section pairs perfectly with a list of skills for a resume.

Take a look at some essential paramedic and EMT resume skills:

25+ EMT Skills & Paramedic Proficiencies for a Resume

• First Aid & First Response
• Sizing Up Accident Scenes
• HIV/AIDS Training
• Multiple Casualty Incidents
• Effective Communication Skills
• Compassion & Empathy
• Medical Terminology
• Strength & Physical Fitness
• Clean Driving Record
• Good Judgement & Perceptiveness
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
• Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
• Prehospital Life Support
• HeartCode Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS)
• HeartCode Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
• Medication Administration
• Hazardous Materials Awareness
• Anatomy and Physiology
• Accident Victim & Patient Stabilization
• Emergency Medications
• Respiration & Airway Management
• Head, Neck, and Spine Trauma Care
• Incident Command Systems (ICS)
• Artificial Ventilation
• Problem Solving Skills
• Attention to Detail
• Critical Incident Stress Debriefing
• Body Substance Isolation

This is a sample paramedic skills list, but don’t just copy that right into your resume.

They’d appreciate that about as much as a superficial burn.

Rather, head back over to the EMT job offer. Locate the job responsibilities section—that’s where you’ll find the particular resume keywords this EMS or fire company is looking for.

If you are skilled in an area they list, put that on your EMT resume. 

Expert Hint: Employment of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics is expected to increase by 11% (20,700 jobs each year) between 2020 and 2030. To stay ahead of your competition, continue building your medical skills keep current EMT skills up to date.

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4. Turn Your Education Section Into a Reason to Hire You

Most EMT or ambulance technician jobs only require a high school diploma or GED to be considered. 

However— 

You still need to document your education on a resume in the appropriate manner. 

Here’s how:

Paramedic Resume Example of Education Section 

Let’s unpack it:

• Add your diploma, degree, major, or certificate name on the first line.
• Next, type in the name of the school and the city and state it’s located in.
• Follow that with the year of the program’s completion.
• To make it more effective, include relevant classwork, academic achievements, etc.

If you’ve completed a degree, leave your high school diploma off your resume. If you’re still working on it, add the diploma below as a secondary entry.

Expert Hint: Writing an EMT resume with no experience? For an entry-level EMT resume, place the education section over your work history. The medical director should always read your most impressive and relevant resume items first.

5. Complete Your Emergency Medical Technician Resume With Auxiliary Sections

You’ve built up a solid EMT resume now—but so have dozens of other candidates.

How to surpass them to get that interview? 

Like donning an oxygen mask, you can breathe easier by including a few additional EMT resume sections to stand out from the other applicants.

Here are a few of our favorite extra sections to include on EMT and paramedic resumes:

Certifications & Licenses

• EMT-Basic
• EMT-Intermediate
• EMT-Paramedic
• Valid Driver’s License
• California Ambulance Driver Certificate (DL 61)
• HIV/AIDS Training — 7-Hour Certification
• CPR and BLS Certification
• Emergency Vehicle Operator Course (EVOC) Certificate

Some states require a special driver’s license for you to be permitted to operate an ambulance, so add that on your EMT resume if it’s relevant and if you have it.

EMT Association Memberships

• National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT)
• American Trauma Society (ATS)
• National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO)
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration- EMS (NHTSA-EMS)

Associated Interests

• Physical Fitness / Sports
• Attending Medical Conferences

Foreign Language Proficiency

• Western Punjabi: Native Proficiency
• Tamil: Professional Working Proficiency
• Bhojpuri: Intermediate Proficiency
• German: Basic Conversational Proficiency

Expert Hint: Always attach a cover letter for EMT jobs, as it’s the best extra section you could include. An EMT cover letter gives you the freedom to show your passion for helping people, enthusiasm for this job offer, or it can help explain away an employment gap. 

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Some cover letter examples that may be useful to you:

• Federal Cover Letter Example

Key Points

Here’s how to write a resume for paramedic jobs:

• Keep your EMT resume structured with the right formatting.
• Begin at the top with a resume summary or objective paragraph that makes the medical director excited to read further.
• Include detailed descriptions of your previous work history and the associated job responsibilities.
• Use numbers when talking up achievements to make them more effective.
• Add a list of paramedic skills and EMT abilities to showcase your medical talents.
• Document your educational background with relevant coursework, Latin honors, or other pertinent information.
• Append additional sections to round out your emergency medical technician resume.
• Don’t forget to include a paramedic cover letter before sending off your application.

Need help adding an EMT certification on resumes or coming up with achievements? Are you struggling with completing a paramedic job description for resumes? Let’s talk about it down there in the comment section, and thanks for reading!