A clear and well-formatted curriculum vitae (CV) is essential when applying for locum tenens positions as an anesthesia provider. A CV serves as a roadmap of your work history and educational background for recruiters and hiring staff. The harder it is for these teams to decipher the contents of your CV, the more likely there will be delays in credentialing and privileging for your new role.
In this blog, we will discuss what a CV is and highlight 12 essential steps in crafting the perfect CV so that you can start your dream locum anesthesia role on time.
What is a CV?
A CV is a professional document, often used when applying for positions in healthcare, research, and academia, that lists professional and academic history in great detail. CVs are much more detailed than resumes.
Why is a CV Important?
Prospective employers and agencies use your CV to assess your knowledge and determine if you are qualified for the locum tenens role you’re applying for. It serves as the first impression, which can impact the overall hiring process.
12 Tips for Improving Your CV:
1. Include Your Contact Information
An important part of any CV is your contact information. Be sure to include your first and last name, email address, and phone number at the top of your CV. You may also choose to include your home address; however, this is typically not a requirement when applying for locum tenens roles.
2. List Education
Education and training requirements must be met for you to qualify for locum tenens roles. In a month and year format, list your education experience, including your undergraduate and graduate programs and any additional training.
Example: Wake Forest University School of Medicine, DNP with nurse anesthesia specialization, May 2025
Note: If you are a physician, it is vital that you include information about all internships, residencies, and fellowships.
3. Chronicle Work History
Seeing your work history helps hiring managers and recruiters quickly assess your experience, reliability, and readiness for locum assignments. Include a comprehensive list of all employment history on your CV. Name each facility where you’ve worked, include your job duties, titles, and if the role was staff or locum tenens.
Pro Tip: This section of your CV should also be in month and year format.
4. Explain Gaps in Employment
If you have any gaps in your employment history, it is necessary to explain them, especially if they were longer than 30 days. By offering clear explanations upfront to hiring teams, you are building trust and maintaining your credibility as an applicant.
5. List Relevant Certifications and Licenses
If the position you are applying for requires specific certifications, including this section of your CV will help you stand out from other applicants. You may also list any licenses you have obtained here, as well.
6. Name Any Research, Publications, and Presentations
Showcase research you’ve conducted, publications you’ve authored, and presentations on your CV. These details help highlight your expertise and dedication to your profession.
7. Be As Succinct as Possible
CVs are meant to serve as comprehensive documents that detail your professional and academic experience. Though they may be several pages long, it is imperative to be as concise as possible so that it is easily readable. If you have decades of research publications and experience, consider making several versions of your CV–one for your records and one for submitting to locum tenens roles. The CV that you submit can provide basic information about your publications, such as listing titles, while the other copy can include more details.
8. Use Reverse Chronological Order
Reverse chronological order lists your education and work experience starting with the most recent and working backward in time. This style is preferred by hiring teams over chronological order because it lists your most recent and relevant history first.
9. Check Grammar and Spelling
Our recruitment and credentialing teams review many CVs, and it’s common to see ones with typos or grammatical errors. Taking the time to carefully proofread your CV ensures it can be submitted more quickly and confidently for locum roles.
Pro Tip: Use tense correctly (past or present) for roles that you currently hold and previous positions. This will increase clarity for the reader.
10. Review Formatting
Set aside some time to review your CV’s formatting. Is it well organized and easy to understand? Are any lines of text cut off or out of place?
While formatting is important, it can also be one of the most frustrating parts of the process. Our team is always happy to help revise your CV to ensure it is application-ready.
Pro Tip: Running low on time? Instead of submitting a picture or scan of your CV, save it as a .docx file so our recruitment team can easily edit it for clarity and formatting before submission.
11. Don't Rush
Your CV showcases your professional journey. Take your time compiling your employment history and experiences to ensure your hard work truly shines.
12. Ask for Help
Having a friend, family member, or colleague review your CV can provide valuable insights. Additionally, there are several free tools available to help assess and improve your CV, such as Physician CV Builder by PracticeMatch, Resume Worded (an AI-powered platform), and RezScore, a resume scoring service.
Finally, most recruitment agencies are eager to help you polish your CV so it stands out professionally. And for our anesthesia providers, we’re proud to offer personalized CV editing services whenever you need them., whether that includes a total rework of the entire document, or just updating it for a new role.
About Independence Anesthesia:
For over 20 years, Independence Anesthesia Services, a division of IMN Enterprises, LLC, has remained passionately committed to exceptional patient care by building, developing, and maintaining long-term relationships with facilities and anesthesia providers alike. We offer nationwide locum tenens opportunities for CRNAs and anesthesiologists. Additionally, we help with licensing, credentialing, travel, and more!
Ready for a career change? Explore our open locum tenens jobs.