How to Explain Gaps in Employment (Resume & Cover Letter)
An employment gap is a period of time (months of years) when a job seeker didn't have a job. While out of work, employees use their time to have children, travel or go to school full time.
You make lives better, doing whatever it takes to help your clients express themselves clearly. Prove it to employers with this crystal-clear sample speech pathologist resume.
You love your work. Helping others is your passion, and you love seeing how your patients become more articulate and able to live happier lives.
But to do that, you need a work environment that supports both you and your patients. Unfortunately, not every place is like that. Some simply care only about money.
To get jobs at the best speech clinics out there, you need an impressive speech pathologist resume. There’s no time for babble.
This guide will show you:
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Sample resume made with our builder—See more resume samples here.
Don’t need a speech-language pathologist resume? Did you wind up in the wrong place? See our other guides:
Molly Tarasovich, Speech Pathologist
linkedin.com/in/mollyqtarasovich
908-442-7025
Insightful licensed Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) with 3+ years of experience. Skilled in patient evaluation and developing treatment programs. Seeking to provide excellent patient care at InnerState Medical Center. At KIGG Foundation Hospital, evaluated and developed treatment plans for 700+ patients. Educated patients and families with 95% positive patient feedback at time of discharge.
Speech-Language Pathologist
KIGG Foundation Hospital
Jan 2017–May 2019
Speech-Language Pathology Assistant
Starry Nights Language Group
Feb 2015–Feb 2017
2012–2014 Baylor University
Master of Science Degree in Speech Pathology
2008–2012 Montclair State University
BS in Communication Sciences and Disorders
Here’s how to write a speech pathologist resume that gets jobs:
Speech pathologists, also called speech-language pathologists or SLPs, are speech and hearing experts who excel at teaching and coaching speech techniques. They may work with adults, children, or babies. A speech pathologist resume must show skills in patient evaluation, developing treatment plans, and providing treatment.
Unclear speech pathology resumes say too much.
So—
Don’t skimp on creating the best format for your resume.
That’s the reverse chronological order resume. It’s the most common layout for resumes because it works.
Pro Tip: Always send a speech-language pathologist resume PDF file, provided the job’s online ad doesn’t discourage them. PDFs stay clean and legible no matter where they travel to.
You’re one among many.
How can you make them see your SLP resume?
Lead off with a professional profile. That’s a quick business elevator pitch—or summary of your finest attributes.
Here’s how to write a resume summary employers will love:
Use:
In a resume for the first job you’ve had in the field, write a resume objective statement. It’s almost identical to a summary, but the skills proof comes from non-SLP jobs.
Example: As an SLP assistant, you assessed 30 patients.
Pro Tip: How long should my resume be for SLP jobs? Think of it like this: a resume is almost always one page. The trick is to show the best of you that fits in the allotted space.
“We found a fit.”
They’ll say that if you know how to write your work experience in a resume for speech pathologist jobs.
The key? Understanding how to tailor your resume to a job posting.
Pro Tip: Write with speech pathologist resume action words like, evaluated, developed, educated, assisted, and assessed to get the hiring team’s attention.
You worked hard for that master’s degree.
Now make it count.
Don’t just say you got it. Show you earned it.
How?
Add educational accomplishments.
Example: They want someone skilled in phonetics. So, you list your Master’s thesis in phonetics on your speech-language pathologist resume.
Pro Tip: Showing your educational qualification in a resume for speech pathologist jobs can take a little page space, or a lot. It all depends how much blank page you need to fill.
Need good skills to put on a resume for speech pathologist jobs?
Don't forget to list both your hard skills and soft skills. Need some help? Here you go:
Try these technical skill examples:
But use some soft skills too:
Pro Tip: Mix both soft skills and hard skills on your SLP resume. But—don’t list all of the above. Pare your list down so it’s closer to the job’s requirements in the online offer.
When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.
When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.
You’re multi-faceted.
Make sure they know it.
That’s where added speech-language pathologist resume sections come in.
Select one or two of these:
What are your hobbies? Add a few to shore up a thin speech pathology resume.
Pro Tip: Not sure how to put languages on a resume? Put them in your SLP resume skills section and throughout your experience and education, in your bullets.
Do cover letters matter for speech pathology resumes?
Yes.
Here’s how to write a cover letter for a job:
Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:
See more cover letter templates and start writing.
Last, don’t forget to send a follow up email on your application.
That’s it!
That’s how to write a speech pathologist resume.
What’s the thing you’re least proud of about your SLP resume? Why did you get into speech-language pathology work? Give us a shout in the comments. We’d love to talk!
An employment gap is a period of time (months of years) when a job seeker didn't have a job. While out of work, employees use their time to have children, travel or go to school full time.
Applying for a job via email? You need a perfect email cover letter (No, copy-pasting your regular cover letter will NOT do.) Check out this guide to see an email cover letter sample that gets jobs. Plus, you’ll get an email cover letter template you can adjust and use, tons of expert advice, and actionable cover letter tips.
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