Do you know the most important thing that a flight resume can do for you?
It’s not a trick question.
The answer is straightforward and easy.
The whole purpose of a flight resume is to advance you to the next step in the hiring process – the flight interview.
Most paramedics get that part. What they don’t always get is just how competitive and difficult it is to advance to a flight interview.
The bureau of labor and statistics (BLS) estimates 210,700 Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and paramedics worked in the United States in 2008. For a more detailed explanation of BLS data, read our article Is A Flight Crew Job Within Your Reach.
The point is simple. The competition for flight paramedic jobs is staggering.
Getting your flight resume noticed in a pile of several hundred resumes isn’t easy.
How To Stand Out In A Crowd
What if there was a way to virtually guarantee your resume stands out and gets reviewed each and every time? A way to almost guarantee your application gets moved forward to the interview process?
Well, it turns out there is:
Flight Paramedic Certification.
What is Flight Paramedic Certification (FP-C)?
FP-C is an abbreviation indicating that an individual is Flight Paramedic-Certified. This certification is for paramedics who have demonstrated their knowledge of critical care medicine by successfully passing a two-and-a-half-hour exam consisting of 125 multiple-choice questions.
As of August 2009 there are only about 2000 certified flight paramedics* worldwide.
* 2000 / 210,700 = .00949 or the top 1% of all paramedics and EMTs.
Does FP-C Make You A Better Medic?
Yes, on paper the FP-C absolutely makes you a better medic. Your competitiveness for flight jobs increases the moment you earn the FP-C.
Does FP-C make you a better medic in the real world? Maybe, maybe not. But you already knew that, right?
The gap between the academic world and the real world is substantial. A certification cannot and does not guarantee success.
The key is to remind yourself that earning a flight job is a process. Each step of the process is competitive. Earning the FP-C is a definitive step to making yourself competitive for fight interviews. If you haven’t been called for a flight interview yet, you owe it to yourself to at least consider the FP-C.
The certification will set you apart from the competition. Period.
How Do You Get Flight Paramedic Certified?
The International Association of Flight and Critical Care Paramedics is the professional organization behind the FP- C and CCP-C Critical Care Paramedic – Certifications, respectively.
For the straight scoop about what it takes to earn either certification, go to http://www.flightparamedic.org/.
When you’re ready to schedule the examination, register online at http://www.bcctpc.org/.
Both certifications require effort and hard work to obtain. Both certifications are worth the effort.
The Bottom Line
You. You are the bottom line.
We completely agree that Flight Paramedic Certification is a lot of work, time and effort. What you need to ask yourself is how badly you want to fly? How important is an air ambulance career to you?
If you’re serious about an air ambulance flight crew career, the FP-C is a tangible way to set yourself apart from the competition.
Got questions or comments?
Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
Clear Skies & Tailwinds,
Fly-write
2 replies to "How To Get Your Flight Paramedic Resume Noticed Every Time"
You can’t paint every industry with a broad brush. Getting your BSN may be necessary in some hospitals but that doesn’t mean the nurses with the bachelors are really any more qualified than those with the associates. The knowledge required to do the job is still the same for both licensed RNs. Since you yourself said that the knowledge isn’t gained until 2 years into the job, what would be the necessity of the other 2 years of “higher” education. Does getting your RN to BSN on the internet really make you more qualified?
Mercadeo,
You’re absolutely right. Education and certification levels do not automatically make a person better skilled than someone without the education and certifications. However, education and certification are absolutely used as discriminators to decide which applicants get called for an interview, and which applicants do not get called.
It may not be fair or right, but it is how it works. So, in my opinion, increasing your education and/or certification level is important when it comes to your resume.