Will a CPR Certificate Be Beneficial to My Resume?

Getting a job today is challenging. Many candidates are battling it out, trying to score one and the same position. If you’ve been job hunting for some time, you know that the addition of courses and certificates to your resume can help you stand out. But what specific skills should you acquire to strengthen your application?

CPR certification is an excellent choice for a vast range of positions (the previous blog post on jobs can be linked here). If you’re wondering about online CPR certification, you should definitely go ahead and complete the course. Here are some of the main ways in which it’s going to add value to your resume.

Does Knowing First Aid and CPR Improve Your Candidacy?

Before taking a look at the specific benefits, let’s answer this important question first. The short answer is yes – first aid and CPR certification will often make you a better candidate than others.

Obviously, CPR training is essential in a number of professional fields. Teachers, first responders, personal trainers, healthcare service providers, flight attendants and even construction workers need to have such skills.

But even if first aid knowledge isn’t imperative for finding a job, it can still be beneficial during the career hunt.

Let’s face it – people can have emergencies in all circumstances. Most accidents and serious health emergencies occur out of a hospital A coworker could suffer a cardiac arrest or a workplace accident. In such instances, an immediate response could be life-saving. Knowing how to offer assistance through CPR certification turns you into a valuable team member. That’s precisely what employers are seeking. Even if CPR and first aid aren’t listed as essentials skills, they can still make a great first impression and get you noticed.

The Benefits of Having CPR Training Listed on Your Resume

Beyond the obvious advantage already mentioned in the previous section, there are several additional reasons why enrolling in a professional CPR certification program makes sense before looking for your next job.

The most important benefits of going through online CPR certification include the following:

• Dedication to continuous learning: so many people end their professional learning at a college or a university. The truth is that getting a degree should be the beginning. Each professional field evolves and as such, it requires continuous learning to ensure relevance and detailed knowledge. Having CPR certification listed on your resume suggests you’re open to acquiring new skills and continuing to improve your knowledge.
• Commitment to mutual good: knowing CPR benefits the people around you. An employer can easily assume that being satisfied suggests dedication to everyone’s wellbeing. Such an attitude will easily turn you into a valuable staff member. Getting along with others and making sure that colleagues are well creates a positive workplace environment – something that most employers are working hard to achieve.
• Responsibility: learning how to do CPR is the responsible thing to do. Did you know that only about half of all Americans know how to do CPR? What’s even more troublesome, only 11 percent know the correct pace for performing chest compressions. At the same time, nearly 383,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur each year. Administering CPR immediately can double or even triple a person’s chance of survival. Hence, learning how to do CPR is the responsible thing to do. It shows that you’re an accountable human being and most companies want such people on their teams.
• Willingness to take the initiative: why wait for a potential employer to require CPR certification from you? It’s a much better idea to take the initiative and obtain first aid and CPR certification yourself. As already mentioned, the entire procedure can occur online. You’ll need a little bit of spare time to get certified. It’s that easy (and also quite affordable). Initiative-taking shows a proactive character, yet another beneficial trait you’d want to hint at through your resume.
• You become a valuable candidate: knowing CPR can actually save a company time and money. Workplace accidents can be very costly to resolve. Knowing how to do CPR and first aid will give you the knowledge required to identify and eliminate common hazards. This way, you’ll be bringing down the risk of injuries, which will benefit a business tremendously.

Best Ways to List CPR Certification on Your Resume

All of the benefits mentioned in this article suggest you should most definitely list CPR certification on your resume.

How exactly should you do that?

The simplest way to present such information is to include a “certifications” section after listing your professional skills. Such a section will look incredibly good if you’ve also acquired some other certificates to list there.

Alternatively, you can add a skills section to the CV. There, provide information about all of the skills that can directly or indirectly turn you into the perfect candidate for a position. Knowing how to do first aid and CPR will most definitely do that.

It’s also a good idea to mention the certifying authority and the validity of your certificate. How long will your certificate be valid? Is it accepted across the US? Is the program aligned with OHSA best practices and American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines? These are important additional details that establish the quality of your certificate. Make sure they’re pointed out concisely. The bullet point format will be a great choice because you’ll list the essentials without unnecessary details.

If an employer requires CPR certification, you can have that information presented earlier on when listing your professional skills.

To make the task easier, here are a few samples and examples of how to list CPR certification (or other certificates) on your resume.

Today’s job market is challenging to conquer. You should use every single skill you have to your advantage. Leaving out information about your CPR training doesn’t make sense. Even if there isn’t such a requirement for the specific position, the certificate can paint a positive picture of your character and professionalism. Don’t hesitate to list that information and chances are that it will impact the value of your application in the best way. Good luck!