AARC Perspectives
AARC Perspectives podcast highlights clinicians, educators, industry, and member leaders in the respiratory therapy community. Tune in for member stories, trending topics, industry news, award recognitions, patient care updates, and more.
AARC Perspectives
Behind the Breath: Standing Out in Today’s Job Market: Career Advice for RTs
In this episode of the Behind the Breath podcast, AARC HR Consultant, Tracy Ro, PHR, SHRM-CP, explores the practical career tools RTs need right now, including social media strategies, job search and interviewing tips, and tricks. Listeners will gain insights into building resilience, navigating career choices, and standing out in today’s job market.
Hi, and welcome to the Behind the Breath podcast that brings respiratory therapists the conversation behind the challenges shaping the prof the profession. I'm your host, Lisa Weisenberger, AARC Director of Engagement and Media, and I'm here tonight with Tracy Rowe, ARC's HR consultant who's passionate about helping people thrive at work. Tracy has deep experience in organizational development, culture building, and the practical side of HR from recruiting to compliance. She brings a unique perspective on how organizations can better support their teams and is especially committed to helping employees find recognition, balance, and growth opportunities in a profession that's under more pressure than ever. Hi, Tracy. Let's get started. Can you tell us a little bit about how you've spent your career helping people thrive at work and what drew you to HR in organizational development?
SPEAKER_00:Sure. Thanks so much, Lisa. I'm glad to be here. Honestly, I don't really quite remember how I ended up even majoring in HR and I had a minor in human development, but I did. Like I it I'm I've been in HR my whole career. Um, and I still love the work. Uh I love supporting employees so they can thrive at work. I want to be part of creating a good work environment where people can do what they are called to do. Uh people are complicated and messy, even me. Um, and some uh some days that makes for hard and exhausting work. But if I can offer support for employees along the way, that is what I find fulfilling. I also like the fact that every day my work is different. Uh I have compliance projects that are very black and white and filled with spreadsheets. And then I get to interview applicants, onboard new hires, engage with employees, and support managers so they can lead their teams well. I love to learn and in the field of HR, um, you learn new things every day, whether it's a new law, a new approach to building culture, or a better way to recruit. And also, HR is never boring because it's all about people.
SPEAKER_01:That's a very good point. Um, I guess as we talk a little bit about the RT landscape of work right now, um, and the healthcare hiring managers and how they screen applications really quickly. What do you think is the single most important thing to highlight right off the top when you look at your resume or when somebody's submitting a resume?
SPEAKER_00:Sure. And this is my personal opinion, but this is what helps me kind of be focused on resumes. I am a big fan of that career objective at the top of a resume. It helps me know as a recruiter when I have 30 seconds to read your resume to scan through to get a good pile for hiring managers. Like it helps me know what you're looking for because often folks don't do cover letters and they're no longer required. So a career objective tells your story, tells me about your experience and what you're looking for, all in like one or two statements. Um and don't forget to personalize that career objective for each application. So depending on the position, it can be handy also to list your skills right at the top or near the top of your resume so that it stands out. And I would say, specifically for RTs, you know, highlighting your technical skills. Every resume should be tailored to the job you're applying for. An objective that states you want to be an accountant when you're applying to be an RT might get a hard pass by a recruiter.
SPEAKER_01:That's absolutely time. I'm sure you see all kinds of things. Um so we know that like the right resume doesn't list every single thing that you've ever done in your career. But for RTs specifically, specifically with lots of years of experience, how do you think they can balance showcasing a depth of experience without overwhelming recruiters with too much information?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it's a tricky balance, especially if you've had a long career or if you've had a short career. It's how do you kind of build that resume that will stand out? And it is, I mean, I want to be real honest, it's a very challenging market out there. It's very challenging. You might be applying to more than 100 jobs and hopefully get one response. I hope you get more, but it is challenging. I just wanted to affirm that as we jump into all of this. So with your resume, um, I would suggest including what's applicable for the position you're applying for. You don't have to list every single job you've ever had, um, nor should you, depending on what you're applying for. If they're all applicable, include them. But if you worked at McDonald's or at a bookstore like 20 years ago, and it has nothing to do with the RT role you're applying for, you don't need to include that. Um include the also include the appropriate amount of bullet points per each role. Um, if you only worked somewhere for six months, please don't have like 10 bullet points. While you probably got a lot done, think about like three or four bullet points for each job. Really target and highlight what you accomplished or what you did or the different areas that you supported in that role. Um, you can go deep with just a few, you know, less is more. You can go deep with just a few bullet points. And I would also say resumes over two pages, um, unless it's like an, you know, one for like um in the education setting um or if you have a PhD, but anything kind of less than that, more than two pages, it is probably more than someone's gonna read. So try to keep it to a page or two depending on your experience. You can also break it up with like relevant experience and other experience because your other experience might have transferable skills. Uh it just might not be directly relevant to the job you're applying for.
SPEAKER_01:So I guess on the other, those are for maybe people who have a little bit more experience. What about for a new grad? How do you think they should showcase potential, you know, when they don't maybe have all of that experience yet? What are some tricks to helping get that across?
SPEAKER_00:That that is all sometimes about spacing and formatting and that career objective. Like, what are you looking for? How are you looking to grow and jump into the field of um respiratory care? And so um, I would suggest listing in listing internships, volunteer experience, shadowing, those things are all great to list. Like it helps um get a feel that it lets the recruiter know that you've spent some time thinking about and doing this work, even though if you haven't maybe been employed or paid to do the work. And it's also okay to highlight like school projects, like a senior thesis or a capstone or a research project. Um, and again, those non-RT jobs are totally applicable if there's good transferable skills in there to show that maybe you have longevity. Maybe before you went to school to become an RT, you worked somewhere for four years. Um, but it shows that you were there and you were committed and maybe some transferable skills within that.
SPEAKER_01:That's great. Um, so I guess moving on to a slightly different topic, how important do you think your social media persona is to recruiters? Like, do you look at that when you're checking out an applicant?
SPEAKER_00:It's a very good question. And I would say a good recruiter should not be looking at social media unless we're talking about LinkedIn. Um we're not supposed to. Um, we're not advised to. It doesn't mean that people don't. So knowing that some recruiters might always be mindful of what is on your social media. But I would say, you know, a typical recruiter is not doing that. Hopefully, a hiring manager is also not doing that. But with LinkedIn, it's very good to have a, you know, strong presence on LinkedIn. Um, but also recruiters aren't allowed to discriminate based on what they see um uh on social media. Everything has to be job relevant and we're not supposed to be on social media um looking at that. We're looking at your resume, and that's the story you're telling us.
SPEAKER_01:So I guess on LinkedIn, what are some good things that you would look for on a LinkedIn profile, for example?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Um there, you know, you're obviously LinkedIn is is more of a professional studying kind of social media. So keep it professional. And as you build your LinkedIn profile um in the about section, like about you, tell your story. It doesn't have to be long, but like, you know, three or six sentence paragraph. Um, tie your various roles and education experience together and share why you became an RT or why you want to become an RT. It's a great time to use Chat GPT to help you make it sound great. You can write a draft and then use Chat GPT to make it sound even better. Um, under job history, I would say um early in your early in your career, you might want to list all your previous jobs, but as you get further along in your career, maybe delete some of those ones at the very beginning that weren't relevant um to your career path. Um, when you list each job, I wouldn't just say you know the name of the hospital, the title, and the amount of years. You have a little chance to say like what one phrase about the company and like one line about your job. So expand it a little bit more so people can understand. And I would also say often people ask about endorsements. Um, some people like them. I have can honestly say I've never looked at anyone's endorsements on LinkedIn. So some people think it helps them stand out, and I'm sure it does. It's not something that I have ever spent a lot of time on.
SPEAKER_01:Do you think it's important to put specifics in there? Like, you know, I went through and helped, you know, 200 patients or whatever. Um, is that an important piece that you might look at?
SPEAKER_00:I would highlight, like if you've done something like, you know, maybe during COVID years, or you know, you had a really great project that you did, or something that you focused on, highlight that in that little, you know, as you're going through your job history, um, as you have that space, you can put a little bit more. Like again, you're you're as much as you can in your resume and in LinkedIn, you're this is your chance to tell your story. So someone takes a quick glance and be like, oh, look at that neat thing that they did during that. It wasn't just, oh, I was an RT at a hospital for five months, right? Tell us a little bit more about what who the patients were, what you did, maybe it was unique or new work or whatever it might have been.
SPEAKER_01:Interesting. Um, so networking is another piece of how to get your job search going, but it can oftentimes feel a little bit intimidating. What do you think are some practical, low stress ways to expand your professional network?
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely. I agree. I think networking is very, I find it to be intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. My spouse uh on a good day loves networking and he'll walk into a room and be like, I'm gonna walk out with 10, uh, I guess we probably don't say business cards anymore, but 10 connections. And I'll be like, I want to find the one person that has something in common with me, and I'll stand in the corner and talk to them all the whole time. Like that's my comfort level. So knowing that, like we all have different ranges of comfort level, but I would say great things to do for networking, get involved in AARC at your local state chapter or nationally. There's lots of great volunteer opportunities to do. And it can feel like when you're volunteering, at least for me, it doesn't feel like I'm networking, but you're working with other people in your field and you're doing this great work. And it's great, like, where do you work? Do you love where you work? Tell me more. It's a great place to make connections. And I would say a way to make networking feel less intimidating is make it in, set some bite-sized goals. So maybe um uh make your goal is to make one connection at the at the happy hour or the event you're attending or wherever you're volunteering. Bring your friend with you if that helps. Um, you don't need to stay for the whole happy hour. If it's from four to seven, if you go for an hour, great. Make one connection, call it, call it a night. That's totally fine. Um, also ask your coworkers, maybe your classmates, um professors, who they know. Like maybe I'm looking to get into this field. Do you know anyone in that? Like those are people you already know. So tap into those folks and see who they know. I would say one last tip would be um if you're up for it, to pay for a LinkedIn premium. That's a great way to be like, oh, I'm applying for this job at this clinic or at this travel site or at this hospital. Um, I don't know all the RT lingual, but but within that range, you know, you see something at a company and you might find out that you have four former classmates that all work there. So you can reach out to them and say, hey, what's it like to work there? Or do you know the hiring manager? I'm looking to get onto this department. Can you help put in a good word for me? That's a great way using LinkedIn again to kind of make those connections for networking.
SPEAKER_01:I love that idea of just having like one connection that you're trying to make and setting up kind of the same way. I don't always enjoy networking. Um, but like having just like, I'm gonna make one little piece in this one hour meeting that I'm gonna do and connect with somebody that way. I think that's a great that's a great tidbit. Um, with the severe workplace shortages in the respiratory care profession um right now, there's lots of um jobs out there, but the fit is also what really matters and making sure that you are gonna be enjoying where you're at. What should RTs look for when evaluating whether an organization's culture is healthy and will work for them?
SPEAKER_00:Right. I think this is where doing your research ahead of time, like when you see a job posted on LinkedIn or a job board or at your school or at your current employer, you see another job. Like, do your research before you apply. And then once you apply, if you get an interview, do more research. Um, I would always encourage you to go to the company's website because you might see the posting again on LinkedIn or some public job board or something, but go to the website, one make sure the job is also posted there. But then you can read all about the organization. You can learn more about their culture, who works there, how they do their work, their mission, their vision. Um, and hopefully, you know, companies do reflect what's on their website, but it's just a great way to get a feel beyond like, you know, a one-page job posting. Um, Glassdoor can also be a good option just to learn about cultures and organizations. But I would also keep in mind that I think in general in our culture, people like to post more about bad experiences than good ones. So you might only see bad, but that's just because that's what people want to vent about. And people who have good things to say just might not want to post them or be as motivated to post them. So keep that kind of with a grain of salt, the glass door.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that's a good point about that too. Um, I guess when we're talking too about like once you have an interview and moving into that kind of area of the job process, what kinds of questions should RTs expect in interviews right now? Like what especially with staffing being so tight? Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um, I think um I would say probably first that I don't think maybe the types of interview questions have changed. They might be shorter or more focused interviews, but in general, questions I think you can prepare for um are behavioral-based questions and skill-based questions. And behavioral-based questions are the ones where they say something like this Tell me about a time in the past when you faced a conflict or you had a challenging patient. So you're talking about something that has already happened and sharing maybe what you did in that situation and what you learned, and maybe what we did differently next time. Um, people ask those interviewers ask those questions because typically past behavior tells us how someone's going to behave in the future. So that gives us an idea about like what you might bring to the company. Um, I would also suggest just, you know, Googling common interview questions for RTs. You can get real specific on Google or ChatGPT or wherever and specify the type of role you're applying for. And then once you kind of find the same repeated like five or 10 questions that pop up in your research, take notes and practice, like come up with answers for those questions and practice. You might not get asked all those questions, but you'll probably get asked a handful of them. And if you can have prepared ahead of time, you're gonna have that great answer versus on the spot, lots of us get nervous and like, oh, I said that, but if I thought about it for a minute, I might have had a stronger answer. So I would also share, you know, be prepared to tell the interviewer specifically about a success you had in a in your current or previous role, and also an opportunity where you had to grow. Like maybe you had an aerobic challenge and how did you grow? What did you learn from that? I would also say you always want to be ready to say, like, when they say, why do you want to work here? Why, why this job? You want to be ready to say, like, why I'm the best candidate for this role. So be confident and know, know about the job, know about the company, and then what makes you the best fit for this role.
SPEAKER_01:So I guess on the flip side of that, what are some questions that RTs can ask the interviewer to gauge if it's a good fit or if they're gonna, you know, be supported in what they're doing at that position?
SPEAKER_00:I would say um good questions to ask would be, you know, tell me about the path of an RT at your company, your hospital, your organization, your clinic. Like, what does a typical RT coming into this role? What not not always, but as a growth path, because not everyone wants to like just grow up the chain, but sometimes people want to move throughout the organization, especially like hospitals that are huge. There should be lots of opportunities, right? So tell me about the path of a couple of different options here as an RT at this company. Um, where and how can I grow my experience, my knowledge, my career? What are chances for pay increases if you're looking for that? Um and what cultural ad is the team looking for with this hire? Like, what what do you want this person to bring to this position? Because maybe I have exactly that. So now I can tell you that I have that. Um how will your company um support my well-being? It's great to ask, like, what can what can the company do for you? Because an interview is very much about you are being asked what you would bring to the company, but also this is your chance to ask, what can the company also do for me? This needs to be a mutually beneficial relationship. Um, what does professional growth look like? Um and just, you know, Google questions, like what are you know some great questions to ask in an interview? But I would say, whatever you do, be prepared with three to five questions. Like this is a gimme. Like when they say, What questions do you have for us? If you say, I'm good, they, at least in my opinion, and and many other recruiters that I've worked with over my career, I hear that as like you didn't do your research or you don't really care. Like, make up a question, go like again, come with three to five questions. They might answer them along the way, but you might only get a chance to ask one. But be prepared with a great question to ask that allow that says, I'm curious. I want to know more about the company. That is a that's a uh what a thumbs up or a green flag? That's a positive thing for uh a recruiter to hear. Like, you're curious and I want to know more. Um, and not just like where is it located? What are the benefits? Because that might already be posted on the thing. Like, why would someone want to come work here? How long have you been there? Do you really enjoy? How have you grown there? Like, what do they do employee engagement surveys and do they really listen to what employees need? There's lots of great questions.
SPEAKER_01:Have you had much of an experience with people just using a chat GBT answer and wherein you can tell that it's chat GBT? I mean, I think chat GPT has a lot of benefits for doing just exactly what you're talking about with answering questions. But I'm just wondering from your perspective and all the interviews and things that you conduct, have you run across that with people not making those answers seem like they're themselves or, you know, authentic, I guess sometimes.
SPEAKER_00:Um I would say right now I work with about 12 other HRN recruiting professionals in my role. And um, I have not directly had this, but a few of them have, where they like can hear the type, the typing, the tap, tap, tap, and then a qu an answer being read to them. So there are people who are trying to do it. And you like you're like, do I need to call this out? Or I'm just gonna like say no to them anyways. But so please don't do that. Um, that's why you want to practice ahead of time. Write notes, like make notes so you can when they ask you that question, you'll be like, wait, I prepare for this one. And then you at least have that example in your head and you can jump to it. You might be ad libbing as you're answering it, but you already have like the set answer. Like, here's a time when I did this, and here's a time when I grew, and here's when I had to deal with a stressful situation, here's when I had to multitask, here's when I had a patient who XYZ, I don't know what, but prepare for them. But please don't, please don't use Chat GPT while you are in an area or any kind of other thing like co-pilot or Gemini, whatever they are all called, please don't use those. But people have been trying it.
SPEAKER_01:So yeah, I'm sure they have. I was um that's that's a really good tip. Um how important do you think um it is for candidates to show their soft skills, like communication and resilience during interviews compared to just plain um technical expertise?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I think it's so important. I I have often said, like, if I could find come up with the one like like master question of like how I know someone has resilience or crit, like, and I know they're gonna be able to work through hard things and changes, like I would ask that every time. And there's uh various versions of that, but like you really want to be able to showcase your soft skills because the employers need to know that you are resilient, that you can communicate, you can receive feedback, you can give feedback, you can listen well, and that you are a critical thinker. I would say I've read many, many articles over the years that resilience, critical thinking, and communication are like the top sought after soft skills. And so you don't want to just have that. In your resume, like I'm a good communicator, or say that, like, well, I'm a really good communicator, so I think I'd be good at that. Like, no, tell me, tell me how you're a good communicator. Like, walk me through an example of when you use your critical thinking skills to come to a better solution. Um, show me how you've been resilient to working through COVID, any and all of us, but like whatever that is, like be able to articulate a story or example or several examples of how you have those skills. Don't just say that you have them. Um, and technical skills, especially in in your in RT, you know, in the respiratory care field, are very important. Um, but I think people also want to know how you're gonna be with patients. What's your bedside manner? How do you excel in these areas? Um, when the days are hard, what gets you out of bed to do it all over again? Show and tell me your resilience. Um, and I'd say, you know, a good interview has, you know, technical questions and you know, those things that, you know, how can you do this, this, and this? And do you have the skills for that? And then also soft skills. So no, they're gonna ask you about both and be prepared.
SPEAKER_01:So just being prepared is a key key piece of all of that.
SPEAKER_00:You have a chance. Once the interview is scheduled, you have that time to prepare. So um, yeah, they're stressful and people don't always know how to answer on the spot, but you can do a lot of prep work even if you are not given a list of questions ahead of time.
SPEAKER_01:So I guess an another way to prepare for all this is ARC just introduced a new career center for our members with lots of resources, including a way for members to evaluate and compare job offers, advice on crafting their resume. Um, but when it comes to resumes, I guess what mistakes do you see most often? We've kind of talked a little bit about this, but how do how can respiratory therapists stand out in such a crowded field?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. And um yeah, there's lots of resumes out there, and I see a lot of great ones often. And I see a lot of ones I'm like, oh, I would love to like write you back and get it. Can I help you edit it? So you can be more highlighted when you apply to your next job. Um, I would say the biggest thing is proofread your resume, proofread your resume, have someone else proofread your resume. Make sure you write your resume or get help writing your resume, but then you can send it through AI, but don't start with that. Like you, it needs to sound like you. Also, like if you misspell respiratory therapist on your resume, how do you think that's gonna look to a recruiter? If you misspell a specific technical skill or a machine that you know how to use, like that speaks volumes. Um, you know, if you have a typo here and there, it's I I don't know many people who are like, I won't even look at it with one little typo. Except for maybe if you're applying to be an editor. Like, you know, again, job related, but definitely proofread it. Um, make sure your resume is focused and not too long. Again, you can say a lot with less words. Um, and that's where you can run through Chat GPT, like, oh, it's three pages long. Chat GPT, can you help me downsize this to a page and a half? Um, or whatever that is. And I'm also a huge fan of consistent formatting. Sometimes people like, you know, the first job it like says the company and the location and the dates by months, and then that and has five bullet points. The next one has 20 bullet points and it doesn't say the city or the state, and it doesn't have and it has date, month, year. Like, be consistent in how you do it. So it's a nice flow. Make it easy to read because then I'm gonna pay more attention to it. If I can't really read it or track it, or your job history is not in order, that's gonna be confusing. I'm gonna be like, wait, but you were here and then you did where did you go? I don't get it. So um, and just remember this is this is your chance to tell your story. So whatever you feel is most relevant. Um I I also like the personal section, like at the end of a resume that maybe has one line, like your hobbies or things that you're involved in or how you volunteer or whatever. If you have a personal tie to the the work you're doing, like you can put that in a sentence or a short thing, you know. Um tell your story with that resume, but proofread it's the biggest most important thing I would say.
SPEAKER_01:So I guess with that, are there any last little tips you'd like to share with the our members and the RTs that might be listening?
SPEAKER_00:I think um it is hard because also you especially I would imagine if you're applying through hospitals or large employers, um, you're going through an ATS and applicant tracking system. You're applying online, you have to enter your information, then you upload your resume, and you're like, I know AI is reading this, and maybe not a person at first glance. And I can't, you know, that depends. Every most places I've worked, I've worked for like 50 employees or less. And so I'm reading every resume for every role and then passing on to the hiring manager if it's a good fit. But when you're applying to somewhere that has, you know, a thousand or five thousand or ten thousand employees, it's likely AI who's reading it first. So that another, I think, last tip I would add with that is look at the job posting and look at your resume. Look at the job posting. If they highlight a certain skill like three or four times, make sure that skill is in your in your resume. If you have it, like like if they're looking for, I can't think of something off the top of my head right now that an RT would need, but I um for an HR recruiter, maybe like if you whatever it is, if you see it repetitively, repetitively in um the job posting, put that in there. And if you see that they are a culture of um open-mindedness and change and growth, and you don't have to have, you know, 10 degrees to be here and do all this, like feed into that, like respond to how the job posting is. If they're very engaging, if it's a little bit more formal, keep your resume more formal. Um, they're ideally job postings are reflective of the company and the culture, even in that one page or half page or whatever length it is, and you have a chance to kind of then tailor yours. Um I think my only other thing is just be persistent. You have to keep applying out there right now. It is tough. Um, I want to be encouraging and it is a tough market. And so just keep putting putting it out there and that networking piece, find small ways to network and figure out if you know someone there, if you're connected, if someone you know is connected, like whatever you can do to kind of get your name or your resume higher up in the pile or in front of the hiring manager in a great way. Like you use your connections and your networks, whether it's yours or your friends or your professors or your coworkers, like tap into those because people want to help. People want to help you, like if they know you or know of you, they want to help you get a job, right? Um, people very rarely say no, unless they maybe aren't a fan of the company or suggesting you don't apply. But in general, like if they're like that, yeah, it's a great place to work. I'd love to put in a good word for you. Like you're gonna get that more often than not.
SPEAKER_01:So that would be my those are all really great trips. I really appreciate all of your um thoughtful and insightful answers tonight. Um, so this wraps up this episode of Behind the Breath. Really want to say thank you to Tracy for joining us and sharing her practical tips that all of us and every RT can use. Um, if you're an RT listening, remember your skills are in demand and your story matters. Don't just apply, present yourself in a way that reflects your value and your personal story for the future that you want. And if you're ready for that next step, don't forget that the ARC Career Center is available at AARC.org and has a lot of tools and resources available to help you evaluate offers, sharpen your resume, and grow your career. So thanks for tuning in tonight and um be sure to subscribe to the ARC Behind the Breath podcast so you don't miss future episodes that spotlight the real issues and solutions shaping the RT profession. Until next time, keep breathing life into the work you do every day. Thanks so much, and thanks again, Tracy, for joining us. Thank you. Take care.
