After you’ve bookmarked your dream respiratory therapist job opportunities located in your bucket list travel locations, it’s time to apply. 

To stand out from other applicants, you need to master two essential components: the resume and the interview. 

Learn what employers want to see in a travel respiratory therapist resume, including diverse experience, skills, and adaptability. Then, practice for your interview using common interview questions for respiratory therapists, courtesy of Host Healthcare. 

Highlighting Key Respiratory Therapist Responsibilities & Skills for Travel Roles

When employers look at a resume, they want to know immediately if you’d make a good fit for the role. 

For this reason, effective resumes should contain specific information relevant to each individual position you apply for. For example, a resume for a staff respiratory therapist job will differ from one for a travel role. Tailoring your resume to the role matters even more when applying for travel assignments since you likely won’t have existing connections with the employers or staff. 

Grab your potential employer’s attention with the first bullet point; follow these approaches to enhance your travel respiratory therapist resume. 

#1: Craft a Professional Summary that Showcases Your Respiratory Therapy Experience

Your professional summary sits at the top of your resume, similar to the introduction paragraph of an essay. It’s the very first thing potential employers will read (besides your name and contact information). 

Also known as the “objective,” your professional summary must convey the most essential aspects of your respiratory therapy experience, as well as your reasons for applying. The key to an effective professional summary is to write briefly and use specific details. 

In a few sentences or bullet points, state your:

  • Education, along with any certifications or specializations you have
  • Notable work experience, not every experience
  • Relevant skills, especially ones that align with those described in the job listing 
  • Reasons for applying to this role (what you’re seeking)

Make your professional summary as brief and clear as possible using a writing technique known as gapping. Gapping transforms full sentences into shortened phrases that employers can quickly scan and comprehend. 

#2: Detail Experience in Diverse Respiratory Therapy Settings

As a respiratory therapist, you likely treat a wide variety of patients in many different settings—these skills are essential for travel respiratory therapists. When detailing your work experience, discuss not only what duties you performed in each role, but also where you worked.

Just beginning your travel therapy career? Don’t worry. You can still show a diverse range of respiratory therapy experiences without an extensive work background. If you’ve recently graduated and become a certified respiratory therapist (CRT), focus on internships, academic research, or apprenticeships you’ve completed. 

#3: Showcase Advanced Certifications and Specialized Respiratory Training

If you have additional respiratory therapist certifications or specializations, put them front and center on your resume. Some examples of resume-bolstering credentials include:

  • Adult Critical Care Specialty (RRT-ACCS)
  • Neonatal/Pediatric Specialty (NPS)
  • Registered Pulmonary Function Technologist (RPFT)
  • Sleep Disorders Specialty (RRT-SDS)
  • Asthma Educator Specialist (AE-C)

If you want to pursue specialized roles, consider earning advanced certifications and completing specialized respiratory training to give yourself an extra advantage when your resume passes across an employer’s desk. 

#4: Emphasize Proficiency with Respiratory Equipment, Techniques, and Skills

As a respiratory therapist, medical equipment becomes an extension of yourself. Employers want to ensure you’ve mastered the skills and advanced techniques necessary to wield them. 

Some relevant respiratory therapist skills for resumes may include:

  • Equipment proficiency – You have to use many pieces of equipment when diagnosing pulmonary and breathing issues, including mechanical ventilators, cardiopulmonary systems, and test analysis tools. Highlight which pieces of equipment you are proficient with and what situations you used them in. 
  • Drug administration – Most respiratory therapists are required to administer oxygen and breathing-improving drugs. While these skills may seem basic, employers need to know you can perform them, especially in an emergency situation. 
  • Patient rapport – Every travel respiratory therapist assignment will entail working with (and getting along with) patients. Demonstrating your compassion, patience, and sensitivity toward past patients in your resume will make you a more attractive job candidate. 

Other skills that will make any travel respiratory therapist resume stand out include critical thinking, problem-solving, and detail orientation. Find ways to incorporate these skills into your resume using specific work experiences.  

#5: Demonstrate Adaptability to Different Hospital Protocols and Respiratory Care Procedures

Since you’re applying for a travel respiratory position, employers will want to see that you can perform your duties no matter where you are. 

In each work experience description, consider including your workplace’s expectations and how you met (and exceeded) them during your time there. That way, potential employers can gauge what you’re familiar with, and what you’re equipped to handle. 

If you haven’t worked in multiple locations, demonstrate your adaptability in other ways. Perhaps the previous hospital where you worked updated its protocols after hiring you. Describe how you adjusted to the new procedures. 

Avoiding Common Mistakes in Your Travel Respiratory Therapist Resume

Your resume represents the most essential aspects of you to potential employers. You want to make a great first impression. Stick to these resume-building best practices to ensure you and your potential employer start off on the right foot:

  • Keep it simple – It’s easy to be sucked into the enticing world of online resume templates. Pops of color and attention-grabbing graphics can set your resume apart from the pack; ultimately, though, relevant content and legibility should be your main focus. Choose professional yet attractive font types such as Roboto or Overpass and use a readable font size, either 11 or 12 pt. Keep color and graphics to a minimum. 
  • Be comprehensive, but brief – If you’re a well-decorated respiratory therapist, it’s tempting to put all your experience into your resume. While that flies with a CV, resumes perform best when they’re a page or two maximum. Decide which work experiences are most relevant to the position and best represent your skills and ethics. 

How to Prepare for Your Interview

You submitted your application for your dream travel respiratory therapist position and received an interview request—congratulations! After celebrating, take some time to prepare for your interview. 

The resume best practices highlighted above will also benefit your interview approach. During your interview, remember to mention your:

  • Education and certifications
  • Professional experience
  • Skills and mastered techniques

Unlike a resume, an interview allows you to expand on your work experience while expressing your personality. To engage your interviewer and display your fitness for the role, create and practice talking points using the Situation, Task, Action, and Result method, A.K.A. STAR:

  • Situation – Give your interviewer basic context to discuss a task or problem you faced at work, including where it occurred, who was involved, and other relevant background information. 
  • Task – Briefly describe the task or problem. Pick an example that showcases important respiratory therapist skills such as those described earlier. 
  • Action – The bulk of your STAR anecdote should detail how you handled the situation, continuing to weave in your desirable job skills and values. 
  • Result – Equally importantly, explain how your actions benefited the situation. Employers appreciate quantifiable achievements; work in statistics or other measurable qualities of success to drive your point home.  

An interview offers you another opportunity to express your fitness for the position. This includes your qualifications as well as your motivations. Stress to your interviewer why this position appeals to you and how you possess the unique qualities to fill it. 

Common Respiratory Therapy-Specific Interview Questions

If you’re interested in learning how to become a travel respiratory therapist, preparing for interviews is a key step. Your interviewer will ask questions based on the unique demands of the job they’re considering you for. Practice your answers to these common respiratory therapist interview questions using the strategies above:

  • What was the most challenging respiratory condition you treated? How did you approach treatment?
  • Have you ever worked with an anxious patient? How did you adjust your diagnosis discussion and treatment plan?
  • In the past, how have you handled a disagreement with a fellow respiratory therapist?
  • What areas or aspects of respiratory therapy most interest you? 
  • How did you build trust with a particularly complex patient? 

Remember: an interview goes both ways. Always ask a few questions when the interviewer prompts you at the end. And feel free to ask questions throughout your interview to create a more naturally-flowing conversation. This shows your interest in the position and that you conducted some research to prepare for the interview. 

You can ask general questions about hours and salary as well as job-specific questions such as:

  • What respiratory care duties will I perform most often? 
  • Which patient demographics will I work closest with? 
  • What are your care standards and emergency protocols?

Practice interview questions with yourself, or conduct a mock interview with someone you trust. When your interview rolls around, you’ll be ready to dazzle your interviewer with your expertise and charm. 

Soar into your Travel Respiratory Therapist Career with Host Healthcare 

Applying for travel respiratory therapist positions? Host Healthcare supports you through the entire process. That’s because our recruiters are dedicated to helping you find your ideal job, prepare your application materials, and nail your interview. 

We give you access to highly sought and high-paying assignments in any state where you wish to travel. We also help you secure housing and provide day-one health benefits so you can focus on the most important aspect of your job—advancing your career and making a positive impact wherever you go. 

Apply today to become a Host Healthcare traveler and learn why we’re the #1 rated travel nursing agency in the country. 

 

Sources: 

Kahle, Travis. “Writing Professional Summaries.” University of Charleston, https://www.ucwv.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Writing-Professional-Summaries.pdf. Accessed September 3, 2024. 

“Hear the Powerful Stories of Respiratory Therapists With Specialty Credentials.” The National Board for Respiratory Care, https://www.nbrc.org/specialty/. Accessed September 3, 2024. 

“Which Respiratory Therapist Skills are Employers Seeking?” Goodwin University, https://www.goodwin.edu/enews/respiratory-therapist-skills/. Accessed September 3, 2024. 

“What’s the Best Resume Font, Size, and Format [For 2024].” novoresume, December 27, 2023, https://novoresume.com/career-blog/resume-fonts. Accessed September 3, 2024. 

“Using the STAR method for your next behavioral interview.” MIT Career Advising and Professional Development, https://capd.mit.edu/resources/the-star-method-for-behavioral-interviews/. Accessed September 3, 2024. 

“Respiratory Therapist Interview Questions.” Indeed, https://www.indeed.com/hire/interview-questions/respiratory-therapist. Accessed September 3, 2024.