A clinical research coordinator role comes with a multitude of responsibilities like putting protocols in place, recruiting patients, collecting the data of the studies. A clinical research coordinator is a coveted position and requires candidates who are capable, dependable and can be trusted with such huge responsibilities. To be considered for this important role, you will need a resume that accurately reflects your capability by highlighting your skills, qualifications for the position. Whether you are an experienced or an entry level clinical research coordinator, in this guide you will learn how to draft a professional resume that effectively portrays your skill set and experience and give you relevant tips applicable to both senior and entry level positions.
To demonstrate the art of making a clean and professional resume, we will take the aid of a professional resume sample that we have created inspired by our very own impressive collection of resume examples and templates.
How to Write a Clinical Research Coordinator Resume?
To write an effective resume for a clinical research coordinator role, you will need to adopt a systematic approach by methodically listing all your key skills, qualifications and highlighting your valuable work experience.
The resume writing process requires a sharp attention to detail and the ability to convey your capability for the position that you are applying for. There are many things to take into consideration during this process and in this section we will be shining a light on all of them. Let's take a look at these detailed steps that will go into crafting your clinical research coordinator resume.
Pick the Right Format for Clinical Research Coordinator Resume
Choosing the right resume format is one of the most essential steps to drafting your clinical research coordinator resume. With the right format your resume can do absolute justice to showcasing your skills and qualifications and place you as a frontrunner for any job application. There are three resume formats that are commonly used and your first step to making your clinical research coordinator resume will require you to choose one of these formats that seems like a perfect fit to depict your professional competencies.
Chronological Format
If you are a candidate with considerable work history in the clinical research field, then the chronological format is the most suitable choice for your research coordinator resume. This format gives precedence to your work history section over the other sections. It lists down your employment history in a reverse chronological order to showcase your career progression. The chronological format is the most favoured by hiring managers and recruiters.
Functional Format
If you have a non-traditional professional background or have huge gaps in your employment history, then a functional format can be used for your resume. This format style aims to put a spotlight on your skills rather than your professional experience.
Hybrid Format
If you are new to the workforce with a limited working experience but possess all the required skills for a clinical research coordinator job, then a hybrid resume format is perfect for you. A hybrid resume format incorporates key elements of the chronological and functional formats and gives equal importance to highlighting your skills and listing your work experience in a reverse chronological order.
We recommend using the chronological format as it is the most recognised and accepted and it gives you the opportunity to demonstrate all the key points in your career as a clinical research coordinator.
Structure for Clinical Research Coordinator Resumes
Once you have decided on the format of your resume, the structure automatically gets set on the basis of that. The structure of a professional resume contains 7-8 essential sections which contain all the necessary components of your clinical research coordinator resume. Let's take a look at these resume sections in detail.
Create a Header
A header is the topmost part of your clinical research coordinator resume which contains all your necessary contact information.
You need to add all your updated and professional contact information in your header section which includes- full name, phone number, professional email address and a Linkedin profile link.
Ensure that you provide all the correct contact information and double check to eliminate any possible errors.
Write a Summary Statement
A professional summary is supposed to capture your skills, qualifications, experience and career goals in a nutshell. It also needs to convey your enthusiasm for the clinical research coordinator job that you are applying to.
An impactful professional summary is supposed to contain your job title with the number of years worked along with your key career highlights and future career goals
Make sure your professional summary is concise and doesn't extend more than two to four sentences.
Detail Your Work Background
Your professional experience section plays a huge part in the recruitment process. Hiring managers and recruiters are on the lookout for candidates with the relevant professional background. Add details about your previous roles and place emphasis on your responsibilities and professional accomplishments for each job.
Begin your work experience section by writing your job title you held in your previous roles.
Next, include the name of the company and their location.
Below that mention the exact date of employment and make sure you mention the start and end dates.
Start listing your responsibilities in bullet points and focus only on relevant and key responsibilities you held in your previous jobs. Start the bullet points with action verbs like managed, coordinated, supervised.
Incase you decide to mention any particular professional achievements, make sure you do so with the help of specific metrics and examples.
Mention Any Relevant Skills
A clinical research coordinator job requires a diverse set of skills including both hard skills and soft skills. Some of the skills that you can mention on your clinical research coordinator resume are as follows.
- Regulatory compliance (FDA guidelines)
- Manage clinical trials
- Data analysis
- Data collection
- Case report forms
- Patient recruitment strategies
- Data management
- Electronic Data Capture
- Good clinical practice guidelines
- Strong communication skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Time management
- Problem-solving
Highlight Your Educational Qualifications
It is very important to add all the relevant education details in this section. Include the bachelor's degree you have received, the name of the college/institution and the graduation date. You can even add relevant coursework details to enhance your education section.
Add Certifications
If you have received any clinical research coordinator certifications, it is highly advisable to highlight them in a separate section. Certifications are an indication of a candidate's determination to constantly upgrade their skills. By including these certifications you give yourself a better chance to get noticed by potential employers. Some of the certifications you can receive to better your skills as a clinical research coordinator are as follows.
- Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP)
- Certified Clinical Research Coordinator (CCRC)
- Certified Clinical Research Associate (CRA)
- Certified Principal Investigator (CPI)
Additional Sections (Optional)
Additional sections can be added to give your clinical research coordinator resume a boost. The sections that you add need to have a specific purpose to help build you up as an upstanding professional. Only add sections that are related to showing you in a better light as a research coordinator. Let's take a look at some of the sections that you can consider adding into your professional resume.
Awards and Achievements
If you have received any professional or academic awards then make sure to mention them in a separate section. Being recognised in your field of work can help you stand out from the crowd and position you as a frontrunner for the position that you are applying to.
Professional Affiliations
If you are a member of professional organizations like Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP), then mention them on your clinical research coordinator resume.
Tailor Your Research Coordinator Resume for Every Job Application
It is important to understand that each job application is unique and every job description requires a unique set of skills, personality traits and professional background. It is not possible to have a generic resume that will be applicable to all the jobs that you apply for.
Another reason to tailor your resume is to bypass the applicant tracking systems that most companies use to filter out resumes. The easiest way to do that is by scanning the job ad meticulously and incorporating all the keywords that have been used in the job description section. Try to effortlessly incorporate the exact keywords in your clinical research coordinator resume to ensure it doesn't get thrown out by an applicant tracking system.
Some of the resume keywords that can be used to optimise your clinical research coordinator resume are as follows.
- Good clinical practice
- International Review Board (IRB) applications
- Case report forms
- Electronic Data Capture Systems (EDC)
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
More Information About the Clinical Research Coordinator Job
A clinical research coordinator plays an important role in every stage of clinical research studies in hospitals, academic institutions and clinical research organisations. Their main responsibility is to ensure the smooth running of clinical trials.
Clinical research coordinators collaborate with principal investigators and research teams to design and plan clinical research studies. They are instrumental in the development of study procedures and study data related documents.
A research coordinator identifies and enrolls potential study participants and ensures that all the required documentation and compliance is in place.
A clinical research coordinator is responsible for organising and coordinating all study related research activities. They are required to monitor participant's progress and adverse events throughout the research studies.
As a clinical research coordinator, you will need to prepare and submit regulatory documents and updates to the Institutional Review Board.
A research coordinator acts as a link between the research team, study sponsors and external vendors. It is one of their job duties to schedule and facilitate investigator meetings, study team meetings and participant visits.
If you want to further your career as a clinical research coordinator, you need to keep your skills sharp and be updated with the latest technologies in the medical industry.'
Maintaining effective communication and keeping all parties informed about the progress of the research study and its incoming results.
Key Takeaways
- Choose a chronological format to make your clinical research coordinator resume.
- Double check your header section and make sure that all the contact information provided is accurate.
- Write an impactful and effective professional summary not more than two to four sentences long.
- Start each of the bullet points used to describe your job responsibilities with an action verb.
- Mention quantifiable professional achievements with specific examples.
- Write a separate skills section and list them down in an ordered bulleted list.
- Mention your relevant education background.
- Add all the certifications you have received in your clinical research coordinator resume.
- If you have received recognition in the clinical research field, it is recommended to mention that in a separate additional resume section.
- Tailor your clinical research coordinator resume for each job application and ensure that it is optimised with resume keywords to bypass ATS softwares.
In this guide, we have detailed every possible scenario to ensure that you are fully prepared to draft your own research coordinator resume from scratch. If you need more assistance, you can check out our amazing collection of resume templates and examples. Now that you are fully equipped to make your own job winning resume, we wish you all the luck for your job hunt!
Frequently Asked Question (FAQs)
How to write a clinical research coordinator resume?
A clinical research coordinator resume needs to be well thought out and appropriately structured and formatted. The best format for a research coordinator resume is the chronological format. Include the following sections in your clinical research coordinator resume.
- Header
- Resume summary
- Professional experience
- Skills
- Education
- Certifications
- Optional additional sections- professional memberships, awards and achievements
What skills need to be included in a clinical research coordinator resume?
A clinical research coordinator needs to have a versatile skill set with a balance of technical and soft skills. It is important to remember to tailor this section for every job application as per the job description given by the potential employers. Here are some of the skills that can be included in the research coordinator resume.
- Regulatory compliance (FDA guidelines)
- Manage clinical trials
- Data analysis
- Data collection
- Case report forms
- Patient recruitment strategies
- Data management
- Electronic Data Capture
- Good clinical practice guidelines
- Strong communication skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Time management
- Problem-solving
What are the responsibilities of a clinical research coordinator?
Clinical research coordinators are responsible for ensuring that clinical trials and research studies are conducted ethically and in compliance with regulatory requirements. Some of the responsibilities include the following.
- Planning, managing and implementing clinical trials
- Responsible for recruitment of participants for the clinical trials.
- Ensuring regulatory compliance
- Adverse event management
- Maintaining quality control
- Budget management
