Chiropractor Resume: Examples, Template, and Resume Tips
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For many years, most people have regarded medical doctors as the only professionals who can take care of their health. This has especially been fueled by scientific advancements and the general belief that science points us to the truth.
But then came chiropractic.
Chiropractic has been practiced since 1895 when its founder Daniel David Palmer performed the first adjustment. From then, research has shown that chiropractic provides great benefits although acceptance has been riddled with misconceptions.
The good news is that patients have continuously attested to its effectiveness. This should give you a reason to smile. At least your career is secure.
As a Chiropractor, you’re definitely an important part of the health sector. And whether you’ve just graduated or have been working for some years, there are many opportunities available for you.
To take advantage of these opportunities, you’ll have to start at the resume stage. And since writing a resume can be challenging, we decided to come to your aid.
This article is meant to equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to transform your resume from average to perfect. Taking from our expertise and experience in career matters, we know what exactly you need to write.
We’ll take you through the main sections of a chiropractor resume and show you how to write them. To make it easy for you to see what we’re talking about, we included section examples all through. This helps you see the difference between the traditional resume and the one you’ll be writing.
Moreover, at the end of this article, we have two resume samples for you. They show the final document with all the advice applied.
You will see them for yourself. They do impress and communicate clearly the qualifications of the candidates.
It’s time to say goodbye to your job hunting days.
But before getting into the resume stuff, let’s tell you a few things about your occupation. This will help you understand the health sector you’re in.
CHIROPRACTOR JOB OUTLOOK
What is the job outlook for chiropractors?
Where do they work? How much are they paid? Is there career growth and if so, how much?
As a chiropractor, these are questions which are probably going through your mind right now. These are great questions and we have answers to them.
Let’s start with the location.
If chiropractic is being gradually embraced, then there are areas which are embracing it faster than others. The best way to know these areas is by looking at employment figures.
In which states are there more chiropractors than others?
According to 2018 chiropractors employment data, some states are indeed home to more chiropractors than others. This could reflect the states with most chiropractor jobs.
From that report, California is the state with the most chiropractors with a total of 3,330 of them. It is followed by Florida which has 2,480 and Texas with 2,190 chiropractors.
New York and Illinois come in fourth and fifth with 1,970 and 1,610 chiropractors respectively.
Chiropractor salaries
And how much are they paid?
As a chiropractor, the value of your services cannot be questioned. Not only are you important to the general public but also to career athletes. Even sports clubs need you if they’re to win trophies.
We’ll look at how sports is fueling the demand for your services in a bit. But given the importance of what you do, how much can you expect to earn from your expertise?
Here are some figures for you to consider. These are as of December 2019.
Looking at these figures, it’s important to understand that chiropractors can earn varying salaries. It all depends on different factors. These include education level, years of work experience, place of practice and even the number of hours worked.
As a chiropractor, you’re likely to work full time. Taking the option of working longer hours could potentially increase your earnings. This could easily be an available option if you’re working in a busy facility.
Chiropractor job growth
When it comes to job growth, employment of chiropractors is expected to have a 7% growth from 2018 to 2028.
This is 2% higher than the projected growth of all the occupations in the US economy.
It might help to know what factors are behind the projected job growth. All of these factors are centered on health issues.
Here are some of them.
Common back pains
As someone who deals with the problems of the neuro-musculoskeletal system, you know the seriousness of back pains. With the back playing an important role in the support of the body’s weight, it’s important to keep it strong and healthy.
Take a look at the below back pain statistics to see the need for your services:
- Approximately 80% of Americans will experience back problems at some point in their lives.
- Americans spend at least $86 billion annually on back pain
- These costs are cut by 55% when physical therapy is used before more invasive treatment options
- 54% of Americans with back pains rate chiropractic treatment as effective
- 54% of Americans with back pains spend their workday sitting
Back pains are mainly caused by posture problems. Standing, sitting or walking in the wrong posture causes or contributes to back pains.
Back pains can also be caused by working out wrongly. This is why it’s important to follow the gym instructor’s directions and stop exercising immediately pain is experienced and professional advice sought.
Age issues
As people get older, their health gradually deteriorates and this is where chiropractors like you come in.
Baby boomers are retiring in big numbers. Some sources indicate that up to 10,000 baby boomers are retiring every day.
Some of them have health insurance covers while others don’t. Insurance companies are steadily improving their packages to include chiropractic cover. With such covers, many are able to afford chiropractic treatment.
Since aging is connected to things like a deteriorating bone health, you can expect many baby boomer patients.
Sports
Another area in which you can apply your expertise is sports. This is becoming popular day by day.
Since chiropractors work to restore or enhance joint function, it’s easy to see how athletes can benefit from your services.
Playing games, especially high-stake games like NBA and NFL often leads to muscle and joint pains. This comes naturally going by how the players push themselves to the limit in an attempt to give their best.
In any case, are their careers not on the line?
The teams also want to maintain the titles they hold while their competitors are eager to dethrone them from the top positions.
In view of this, many teams have now embraced the services of Chiropractors. They understand the importance of having their players undergo chiropractic treatment before and after the games. This helps keep the players in good shape.
The more the players are in good shape, the better the results the teams can expect to have. Here is a video of how chiropractors help teams and their players.
RESUME WRITING FOR CHIROPRACTORS
From the above, you can see that you’re definitely in the right career. And whatever level you’re in, there is room for growth.
Whether you’re employed in a public or private chiropractic clinic or are fresh from college, a resume is one tool you’ll definitely need.
So how do you go about writing that perfect resume?
We’ll tell you all about it as well as give you two examples which reflect different career stages.
If you’re in a hurry and just want to write your resume, check out our resume templates. They will help you come up with a colorful and professional-looking resume in minutes.
Let’s get started.
There are at least five different things you have to cover in a resume. These are your personal information, work experience, education background, skills and your summary or objective.
Here is a brief discussion on each.
Personal information
This section serves the purpose of introducing yourself to your potential employer. You’ll basically be writing your name, addresses, mobile number as well as your LinkedIn profile link.
And when writing your name, you can decide to add the initials “D.C.” to indicate that you’re a doctor of chiropractic.
When it comes to your name, the most important thing to remember is that you should avoid nicknames and contractions. Be official as this is more professional.
Wrong way to write your name
Tommy Nelly
Right way to write your name
Thomas Nelson, (D.C.)
The same advice of being professional should apply in your email address. Avoid email addresses which include descriptive or fancy names. You need to have a professional email address.
Wrong way to write your email address
talltomnelly@yahoo.com
Right way to write your email address
thomasnelson@yahoo.com
or
thomasnelson57@yahoo.com
or
t.nelly@yahoo.com
Remember to provide a working mobile phone number to facilitate being contacted.
Including your photo is not a must but if you decide to do so, use a colored one. The photo should also be recent and clear. You should take it using a high resolution camera.
Summary vs Objective
There has been considerable debate—and still is—about whether the resume objectives or summary is best for resumes. From where we stand, there is really no need for such a debate.
If you ask any recruiter or even a HR manager, they will tell you that the two serve different purposes. Sometimes it may not be very clear what the purpose is because of how they’re written.
But from the HR’s perspective, it comes out very clearly when they start reading a resume.
It’s all about what you as the job candidate has to offer.
Basically, if you have a wealth of experience, that’s what you should sell. The experience will be evident in your summary.
If you have no work experience, then you pitch your skills and any special abilities evident from any previous work. These are what will tell the hiring manager how the company will benefit from your employment.
You will communicate these by showing their value and telling of how you intend to use them for the company’s benefit. That happens through career objectives. For more on this, read our article on writing resume objective.
Being fresh from college may mean that you don’t have any work experience. However, there is probably something you can write about.
Did you do any internships? Have you done any volunteer work? These gave you some experience. You can mention these. And while doing so, follow the advice below about summaries.
Pro tip:
Your career objective should highlight your skills and any relevant experience you’ve acquired. At the same time, it should not say that you want the job or talk about your personal career goals. Always talk from the employer’s perspective.
Here is how to write a career objective.
Ineffective career objective
Jovial and professional chiropractor seeking to work in an environment where I can use my skills for the better of patients and help the facility grow.
Effective career objective
Chiropractor with experience in customer service having helped increase customer satisfaction by 30% during internship. Able to quickly prepare exam rooms and use MS Office tools to schedule meetings, take and manage patient records as well as manage patient flow.
When writing the professional summary, you should pick from your work history four or five of your best highlights. These are not the biggest duties and most critical responsibilities you had but the biggest career achievements.
To communicate them perfectly, always use numbers to show the change you brought about in your past or current job.
Here is an example.
Ineffective professional summary
Chiropractor with experience treating muscular and joint pains through chiropractic techniques. Able to engage patients and train them on how to stay healthy. Have previously helped improve the lives of many back pain patients.
Effective professional summary
Chiropractor with 6+ years of experience treating patients in different facilities. Treated up to 50 patients per week in a busy clinic giving them post-therapy training which reduced back pain recurrence by 65%.
Work experience
When it comes to writing your work experience, always start with the most recent relevant experience.
This is how to best show your abilities as a chiropractor. Your work experience will easily inform the resume reader of your knowledge and skills.
Remember to write about accomplishments and not duties and responsibilities. Hiring managers are never interested in knowing what you were in charge of. They want to know what you did so they see whether you can add value to their company.
Wrong way of writing work experience
Chiropractor – ABC Clinic, St. Louis, MO
2015 – 2019
- Take patient records
- Explain chiropractic treatment procedures
- Offer post-therapy advice
Right way of writing work experience
Chiropractor – ABC Clinic, St. Louis, MO
2015 – 2019
- Increased patient confidence in chiropractic by 70% through explaining chiropractic procedures
- Diagnosed and treated over 200 patients every month
- Reduced back pain recurrence by 65% by offering post-therapy posture advice
You’ll notice that the second set of statements paint a picture of results. The first on the other hand is very passive. It doesn’t generate any attention or excitement.
The second set of statements will perform better in a chiropractor resume while the first one won’t.
If you just graduated and are wondering where to get work experience from, don’t worry. There are lots of sources for that.
Did you do any internships? Have you ever done any volunteer work? Managed any projects? Ever done anything, just anything?
If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, then you have very valuable work experience. Yes, it’s not chiropractic work experience but it’s work experience.
What you need to understand is that you should showcase your transferable skills. To show these, talk about the work you’ve done and show how you brought about change in those workplaces.
Here’s an example of an entry-level chiropractor’s work experience resume section.
Wrong way of writing work experience
Project manager – Quantum Systems, Portland, Oregon
- Managed new projects
- Worked with fellow system developers
- Fulfilled customer requirements
Right way of writing work experience
Project manager – Quantum Systems, Portland, Oregon
- Exceeded customer expectations in 70% of projects through understanding requirements
- Collaborated with other project workers to finish projects ahead of deadline
- Up to 30% of first-time customers offered to write testimonials on our blog
Education
The education part of your resume doesn’t have much to talk about, unless you have several degrees to show off.
If that is the case, then good for you. They will probably add weight to your resume. All you need to do is list the degrees starting with the most recent one.
If you’re looking for your first job and only have one degree, worry not. In fact, you’re the one best-placed to benefit from the advice we’re sharing in this section.
You see, as the one somehow naturally disadvantaged, you may wonder how you can keep up with the competition out there. Here is what you should do.
Step 1: go through the job description in the job as and gather all the keywords you can get. These are basically the words describing what the clinic or practice expects of the successful job candidate.
Step 2: use those keywords to direct your choice of coursework which you can list in this section. The thing is, chiropractors write the name of the university and degree program plus the years of study. That’s fine though you can do more if you want to give your resume some attention.
So let your resume show that despite not having relevant work experience, you have relevant academic qualification. Match the keywords to relevant coursework and see how impressive your education background suddenly becomes.
Of course, you can do the same thing if you have chiropractic work experience though you don’t need to. In fact, you’ll be wasting precious resume space.
Ineffective way of writing your education
D.C. Chiropractic
Logan University, Chesterfield, Missouri
2010 – 2014
Effective way of writing your education
D.C. Chiropractic
Logan University, Chesterfield, Missouri
2010 – 2014
Relevant coursework
- Cox Flexion / Distraction
- Fibromyalgia Care
- Sports rehabilitation
- Activator, Graston, Nimmo
Skills
Coming to the last mandatory section of your resume, this is where you have an opportunity to show that you have unique skills which set you apart from other chiropractors.
The list of skills you write isn’t much of an issue. The biggest challenge is to write the skills the employer is looking for.
So, instead of rushing to write that you have communication skills, organization skills etc, consult that list of keywords once again. Just find out what skills the employer is looking for.
Once you have that, then write your list—starting with those skills you got from the job description.
Here are some you can add to your resume.
- Dexterity
- Sports rehabilitation
- Trigger point therapy
- Intersegmental traction
- Judgment and decision making
- Empathy
- Coordination
- Emotional intelligence
- Active listening
- Verbal and non-verbal communication
- Organization
- Critical thinking
- Patient evaluation and management
- Professional ethics
- Moral reasoning
- Business management
It’s impossible to provide you with a comprehensive list of chiropractor skills. If you have any skill not mentioned here, you can always add it in your resume. Just start with the ones most relevant to the job then others can follow.
CHIROPRACTOR RESUME SAMPLES
Here are now the resume samples we mentioned earlier. These will help you see how the advice provided in the article come together to make a beautiful and results-driven resume.
Go through them for inspiration and then use one of our resume templates to write your own chiropractor resume.
With a resume looking like one of these, you won’t be job hunting for long.
Entry-level chiropractor resume sample

Experienced chiropractor resume sample

CONCLUSION
Now that you have the knowledge, you can confidently write your chiropractor resume in a way that will make your job hunting time shorter.
Use the sample resumes as a reference and get the inspiration you need.
![Chiropractor Resume: Sample and Complete Guide [+2 Examples]](https://www.cleverism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/1957-Chiropractor-Resume-long.png)
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