How to Write a Dietitian Resume (With Example and Template)

Updated 23 January 2023

Writing a resume that emphasises your suitability for a role can be a significant aspect of your job search for dietitian roles. It can help set your application apart from others. Learning what to include on your resume can help you in creating the most effective one for you. In this article, we describe what a dietitian is, explain how to write a dietitian resume, explore some tips on how to improve yours and provide a template and example to guide you.

What is a dietitian?

A dietitian is a professional who works in a medical setting to assess and improve the diet and overall health of their patients. They gather information from patients about their current food and beverage intake, exercise and what they wish to achieve whilst factoring in any medical issues. They then provide feedback on what elements to change or improve. A dietitian can also develop plans to help patients reach their goals and improve their health.

How to create your dietitian resume

Below are seven steps to help you create your dietitian resume:

1. Review the job description

When creating your resume, review the job description you're applying for thoroughly to ensure it's appropriate, that you're qualified and that you have adequate experience to fulfil the job requirements. Understanding these elements can help you write a concise resume that contains all the information necessary for a dietitian position. Whilst reviewing the job description, also pay attention to the information regarding the application process. Understanding this information can help you prepare your resume accordingly.

2. Start with your contact information

Place your contact details at the top of your resume to create an organised, professional-looking document. This is the first part of your resume a hiring manager sees, so keeping it clear and concise can help make a good impression.

Using a bold font for your name can help make it conspicuous and easily identifiable. Your current professional title, email address, phone number and the city and state you live in can go under your name, separated by either commas or pipe characters. If you have a professional website or social media page you wish to include, you can add the link here too.

3. Write a professional summary

Your professional summary is a brief introduction to your resume. It often consists of one to three sentences and gives the hiring manager an understanding of who you are. You can use this statement to highlight your qualifications, achievements and skills. It can also be an opportunity to explain the reason you're applying for the position. For example, if you have little experience because you've recently graduated or have committed to a career change, then you could include your career goals here.

Although brief, your professional summary can be a significant element of your resume, emphasising your candidacy and catching the attention of a hiring manager.

4. Include your work history

The work history section on your resume features your previous experience. It can include past employment or volunteer work experience. In this section, list your previous employment in reverse chronological order. For each position, include the title of the position, the name of the company that employed you, the date you worked there and some key responsibilities you performed throughout your employment. You can also include any additional recognition awards or achievements that might be valuable as a dietitian.

Completing this section provides the hiring manager with an understanding of the skills you've used in previous roles and how proficient you are with those skills. It also gives them an idea of where your abilities have strengthened, especially if they're familiar with the company you previously worked for. If you don't have significant experience as a dietitian, you can still include previous positions. This allows the hiring manager to learn which transferable skills you possess.

5. Add your education history

The education history section of your resume includes your most recent and relevant qualifications. Given the study that's necessary to become a dietitian, you might only include the university qualifications you achieved specifically for the role. You can start with the name of the degree you achieved, the educational institution you studied at, the year you completed or expect to complete it and any additional accomplishments you may have earned whilst studying. This section gives a hiring manager the information to confirm you're adequately qualified for the position in question.

6. Highlight your skills

Create a section on your resume to highlight your hard and soft skills. Your hard skills are your technical skills and competencies, which may be specific to the dietitian role or industry. Your soft skills are usually transferable and work to complement how you perform your hard skills. For example, a dietitian might be proficient in using a glucose meter, but using their interpersonal skills to communicate with their patient might complement that technical skill.

Note which skills a job advertisement mentions specifically. This can help you ensure you directly address the skills a hiring manager is looking for in a candidate.

7. Create an additional section

You can create an additional section on your resume to list any related memberships or accreditations. If you're already a fully qualified dietitian, you might list your professional practising accreditation here. You can include anything that you consider valuable to a dietitian role, whilst ensuring you keep the information consistent, applicable and concise.

Tips for writing a dietitian resume

Here are some tips to help you write or improve your resume:

Use clear formatting

Formatting your resume to have a professional appearance can make it more effective. Use simple fonts and sizing, standard colour schemes and neat spacing. You can use bold or slightly larger font for headings to keep an organised format. Ensuring you only include necessary information can help keep the document clear and concise.

Highlight achievements

Your personal and professional achievements can make a significant impact on the effectiveness of your resume because they support your unique value. They can help to create a memorable impression on the hiring manager by showcasing how your abilities can be of benefit to them. You can include individual or group achievements, though if you choose to include group achievement, establish the role you held and emphasise how you supported the group.

Use keywords

Keywords describe required skills, qualifications and experience. Adapting each application to include the keywords from the job advertisement can help a hiring manager immediately determine if you're an appropriate candidate. Another benefit of using these specific keywords throughout your resume is the ability to make it ATS friendly. An ATS, also known as an applicant tracking system, scans and filters through resumes automatically before the hiring manager reviews them. Often, they might scan for the keywords that were in the job advertisement.

Resume template for dieticians

Below is a template to help you create your resume:

[Your full name]

[Professional title] | [Email address] | [Phone number] | [City and state]

Professional Summary
[One to three sentences emphasising your suitability for the role.]

Work History
[Position title]
[Company name]
[Date of employment]

[Key responsibility]
[Key responsibility]
[Key responsibility]
[Key responsibility]
[Key responsibility]

Education
[Name of qualification]
[Educational institution]
[Date achieved]
[Additional awards or achievements]

Skills
[List relevant hard and soft skills]

Additional Achievements
[Any additional information relevant to a dietitian role]

Resume example for dieticians

Here's an example of a resume for you to review:

Angela Smith
Dietitian | angelasmith@email.com | 0105 555 555 | Sydney NSW

Professional Summary
Enthusiastic, accredited dietitian with 12 years' experience in paediatric nutritional well-being. Seeking to continue pursuing my dedication to children's health in your clinic.

Work History
Paediatric dietitian
Early Health Melbourne
October 2010–Current

conduct nutrition assessments
identify patients at risk
create nutrition plans
analyse effectiveness of interventions
implement data-driven improvements

Dietitian (supervised provisional program)
Fit Health Solutions
September 2009–September 2010

provided individual consultation and dietetic support
developed nutritious and balanced menus
created and deliver nutrition education groups

Education
Master of Dietetics
The University of Health
May 2010

Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics
The University of Health
May 2008

Additional Achievements
Accredited Practicing Dietitian with Australian Dietitian Association