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Key Takeaways
- CCC-SLP is the credential — ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence plus state licence. Both go at the top.
- Medical SLP and school SLP are different jobs. Name your setting and use its vocabulary.
- Dysphagia experience is the highest-value keyword in medical settings, including instrumental assessment (MBSS, FEES).
- Caseload size and productivity are the operational numbers; school SLPs should state IEP caseload.
- Clinical Fellowship (CFY) status must be stated clearly — employers hire CFs deliberately.
Speech-language pathology splits sharply between medical and educational settings. The populations, documentation, reimbursement and daily work all differ, and postings screen on setting language. A resume that reads as generically "SLP" matches neither well.
Best SLP Resume Format for 2026
Reverse-chronological, one to two pages, single column. Avoid tables and text boxes — see ATS formatting mistakes — and our resume length guide on when two pages is right.
Section order:
- Header with credentials
- Licensure and certification
- Summary
- Settings and populations
- Assessments and interventions
- Experience
- Education and clinical placements
Header and Credentials
Daniel Osei, MS, CCC-SLP
Atlanta, GA · (404) 555-0129 · d.osei@email.com
CCC-SLP is the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence — the credential most postings require.
LICENSURE & CERTIFICATION
Speech-Language Pathologist, Georgia, License #SLP-3391, active through 06/2028
ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP), account #01234567, current
Georgia Educator Certificate, Service (S-5) — for school placement
VitalStim Certified — 2024
BLS, AHA — current through 01/2027
School positions frequently require a state educator certificate in addition to the health licence. If you hold it, list it — it is a hard requirement that many applicants lack.
Medical vs School: Pick Your Vocabulary
The single most useful thing you can do to an SLP resume is decide which setting you are targeting and write in its language.
Medical (acute, SNF, inpatient rehab, outpatient): dysphagia, MBSS, FEES, aspiration precautions, diet texture recommendation, IDDSI, tracheostomy, Passy-Muir valve, aphasia, dysarthria, apraxia, cognitive-communication, TBI, CVA, discharge planning, Medicare Part A/B
School-based (K-12, early intervention): IEP, IFSP, 504 plan, eligibility evaluation, present levels, annual goals, articulation, phonology, language disorder, fluency, AAC, social communication, response to intervention, caseload management, Medicaid billing
Mixing these registers reads as unfocused to both audiences. If you genuinely work across both, say so explicitly rather than blending the vocabulary. The general principle is in matching keywords to a job description.
Professional Summary
Medical:
CCC-SLP with 6 years in acute care and inpatient rehabilitation, carrying 9-11 patients daily. Perform and interpret MBSS independently, manage tracheostomy and Passy-Muir populations, and lead the facility's dysphagia competency training for nursing staff.
School-based:
CCC-SLP with 5 years in K-8 public schools managing an IEP caseload of 52 students across two buildings. Specialise in AAC implementation and social communication groups; served as district lead for AAC device trials.
Dysphagia Is the Highest-Value Medical Keyword
In medical settings, swallowing is where demand concentrates. If you have instrumental experience, foreground it:
Independently perform and interpret modified barium swallow studies (MBSS, 200+ annually) and assist FEES; make diet texture and compensatory strategy recommendations per IDDSI framework; manage tracheostomy and ventilator-dependent patients including Passy-Muir valve trials.
VitalStim, MBSImP training and FEES competency are all worth naming explicitly where held.
Assessments and Interventions
Assessments: CELF-5 · PPVT-5 · GFTA-3 · CAAP-2 · Western Aphasia Battery · Boston Naming Test · MoCA · SLUMS · MBSS · FEES · clinical swallow evaluation Interventions: Articulation and phonological therapy · Language intervention · Fluency shaping and stuttering modification · AAC evaluation and implementation · Aphasia therapy · Cognitive-communication rehabilitation · Voice therapy · Dysphagia therapy and compensatory strategies AAC: Tobii Dynavox · PRC-Saltillo · Proloquo2Go · LAMP Words for Life · TouchChat Documentation: Epic · WebPT · Casamba · SEIS · Frontline IEP
Writing Experience Bullets
Weak:
Provided speech therapy to patients with various communication disorders.
Strong:
Carry 9-11 patients daily across acute care and inpatient rehab; complete 4-6 clinical swallow evaluations per day and independently perform 200+ MBSS annually.
Weak:
Managed a caseload of students and wrote IEPs.
Strong:
Manage an IEP caseload of 52 students across two elementary buildings; completed 30+ eligibility evaluations annually with 100% compliance on state timelines.
Numbers most SLPs have: daily caseload, IEP caseload, evaluations per year, MBSS performed, productivity percentage, compliance rate, students or CFs supervised, groups run per week. See quantifying achievements.
Clinical Fellows (CFY)
State your status plainly and early. Employers hire clinical fellows deliberately and budget for supervision — being vague about it helps nobody.
Clinical Fellow, Speech-Language Pathology — currently completing CF under supervision of Maria Chen, CCC-SLP. ASHA CF paperwork initiated 07/2026; anticipated CCC award 06/2027. Georgia provisional licence #SLP-P-1188 active.
Lead with graduate clinical placements, with hours and populations:
GRADUATE CLINICAL PRACTICUM — 400 supervised clinical hours Acute Care, Emory University Hospital (120 hrs). Clinical swallow evaluations, aphasia and cognitive-communication assessment, MBSS observation and participation. School-Based, DeKalb County Schools (120 hrs). Articulation, language and fluency intervention; participated in IEP development for 15 students. University Clinic (160 hrs). Pediatric language, adult voice, fluency; full evaluation and treatment planning.
Our no-experience resume guide covers the wider framing for early-career resumes.
Common SLP Resume Mistakes
Omitting CCC-SLP. It is the credential postings screen for.
Blending medical and school vocabulary. Pick the target setting and write in its language.
Burying dysphagia experience. In medical settings it is the highest-demand skill.
No caseload numbers. Managers hire on capacity; state it.
Not naming AAC systems. School and pediatric postings frequently name specific devices.
Being vague about CF status. Employers plan supervision; say exactly where you are.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need CCC-SLP to apply? Most postings require it or accept clinical fellows explicitly. If you are a CF, say so clearly rather than leaving it ambiguous.
How do I move from schools to medical? Name the target setting, foreground any medical placements or dysphagia coursework, and pursue VitalStim or similar. Do not rewrite school experience in medical language — connect it honestly.
Should I list every assessment I know? List the ones you administer independently, weighted toward those the posting names.
Do school SLPs need an educator certificate? Frequently yes, in addition to the health licence. Check the state and list it if you hold it.
How long should the resume be? One page as a CF or new graduate; two once you have multiple settings, certifications and outcomes.
Make This Practical
SLP postings state their setting, population, caseload and required certifications plainly. The usual filter on a qualified candidate is vocabulary — a medical resume sent to a school posting, or a skill held but written in the other setting's words.
Scan your resume against the posting and check which requirements come back unevidenced. It is free and takes about a minute.
See also our ATS score guide and the occupational therapist guide for the adjacent rehabilitation role.
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