An effective resume is an important self-marketing tool for all nursing professionals. Whether you are just out of nursing school or a seasoned professional, and no matter what area of nursing you choose, a well-written resume will open doors of opportunity for you.
The main purpose of a resume is to help you get a job interview. A resume is more than a list of your jobs and the facts of your employment history. A good resume is about YOU and how you act and perform in your jobs.
Without a great resume, how will employers and recruiters know your unique skills and accomplishments? How will they know that you are the right candidate for the job they need to fill? And since you will probably have competition for that job, how can your resume help you stand out from the others?
Give your resume this quick check up and see for yourself how it will improve your chances of getting the nursing job you want.
1. Choose your job target. Because of the great variety of nursing specialties, it’s important to focus your resume. Targeting your resume to a specific job objective will give you faster results.
2. Match your skills and experience. Use the job posting to look for the basic qualifications, and when writing your resume, highlight your training and history that match.
3. Summarize your key points. Put this “Professional Summary” section at or near the top of the resume, and then support it with your job history. The summary can be written as a paragraph or a list.
4. List your achievements. In addition to basic job descriptions, show ways you were able to increase production, streamline a process, increase efficiency, etc. Show how you solved problems, and give specific numbers if you can (i.e. dollar amounts, percentages, etc.). Remember to include promotions and awards.
5. Include keywords. Since many resumes are scanned into databases, career-specific keywords will help employers and recruiters searching for specific skills and experience to find your resume. Some people even include a special “Keyword” section in their resume.
6. List training and certifications related to the new job you want, and other skills that would be an asset, such as a second language.
7. Make your resume easy to read. Your resume will be read very quickly by hiring professionals, and long paragraphs of job descriptions may hide important information about you. Make that information easy to find, with bulleted highlights below each job listing.
Follow these steps and you’ll see an increase in the response to your resume, more interviews, and you’ll soon be on the way to that great new job!