A nurse’s resume is not the same as a regular resume. It must show all the skills and abilities needed for that particular job position and convey that you have studied hard and have patient care at the center of your mind.
Preparing a good resume before sending it off to your interviewer will give you an edge over other applicants. This article can provide you with some helpful tips on how to improve your resume so that you can nail that interview and land the job position of your dreams!
What is a Good Resume and Why is it Important?
A good resume should be concise and clearly demonstrate the skills and experiences necessary for the job you’re trying to get as well as your qualifications for the position.
It needs to convey that you are a hard worker because if you don’t show that you put in plenty of effort into preparing the resume, then your interviewer will not know why you came all this way to meet with them.
While a resume can leave off certain things, such as your personal life and hobbies, you don’t want to do this. In fact, your resume essentially needs to be a condensed version of the same thing that you will put in a cover letter.
If you need any help with this, or if you would like advice on how to customize a good cover letter for your job application, get in touch with a professional resume writer who can give you the help and advice you need to make a stand-out resume.
What Makes an Effective Resume?
A nurse’s resume gives the employer a glimpse of what you can offer in terms of your skills and knowledge, a hint at how you would perform in the role that they’re recruiting you for, and how you can benefit their workplace. It is important to highlight relevant skills and experiences that are transferable to the new position.
Also, it should demonstrate your character by showing the patient-centric value of your nursing skills. The combination of technical expertise with compassion is not something anybody could hire for; but if done in the right way, it demonstrates that you have everything it takes to be a good employee and make a positive impact on patients’ lives.
Dedication, hard work, and high integrity can be the best tools for success in any field. All of us are made up of our experiences, thoughts, feelings, and beliefs; how they combine makes us unique and powerful.
Putting Your Education and Skills On Your Resume
It may not be a good idea to talk about your outside school activities, but it is a good idea to include all the pertinent information about your nursing skills, such as certification and continuing education.
You can put this in two different sections of your resume: education and skills.
If you are a recent graduate and have a degree from an accredited nursing college, you can include those things and any honors that you might have received. For instance, if you graduated with high honors or won awards in research or volunteering, don’t forget to add them to your resume.
You may think that you can’t mention the training you are currently doing, but if you are doing CPD or even another course to improve your skills, it’s a good idea to put this on your resume. Mentioning that you are doing an fnp to agacnp qualification, for example, shows that you are invested in your career prospects.
Write a Good Resume that Gets You Interviews
If you want to get a good job as a nurse, then a good resume is essential. It may seem like it’s just one more thing you have to do, but it shouldn’t be that difficult. You will need to write down your career objectives, list your credentials and qualifications, and then put in some information about the experience that you have had.
You may want to include what types of nursing positions you are looking for and mention any relevant skills or experiences that you have, using bullet points to make the information easy for readers to read and understand. You will want to keep your resume focused on all the reasons why the employer should hire you for this position.
If you’re wondering how to really make your resume stand out, think of including the following.
Keep it Simple by Using Headings and Pictures
The use of headings, such as the following, can be very effective.
- Education and Professional Development
- Work Experience
- Awards and Achievements
These are just a few examples, but you could also add an Awards section to highlight any prizes or recognition you have received in school or work.
If relevant, pictures can help your resume to stand out. For instance, if you have taken a lot of care of patients on holiday with your nursing team, this could be included in the picture section. You could also use pictures to show your expertise or explain how you make a difference in the lives of patients.
Emphasize Your Skills
Your resume should be organized into sections with headings that explain your skills and abilities. For example, a heading to highlight your medical training would read like this.
This is a simple, but effective way of showing what you can offer as a nurse.
List Your Credentials
A good resume should highlight your qualifications by listing the main skills and certificates that you have obtained. So instead of writing everything in one long list, break down your skills and experience into different categories; for instance, listing qualifications that are relevant to your current job position such as:
- Certified Medication Assistant
- Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
Be Honest about Your Experience and Skills
You should also list any relevant positions that you have held previously so that employers know if you are a reliable person who can work hard in the future.
Try not to be too boastful; it is better to say something like, “Skilled in managing large groups of people.” It doesn’t sound as good as, “I am a natural organizer who loves to keep things running smoothly,” but it is more honest.
Writing a good resume will take some time, but you will be able to use it again and again if you are looking for different nursing positions. Make sure that your resume highlights all the pertinent information you have regarding your education and experience so that employers can see how qualified you are for their job openings.
Include a Professional Development Statement
This statement should be written in the Skills section of your resume. Your professional development statement should highlight to employers that you are consistently striving for self-improvement and learning more about your industry.
You can also feel free to share any certifications that you have received or are working towards if relevant, such as a Certified Adult Health Nurse Practitioner (AANP) or Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).
List Previous Jobs and Accomplishments from Each One
A good resume should list all of your previous jobs, as well as what you contributed to each one.
You can describe why this position was important to you personally or why it was a good fit for your skillset.
For example, “I was a Travel Nurse for ten months and I gained invaluable experience traveling all over the world. I loved meeting so many new people from different cultures.”
Include Relevant Skills and Abilities
You should also include your relevant skills, abilities, and any experience or qualifications you might have that make you a valuable candidate for the job. This is important because it shows that you are prepared to make a good impression regarding interview time.
Remember: Anything that can help make your resume stand out as impressive is important! Here are some good examples of what you could include in your resume.
Align your CV with NMC Standards
A good CV tells the reader more about you, but it also needs to include things like your personal details, career goals, and relevant experience. You may need to keep your CV shorter than three pages if you want to stand out.
Keep it Simple With a Summary
You can write a summary of your career highlights in bullet point format or with some brief paragraphs. Mention anything that could be of interest to potential employers, such as awards and other recognitions that you have received in your career.
If relevant, add any courses or training programs that you have completed as well as any languages you speak.
Double-Check Your References
You should be sure to check the punctuation, spelling, and grammar for a copy of your resume before you send it off.
Make sure that you have included all the spelling and grammar errors as well as anything that might be confusing to potential employers.
Don’t Forget About the Cover Letter
Your cover letter should also add more detail about how your experience or qualifications are relevant to the job opening in question.
For example, if you are applying for a job at a hospital or nursing home, you could demonstrate why you would be an ideal candidate for this role based on previous experience with patients in your own home or working on an emergency medical team.
Keep It Professional and Simple
Be sure to include your personal information, including your full name and details about your home address and phone number.
Be sure to include what experience you have in your field and any educational or certifications that you might have.
The key to writing a good CV is to highlight the positive aspects of your qualifications. You should avoid negative statements at all costs by keeping them straightforward. Remember: a CV should be easy to read because it’s used to present yourself as a professional candidate.
How to Market Yourself for Nursing Careers
The most important thing you can do is to market yourself by showing off everything you have to offer.
If you have an extensive resume with a lot of experience, it shouldn’t be hard to find a good nursing position!
If you are looking for a new nursing job, you may want to begin by asking friends and colleagues if they know of any jobs that have just become available. If possible, ask if they might know of people working at certain facilities.
You can also try reaching out to employers online by sending a message on Linkedin and Facebook.
You can then use this “pre-screening” to gauge the interest level in your resume as you send out additional messages for follow-up interviews.
You may also want to reach out to established nursing recruiters who may be able to help identify positions you are qualified for or that are related to your career goals.
Career Advice: Don’t Just Quit
If you are transitioning from your current job, don’t burn bridges; it is best practice to always leave on good terms.
If you don’t, and you hurt your current employer’s reputation in the process, they might not want to help you out in the future when it comes to job references or a professional recommendation.
It’s always better to leave on good terms and network with other people who can help you with your career transition.
If you are considering making a move to advance in your career, it is important to keep these recommendations in mind at all times. Be sure to leave on good terms and don’t burn any bridges!
You might even want to maintain contact with your current employer after you have left the company, especially if there may be jobs coming up in the future.
Conclusion
For many people, deciding that it’s time for a life change can be intimidating. If you have decided to make a career move, you will need to prepare yourself for a competitive job search.
Be sure to do your research, get your resume and cover letter ready ahead of time, and make some connections with those who can help you get where you want to go.
A career in nursing is an excellent area of focus if this is something you would like to pursue.
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