Resume Tips

There are many guides available for how to write a winning resume, either online or at book stores. However, there are certain realities in today's job markets that these resources often omit. The following five tips cover important elements to keep in mind when writing or updating your nursing resume.

Be specific with your goals

Everyone wants a great nursing job opportunity with good pay, benefits and the opportunity for advancement. Differentiate yourself as a critical care nurse with a list of definite goals, such as a desire to become a supervisor or trainer within a specific period of time. That way, your goals become a natural part of the conversation when you come in for an interview.

Be succinct when you describe your experience

Many organizations now use computerized screeners to "read" nursing resumes. The scanning software simply looks for specific key words, then rejects resumes that don't have them. As a result, adjectives and descriptive language are not as important for a mechanical scanner as they are for a human being.

It is reasonable to assume that your resume will not be seen by a human being until after you make it past an automated nursing staffing selection process. You will need to craft a document that is appropriate for both mechanical and human readers. Items that you must include are:

• Titles, dates of employment and the name/address of previous nursing positions and employers
• Your career progression, with an emphasis on stability and loyalty at established organizations
• Objective, dollars-and-cents benefits that your efforts brought to previous jobs in nursing that wouldn't have been possible without your innovation and participation