Getting your PALS will not directly help you to land a non-ED, non-Peds position in acute care. Actually, while most new grads amass certificates, the are helpful only in that they show initiative, not subject mastery.

Hospitals provide PALS, ACLS and other training and certificates required for the job.

What will help far more is to craft a resume that will help you to land interviews, and to prepare for your interviews. Here are some resume tips I hope will help.

Resume

Resumes are not about you. They are about the employer and showing the employer that your skill sets and qualifications meet their needs. Do some research so that you can target your resume to the employer.

For example, are they faith-based or for profit? Magnet status or seeking magnet status? Perhaps they are growing a service line, such as oncology services.

These things are good to know going into an interview, but also when composing your resume. It gives you an idea of what they are about and how to show that you are a good fit for them.

Resumes should be visually appealing, blending white space and text. Avoid dense blocks of text. Use a standard 12 pt font in Arial or Tahoma which works across all computer systems, nothing artsy.

Make sure your layout is pleasing to the eye. Headers should be uniform and help the reader navigate.

Your resume should be one-two pages in length, and error free.

Hiring managers assume that if your resume contains careless errors, you may be a careless worker. Yesterday I read a resume stating "In response to your job posting of July 30, 2025". Proof your resume once and then twice.

Then have someone else proof it, because your eyes may not see your own errors. Until you hit "Send", that is.

• Avoid over-used terms such as "detail-oriented", team player"
• Avoid listing basic nursing skills and lengthy descriptions of clinical rotations. They do not serve to set you apart from every other candidate
• Use keywords from the job posting
• Use bullet lists for emphasis and interest

Be sure your email address is professional (firstname.lastname@gmail.com; No princessleah or 1coolchick@aol.com).

Highlight previous work or volunteer experiences that showcase skills the employer needs. For example, did you exceed in customer service as a waitress or bartender? Include an example in your resume, as examples are remembered.

Once you land an interview, you're on your way! Now you can WOW!! them in person. Be sure to read these articles for some great interview tips.

Uncensored Thoughts of a Nurse Interviewer

How to Answer "Tell Us About Yourself"

How to Answer "What's Your Greatest Weakness?"

How timely. Many posts lately about collecting certifications to boost employment opportunities as an inexperienced new grad! I've seen resumes like you describe and worse! Sometimes looking at the same document too long makes you blind to the errors, hence its a great idea to have some one else (besides your mom or best friend who may be biased to your awesomeness) proofread your resume! If you had a unique preceptorship or clinical elective pertinent to the job you are applying for such as a pediatric ED preceptorship within the same healthcare system that will boost your resume. Whereas listing 22 hours, pediatrics ABC Hospital May 2015 adds nothing because HR already knows you had a pediatric rotation like every other new grad

Try and apply directly to a nurse residency program that trains you for the ICU. You will probably have to sign a two-year committment, but at least you will get hired into critical care.

gatorgirl8888 said:

Try and apply directly to a nurse residency program...

I, everyone in my cohort, and about 1,000 (literally) other equally qualified candidates per position have been applying to residency positions.

The advice about resumes is very good. Additionally, keep applying. At least in my hospital, my manager receives the first 10-20 qualified applications that come through. So it really comes down to who applies for the job first. It stinks but that's how it is. Tailor your cover letter to each specific posting. Yes, it is extra effort but makes the difference. Use your connections, and if you really want to go that extra mile I would spend your time/effort/$$ going to some type of nursing conference or event where CEUs are offered and network there rather than getting lots of different certifications. Look for job fairs. I work in a birthing center (birthing center jobs are among those in higher demand) and my hospital recently had a job fair; my manager was only approached by like 4 people and all of them were hired after they talked to her there. And no, we're not a crappy hospital that no one wants to work at.

allybear said:

The advice about resumes is very good. Additionally, keep applying. At least in my hospital, my manager receives the first 10-20 qualified applications that come through. So it really comes down to who applies for the job first. It stinks but that's how it is. Tailor your cover letter to each specific posting. Yes, it is extra effort but makes the difference. Use your connections, and if you really want to go that extra mile I would spend your time/effort/$$ going to some type of nursing conference or event where CEUs are offered and network there rather than getting lots of different certifications. Look for job fairs. I work in a birthing center (birthing center jobs are among those in higher demand) and my hospital recently had a job fair; my manager was only approached by like 4 people and all of them were hired after they talked to her there. And no, we're not a crappy hospital that no one wants to work at.

The attending a conference to network is an excellent idea. If you stop by a recruiting booth, you basically have just gotten yourself an interview.

Great advice Beth!

Glad you included volunteer experiences....can make a candidate stand out.

I wrote an article as to what I did as new grad to get my first RN position.

How I had multiple offers as a New Grad RN in a saturated Market

Being diligent and applying myself really paid off !

Good luck!

When I was in nursing school I noticed the job market was full of entry level nurses looking for a job. Most places preferred BSN RNs. I decided that it would be easier to get a job was to start working in the medical field. I started working as a CNA my Last year of school. It was per deim 3-8 hour shifts every 6 weeks. It didn't interfere with school and they hired me immediately after I passed my boards.

One of my high school teachers gave me great advice for proof reading: read it out loud. It helps you notice mistakes that might not register when you're reading something to yourself, even if you've read it over and over!