Please..need some help here

[KELLYGIRL]

ok...so i posted this on the graduate nursing forum with no response, yet...... so i'll post on this one

i am so driving myself nuts over my resume!!! i just graduated rn school and passed the board exam. 12 years ago, i made a goal to become an rn and work either in l&d or maternity. for the past 3 years i have worked in ltc as an lpn.

i'm so scared that my resume will either be too boring or too much. it's only one page. i have listed qualifications such as: detail-oriented, thorough, and accurate and dedicated to providing quality patient care. are qualifications necessary? will these help or hurt?

do i state on my resume that becoming a neonatal or l&d nurse has been my career goal and that i am eager for this position???

please help me

[bargainhound, RN]

Keeping it short will help you.

The personal commment of your goal will also help you.

[sjoe]

Many community colleges in the US have FREE career counseling/career development/job seeker/or by-whatever-name departments where you can get feedback on items such as this, as well as abundant suggestions, directions, examples, etc. to improve your resume, learn how to interview, learn how to be more relaxed about the job-seeking situation, etc.

[Katnip, RN]

Excellent advice, Sjoe. Also, our school required us to take a mini-course in interviewing and resume writing. One page is ok. Two pages is just fine in the nursing industry.

[IamRN]

You may want to look into gettingResumes for Health and Medical Careers. I found it helpful!

Good luck!

[Agnus]

One page is about right for a new grad. Your resume will get longer as you career does.

I think JMHO that saying you are detailed oriented , thorough and accurate is redundant. Pick one of those and leave it at that. I vote that you say you are detailed oriented and I personally would add that you are able to see the whole picture at the same time.

I say this because sometimes implying that you only see the details or that you only see the big picture can be viewed negagively depending on where the reader places her priorities.

Rather than putting personal values (like your dedication to quality) under qualifications how about listing some special abilities. For instance you have LPN experience. Use something from that experince that makes you stand out from other new grads. Perhaps you are really great with assessments.

Do you have CPR? That would go under qualifications. How are your communication and writing skills? These are the type of things I put under qualifications. Personal values may or may not make you especially qualified for something.

Your cover letter is the perfect place to say that you set a goal to be a L&D nurse and the place to express your eagerness.

You could list it on the resume under objectives. However, doing that could keep you from being offered a position outside this speciality.

Hope this helps.

[Agnus]

One more thing. If you worked LTC for 3 years as an LPN, I am willing to bet you have some supervisory experince. (even if it was limited to supervising an aide or two)

You may have been charge nurse from time to time, supervised other LPN and or ancillary people. DEFINATELY put this on you resume. State what kinds personel you supervised and how many.