Seriously, resumés aren't that difficult...

[kool-aide, RN]

Call me rude, insensitive, or mean as much as you want, but the ENDLESS threads asking for help on resumés here on this site just drive me up the wall! lol

Seriously, writing a resumé isn't that difficult. Microsoft Word has resumé templates built right it! The internet is chocked full of websites with resumé examples! You can even find NURSING resumé example templates! Good grief…

Oh, and those of you who reply to these threads saying that you just wrote a really good resumé and that you'll email it to the OP be prepared, because you're going to have about 85 other posters who will be asking for a copy of your resumé! (That's especially prevalent in the CNA forum…)

Now, I realize that we all may need a second opinion of what we've written, whether it be a term paper or a resumé or whatever, but why would you have some stranger on the internet giving you pointers when you can have a person like a friend or family member that you KNOW proofread it?!?!?!?!?! This just seems asinine to me.

[Fancy84]

It may not be difficult for you but it is difficult for some people. You have to market your skills and accomplishments and some people are not skilled in the art of resume writing. there's a difference in writing :

"customer service supervisor at Walmart" vs "Led the customer service team to ensure that quality service is provided for the consumers".

In the second version, you have marketed yourself as a leader and you work well in teams....

[hopefulwhoop]

Yeah, you're right. Resumés aren't rocket science. There are a million samples online to model it after.

But, you know, there are a million and one threads about the same topic, so it shouldn't surprise you. If people would just search first before starting a new thread...

[silverbells_star]

And the endless questions about if it's ok to email your resignation, I'm still shocked people even think that's an option. Please please please people, do a search for your question first and secondly use some common sense.

[NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN]

OP I agree with you ! I am guilty of how to word a resignation though. hehe. Silverbells you are so correct !

[bagladyrn, RN]

Perhaps the recent post regarding an RN who reads at a 5th grade level explains the need for resume assistance.

[Cat_RN, ASN, BSN, RN]

So did actually you have any productive reason to start this thread? Because right now you're just one more annoying thread about resumes. Worse actually.

[JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP]

I think it's perfectly understandable for people to be insecure about their resumes. When you've sent out hundreds of them without getting a response you start to wonder... and as Fancy pointed out, it's not just a matter of listing all your past jobs in the right order. The way you word your job description can make the difference between getting a call back and getting dumped in recycling. With so much riding on your resume, yes, people are going to do whatever they can to get it right. Cutting and pasting off some online resume format isn't going to do it.

[SeeTheMoon]

Maybe they just want advice from experienced nurses about what experienced HR are looking for.

Jobs are scarce right now. Noone wants to blow it.

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

Writing a resume is easy. Writing a great resume is not. This is complicated by the fact that different people will want different things in a resume. In my last career, during one Job Search I got contradictory constructive criticism from HR folks on my resume. Leave off unrelated jobs, keep them in to show a strong work history. Never more than one page, two pages is fine because you can paint a more detailed picture of your experience. Etc, etc, etc.

I concluded that there is no right way to write a resume, only wrong ways. And given the state of the job market, of COURSE people are going to be anxious about it.

Have you ever Googled nursing specific resumes? The examples I've found look terrible. Non-nursing friends and family members don't always know how to handle the things that need to be highlited that are specific to nursing. I was lucky to have a mentor who was able to help me write a kick-butt resume but other folks don't have people like that in their lives.

[turnforthenurse, MSN, NP]

It all boils down to what is on your resume and how you present yourself. For the longest time I wasn't receiving any calls for interviews until I kept revising my resume and highlighting my skills with descriptions instead of just listing them. And I think the reason why people seek help on this forum from "complete strangers" regarding their nursing resume is because this is ALLNURSES - there are licensed nurses on this forum! They want to know what needs to be done on a NURSING resume to help get them hired. Sure, someone else can look over it and proofread it, but I think it helps when a fellow nurse does that. It helps bring the resume into focus. I personally don't think it's that big of a deal.

[klone, MSN, RN]

I like to think my grammar and language skills are better than the average bear, and even I needed help on resume-writing. As someone else said - writing a resume isn't hard. Writing a GOOD resume that makes you stand out from the crowd IS. Unless you are a professional resume writer, probably everyone could use some help. And the most valuable advice I received on my resume came from other nurses, not my sister who is an accountant or my mother who is an IT professional.