At what point should you add a job to your resume?

Nurses Job Hunt

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Hi everyone! I'm starting my first nursing job tomorrow, which is only PRN right now. I took the job to gain some experience since I couldn't find anything else, in hopes it'd help me land a full-time job. In your opinion, how long should I work there before I put it on my resume and apply for full-time jobs? I'd still like to keep the PRN job, I'm just really anxious to get something more permanent and that offers benefits. Thanks for your opinions!:)

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

You put it on your resume from day #1. Anything else would be considered less than completely honest -- and if a prospective employer found out about it, they would not trust you anymore. So be safe and be as honest and forthcoming as you can be by listing it from the beginning.

I wanted to list it as soon as I started so it would look better that I have experience, but I was afraid of a potential job calling them for a reference and them saying something along the lines of "oh, she's only been here for a week so we really can't tell you anything." But I might as well give it a shot!

Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.

I have jobs where I worked only a few months at on my resume, but they were Mickey D jobs. To be honest, I would try staying at your job for at least one "golden" year before trying to search elsewhere, imo.

I put my first nursing job on my resume immediatly and got a call from a hospital for a full time position just a few weeks later. I think that first job is what helped me land this one. Truth is, I did feel kinda silly putting it on there when I had only worked a week but whatever. It got me exactly what I wanted. I say go for it.

I have jobs where I worked only a few months at on my resume, but they were Mickey D jobs. To be honest, I would try staying at your job for at least one "golden" year before trying to search elsewhere, imo.

Nothing wrong with the "Mickey D" types of jobs; a really good hospital employer will see Customer Service in this, and it just may tip the scales in your favor (provided the reference from that job remains positive).

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