What to include on my resume

[StantonJ777]

I have been hearing some conflicting info on what to include. We have done a workshop at the nursing school which tells us to include clinical sites with a detailed description of tasks performed. I have included previous work experience with a short description (including related skills like customer service, management skills, etc.) but was told by one "mock interviewer" to leave that off. Also, what is the minimum GPA to include? My nursing major GPA is higher than my overall, but both are 3+/4. I'm assuming I would just list my major GPA if it's higher. Also, what about length? I have hear 1 page max for a new grad, but their version was 2-3 pages for most.

Thanks,

James Stanton

[StantonJ777]

Also, do I include extra nursing courses when calculating my major GPA that were not required like Med Terminology and Intro to Healthcare?

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

1) A new grad doesn't have enough to talk about to justify more than one page :), and the hiring managers know it and roll their eyes at the excess

2) They all know what you did in clinical. A long laundry list of tasks you've seen or done once or twice (be honest here) looks silly. They are (or should be) correct in assuming you know how to do assessments at the intro level and be safe for basic care, as you passed school and NCLEX. IF you had a special senior practicum, say you did that, and expand on it in your cover letter and interview.

3) They don't really care about your GPA, but if everyone in your area does that, say:

Education

ABC College, 2014. BS, nursing, GPA 3.4.

Do NOT list high school. Do NOT list non-nursing jobs-- I have seen things like babysitting, cashier at the Dollar Store, volunteer at church, barrista, maintenance, all unrelated. If you learned something really outstanding at one that is directly applicable to a nursing job (and I do not mean "provided great customer service" ::gagme::) it can come up in your interview ... Getting your very first RN job you can list a former job as a CNA if it was more than a few months, but never again, as it isn't nursing.

[StantonJ777]

Some of the hospital recruiters (the "mock interviewers" were actually recruiters for hospitals in the area) requested that a list of clinical sites be included and what I was thinking was something like this:

Facility A, 180 Hrs ICU

Facility B, 90 Hrs ICU

Facility C, 90 Hrs OB

Facility D, 90 Hrs PEDs

Facility E, 90 Hrs Med Surg

Facility F, 90 Hrs Psych

Facility G, 90 Hrs Long Term Care

I would think that they would want to know that I've had a few CV patients. I've been in an open heart surgery and had post op patients with swan ganz cath, art lines, pacemaker etc. That might be stuff that I could work into the cover letter since I'm applying for ICU positions.

The "mock interviewer" that told me to include my gpa was actually a recruiter for a company that owns 4 hospitals and 1 other facility in a nearby metro area. I know there are some recruiters that would rather hire someone who will never leave over someone who has goals and ambition, but those types of places aren't necessarily the types of place I want to work. Is there a general rule on a minimum GPA to inclulde? She only said that I should include it if it was good.

I think my biggest issue with putting clinical sites is that it can draw attention away from awards and extracurricular activities which can really differentiate me from average applicants.

Thanks,

James Stanton

[kfitzy89]

Generally, I hear not to include your GPA, as you could be potentially competing against another candidate and you have, say, a 3.60 GPA and the other candidate has a 3.65 GPA. This small margin could be used against you, rather than for you, as it may be the only minute thing they can find to make a decision.