Do I need a professional resume writer?

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

Dear Maya,

Good question. The purpose of your resume is to land you an interview. Here are some tips to help you.

First of all, make sure your resume is absolutely error free. Spell check it and have others review it for grammatical errors. Use standard fonts. Keep it to one page.

Make liberal use of whitespace, avoid dense blocks of text, and use bullet points for visual interest. Recruiters look at hundreds of applications, and yours must stand out by being visually friendly.

Your resume should include work experience, education and contact information. Other categories can be included if they add value. (Honors, Skills, Volunteer Experience, Achievements, etc.)

Avoid listing IV skills” Foley insertion”...these are a given for a new grad and do not set you apart. You can include Proficient with Epic, Cerner, Meditech,etc.” (electronic health record systems).

All information you include should have relevant and recent (5-7 years) bearing to the job at hand.

Your resume should be modified to every different employer, because your resume is really not about you, it's about them- and how you will be a good fit for them.

Identify keywords in the job description (JD), and use them in your resume. For example, if the JD says possesses excellent communication skills” list communication skills” under your Skills category. But what's more important is to give an example that illustrates your excellent communication.

Here's how:

In school three of my Clinical Instructors gave me high marks for communication skills. I've always been told I'm a good listener, and I can read between the lines. One of my patients was demanding to leave against medical advice (AMA) because he was angry his doctor had not been in. I listened to him, and acknowledged his frustration. Afterwards I contacted the Charge Nurse, who was able to find out when the doctor would be in. It felt so good to help someone who was ill, even though it was a small thing.”

Now you are memorable, and that's what you want!

As far as using a professional...my experience with that is limited, but I would make sure they have some experience with nursing and with entry level positions.

You may want to check out the RESUME DISCUSSION FORUM here on site.

Best of luck, friend!

Nurse Beth

[BeachsideRN, ASN]

I am new to the world of nursing but in my experience a professional resume writing service is worth it's weight in gold. In my previous career as a medical researcher I had my resume professionally written twice (after my bachelor's and master's degrees). Both times, I was hitting walls and not able to get call backs because the autobots that were screening resumes weren't hitting the right number of matched words in order for my information to be passed on to HR, much less hiring managers. However, within 2 months of getting my resume rewritten I was employed. It's hard to get resumes past the computers and into human hands these days. Resume writers can help with that. The company I used had someone that specialized in my area of expertise and I worked with them via email and phone calls until I was happy with the final product.

[anie10]

I'd do my own resume.

I've never gotten an interview or a job from a resume that someone else created on my behalf. In fact it was a waste of my money when I didn't have a large amount of disposable income.

[CraigB-RN, MSN, RN]

In my past job as CNO, I never actually saw a resume. The work experience was filled into a computer when they applied and all I saw was a computer print out. They all looked alike so it really was the work pattern that stood out not the resume itself.

[canigraduate]

I've always done my own, but I know people who have used services. They have mixed reactions. If you want to go with a professional, I would suggest to make sure they have experience in healthcare resumés. Also, ask if they have had candidates hired at the facilities you are wanting to submit your resumé to. Finally, make sure you see a sample of their work. I have seen some incredibly bad examples of healthcare resumés with cartoons on them, bright and flashy colors, crazy fonts, etc. Your hiring manager will most often be seeing this, so make sure it isn't something you're embarrassed to show your employer.

Remember to keep it clear and clean, and focus on what you are bringing to them. The resumé functions as a sales pitch, and you need to sell yourself hard. If you want some pointers, call the HR recruiters at different hospitals and ask them what they are looking for (assuming you want acute care).

Good luck!

[Fumanchuesday]

I will have to agree with Craig. I have filled out several applications on line; most career pages use their own format, and you just fill out as you go. Sometimes there is a place at the end to copy and paste your resume, but i find that this almost always messes with the formatting in some way.

Believe me! I would much rather submit a resume to each hospital and job I am interested in, rather than go through all of the sections of the application.

I do however, always bring a copy of my resume to present to the interviewer, mostly as a means to take the eyes off of me. I think the most important aspect is the experiences that are present on the resume.