If nursing is your second degree/career...

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Questions...

How did you guys list your previous career/education on your resume?

I would assume none of the previous non-healthcare employment should be on my nursing resume, but, it should be on another resume that can be provided (brought with for interview)? I do have some medical office management exp done during my prereqs and that will be included. But the other many years of "other" I am wondering about. I don't want people to think I was sitting on my hands all those years LOL.

Also, did you all list your previous degrees just short and sweet on your main nursing resume as "other education"? or, did you just leave that for your non-nursing resume as well?

thanks :bowingpur

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

I'm will be in the same boat 15 months from now, and I look forward to responses.

My initial thought is that any significant promotions to higher responsibility in previous non-healthcare jobs will look good, but I'm not sure. I would think it would show the ability to learn/adapt and a willingness to take on more responsibility.

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Specializes in neurology, cardiology, ED.

I put my prior degrees under education, along with my nursing degree. As far as old jobs, I put my most recent non-healthcare related job, since that was a management position and I felt that the delegation and supervision responsibilities are relevant to my role as an RN. Hope that helps!

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I had this same problem transitioning from the military, with a career focused on mechanics and engineering. I had no other experience to include on a resume, so I used my military positions. I emphasized the increased levels of responsibility and leadership I took on, education received and awards earned.

My point being, just because a previous job had nothing to do with healthcare doesn't mean you didn't learn something from it and grow as a person. When submitting resumes, there often isn't an option of submitting a second 'non-nursing' resume. You will have to provide a complete resume when you submit your application. Try to highlight things you learned or did, organizational skills, customer service, teaching, leadership, etc.

A resume is just a tool to get you an interview, if your resume is weak, or missing information, you won't even get a call back from HR these days. I was actively seeking any and all RN positions for 5 months, I got 2 interviews. I was extremely lucky to get the position I did in Rehab, far down on my list of 'exciting' jobs but I'm happy to be working nonetheless. There were 200 people who applied for the job I got, and that was just the cutoff point from the hiring manager telling HR to stop sending applications. Hope that helps some! Positions for New Grad RN's are tough to come by pretty much across the U.S. right now. See the First Year in Nursing board for how rough the hiring environment is currently.

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In the beginning, I just listed the other jobs as I would any job, but I tried to give them "less" space. I used forethought while I was in nursing school and started to get jobs in healthcare as a CNA. These jobs I elaborated on, paying more attention to patient care duties. At the point I got my first job as a licensed nurse, I was able to leave off the others altogether because by then I had enough healthcare entries from working in more than one facility as a CNA. HTH

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I put all my experience on my resume including volunteer. Some of the older ones I just listed the place and job title. Like others have mentioned other jobs do offer experience especially in organization skills, computer skills, teamwork etc.

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In the beginning, I just listed the other jobs as I would any job, but I tried to give them "less" space. I used forethought while I was in nursing school and started to get jobs in healthcare as a CNA. These jobs I elaborated on, paying more attention to patient care duties. At the point I got my first job as a licensed nurse, I was able to leave off the others altogether because by then I had enough healthcare entries from working in more than one facility as a CNA. HTH

Caliotter3 makes a very good point here, if you can afford to work as a CNA or patient care tech, you will have a big leg up over other job seekers on your resume. I really wish I would have listened to this advice when I was a student, but I was sheltered in my little academic world and believed employers would be lining up to hire me, so I chose to not work as a CNA. Doing CNA work was beneath me, I was going to be an RN! Well, that hubris and naivety cost me dearly when job hunting with no experience. Five months of job searching cost me @$20k in lost potential income.

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NavyVet learned the hard way. My first time, full time nursing job was in one of the facilities where I had worked as a CNA. My job performance as a CNA had impressed them enough that they hired me as a nurse.

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Good advice, have a little of that too, and managed like staff, and a "Wile E. Doc too", LOL.

I'd mention that for my class, even some of those who hung on to the CNA/tech jobs during school, and barely passing just in order to have that leg up, sadly are not getting preference. So I think things are a little worse. It's been quite a shocker for some. The only reason they kept those jobs was for the perceived advantage. Now they've got poor grades, and in my area those with transcripts in hand are being told that in this environment, transcripts are given attention. Those without have been told to forward them.

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Specializes in Cardiac care/Ortho/LTC/Education/Psych.

I listed all of my jobs I did . Proud of my other diplomas I listed those also. I did not have problems with it at all.

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