*disclaimer* please read this with a sense of lightheartedness. There's no finger pointing, name calling, baby nurse eating (eww..just..ew) ranting. I just need to exhale.
background info: New Grad RN, great grades, in my late 30's, two teenage girls (17 &18), second career, no real contacts in the nursing world...worked my hiney off as a restaurant manager so I could pay out of pocket for school and not be loaded with debt...(we've seen this a hundred thousand times before).
The meat of the story: I'm living off of savings, but I'm not in dire straits at the moment. I really do want to find a job (the sooner the better). So, I'm filling out applications, uploading my resume, writing individual cover letters, making some phone calls, doing some volunteer work....and keeping a spreadsheet of all the places I've contacted - so far so good. These things take time - I know (I'm patient).
The plot thickens: I review my resume every few days. It seems to be a constantly evolving work in progress. I have a couple other people eyeball it for me (for mistakes) and they tell me "looks good". GREAT! I'll start papering the entire county with my resume and maybe a few for the neighboring counties too. So I open up my resume to add something to it ans much to my dismay....ERRORS - teeny tiny ones, but they are there - plain as day . UGH! All those resumes are out there sullying my good name and I can't fix them. *sigh* How on earth am I going to convince anyone that I have WONDERFUL attention to detail if I cannot manage to hand in a resume with no typos. I hang my head in shame.
The aftermath: I have yet to feel the pain of rejection, but I know it's coming:uhoh21:. I have plenty of guinness in the fridgy just waiting for it. I'll have to re-work my resume, fire my current set of "extra eyes" and start all over.
**Note to self: fix resume...THEN drink the beer
In all honesty - I do take my future career very seriously, and I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight because of it. I will be looking into a professional resume service, or at least not ask a fellow graduate (aka: the competition) to look over my resume. Lesson learned. I hope other new grads out there can take a lesson from me. Get it right the first time.
If I have managed to hold your attention for this long, thank you. If you have any tips or advice that would be awesome. If you want to send me a nasty-gram (for whatever reason - or just cause) that's fine too. Just put nasty-gram in the subject line so I know to delete them without looking If you happen to be a hiring manager in Southern California, pay no attention to that missing letter in the name of your lovely magnet status hospital
your post cracked me up! you have a fabulous sense of humor and also sound friendly, humble, and down to earth. i think if you can get that crucial first interview somewhere, you'll have it in the bag. best of luck to you.
(some copy-editing tips if you want them! i'm only adding them because you mentioned it!
- put your resume on the floor and look at it while standing up. seriously. sometimes those glaring errors jump out at you here.
- read everything on your resume backwards, line by line. if you have a typo in a small word, your brain will often times just scan right over it because it's expecting the word coming next. if you read each line backwords, the lines no longer make sense and errors will be more apparent.
- check titles, headings, and all numbers separately. make sure all dates, phone numbers, and addresses are corrected and formatted in the same way. review each heading separately for errors.
- read your resume and cover letter out loud. you may catch a typo you've missed.)
[color=#ff0099]i totally agree with you. op definitely has a great sense of humor!
A quick update: I had CrunchRN look over my resume for typos and suggest a few changes (Thank you!) - which I made and I now have an interview for a spot in the Versant Residency program /Telemetry at one of the local hospitals. **Whew** And it only took 6 pints of guinness!! Now all I have to do is shine brighter than the rest of the 200-and-something applicants...and write 3 essays...and get 2 letters of recommendation from clinical instructors, pee a little, bleed a little, smile alot, and know my stuff.
I should probably practice putting on makeup before the big day (I wear it maybe twice a year), and buy something other than hoodies from the clearance rack to wear. I'm a "jeans and sneakers" kinda gal. I have a nice pair of pumps that I have been breaking in - so as not to appear uncomfy. I'll modify my diet and eliminate "gassy foods" before hand (if any of you have read one particular thread on embarrassing clinical moments, you'll know why).
Any advice on interviewing would be deeply appreciated. I haven't had a real interview on years, and this will be my first ever for a nursing position. I was hoping to get one or two in before THIS one came around. It's kinda scary because this is one that I really want (I've been checking their site daily for the program to open up).
Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.
I so have my fingers crossed for you!
My go to interview outfit is the basic blue suit (a cheapo, but whatever...) with a plain white button up the front shirt and my hair up in, I swear to god a bun. I wear stud earrings and nothing else other than the old wedding ring.
I never go in without my list of what i consider my good points, and whatever I have made up as my weakness - ha ha! I actually carry it in and refer to it as needed.
i wish you luck! as for interview advice, wear something that is neat and business-like appropriate (you of course know this) but--make sure you are comfortable in it. hard to look confident when your pants are too tight, you feel out of place wearing a skirt and hose if you are not used to them etc. (i don't know your body type, but if you are like me nursing school really had me packing on some pounds (bleh). so sometimes, i will try the "shapewear" undergarments to look more svelte only to end up feeling like i can't breathe and fearful that my tummy fat is being squished and migrating who knows where and now i look lumpy). so something that looks nice, you feel confident in and allows you to [color=#00ffff]breathe.
oh yeah, that. take some nice deep breaths prior to going into the room! do what you can to calm yourself.
also, you might want to get a small notebook and write down a list of questions to ask the interviewer. this shows you are serious about learning about the facility and helps if your mind goes blank. i used a small notebook that looked nice but appropriate, i think mine had a clasp. i preferred it over a cheapo paper one.
i am sure you know to reach out to shake interviewers hand before they have to offer you theirs, look them in the eye, and let your confidence show!
good luck! hope your great wit and common sense have a chance to show through--they should serve you well!
So excited for you Jane!! If you go to the drugstore, just get some mineral type powder makeup. Big fluffy brush to put it all over your face. Non-smearing waterproof mascara. Gloss with a hint of color. Get a nice skirt, a white button down, and if it is chilly, a cardigan in an interesting color (like teal or lavender) . Hit the high points in what your strengths are, That you are a moldable part of a team player. That you have a positive outlook on your practice. WOOO HOOOOO!! Go get em!!
Congrats on the interview! Research the hospital so they know you're interested. Also, if it's s residency program, a good question to ask is how you would go about becoming a preceptor down the road. And emphasize teamwork. Good luck!!
I think the interview went well. It's really hard to tell with a screening interview, plus there are so many applicants.
As I was sitting and waiting for my turn, I could hear screaming (and laughter) through the walls..so once I was called, as I came into the room I said "I hear the screaming through the walls...This must be one TOUGH interview" and had them both laughing before we ever started.
I was definitely nervous...I'm sure they knew that.
I feel like I got the same standardized questions: Why do you want to be a nurse, why at this hospital, why in med-tele. I think my answers were great - except for What's your biggest pet peeve. I had to yank that one right out of my backside and polish it enough to pass for an answer.
I had some good questions regarding future plans for their unit (toward progressive care), Hospital and unit turnover rates for nurses, expectations for ADNs to advance /continuing education, I mentioned that I was aware of their union affiliation as well as their HCAP committee and asked how someone becomes a part of the committee (meaning.. are all nurses encouraged to participate or does each unit elect a representative)... and I placed MAJOR emphasis on my penchant for company loyalty as noted by my very stable work history.
I was told to keep a certain date open, and was told exactly when they would be calling to let me know if I am moving on to the panel.
maybe I can tell more about it later. Right now, I don't want to give away any more identifying details
My greatest hope is that I did stand out from the crowd (in a good way). We'll know soon enough.
You may have had errors in your resume, but I work daily with an electronic medical record program that has spelling and grammatical errors all over the place. It is so frustrating, not to mention unprofessional.
. UGH! All those resumes are out there sullying my good name and I can't fix them. *sigh* How on earth am I going to convince anyone that I have WONDERFUL attention to detail if I cannot manage to hand in a resume with no typos. I hang my head in shame.
If you happen to be a hiring manager in Southern California, pay no attention to that missing letter in the name of your lovely magnet status hospital 
OncRNMichelle
44 Posts
[color=#ff0099]i totally agree with you. op definitely has a great sense of humor!
great tips on editing a resume! thanks!