Looking for resume advice

[chuckster, ADN, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

I'm looking for some advice on how to update my resume to reflect my new RN status. It's difficult in my case because I have a pretty extensive resume that reflects nearly 30 years of experience in the aerospace industry, primarily in international contracts and program management.

Right now, my resume is in the familiar sectional-chronological format, i. e., a "Professional Experience" section with my current position and dates of service listed first and other positions in descending chronological order followed by an "Education" section listing my degrees and certifications, a "Military Service" section showing my active duty, Reserve and Natl Guard service and lastly a section titled "Community Service", listing my firefighter and EMT certifcations and service. This takes up a full 2 pages, which is ususally considered the maximum for a resume.

I'm struggling with how to present my nursing and other healthcare-related experience on the resume given the 2 page limitation. I'll be looking for part-time nursing opportunites and I'm really not clear on how and where to present the relevant healthcare data on the resume.

Any suggestions?

[llg, PhD, RN]

If you are looking for a nursing job ... you should place your nursing credentials front and center.

1. Your name should include "RN" after it -- and you should put your state & license number right with your name and address.

Joe Smith, RN

52 Main St.

Anytown, USA

Alaska RN license # 123456

2. Then put your education section, starting with your most recent nursing degree. Include any honors, etc. with that. You might also want to include key items such as class officer, student organization officer, senior thesis, senior practicum, etc. if it is relevant to the job. The point is that you want to lead with this stuff if it helps you look qualified for a nursing job.

3. Then put your other education -- date, degree, school, honors, etc.

4. THEN put your employment history. I recommend listing the non-nursing jobs, but omitting details. If the list is too long and distracting, you might simply write a few brief sentences along the lines of: "30 years experience in the aerospace industry including program management ... blah blah blah. ... Details are available upon request."

5. Then do the same thing with your military experience. A similar brief summary statement is sufficient unless it is pertinent to the nursing job you seek.

The point is to highlight your most significant achievements and give the reader a sense of what you have been doing with your life without going into details that distract from your nursing credentials. However, state that details of your previous career are available in case they would like to see them. Also, make a "long version" that includes those details so that you will have something to send them should they request those details.

I hope that helps.

[chuckster, ADN, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Thanks llg, really appreciate the pointers.

Love your Mulder quote too. I really miss the X-Files - was never big on the alien stuff or the grisly murders but when the show focused on the whole shadow government conspiricy stuff (the smoking man and the other eminence grises that were really calling the shots), it was first rate. My favoriite Mulder quote was from a scene where Scully was accusing him of lying. He put on a sheepish, Chesire cat grin and told her that he would never lie but he could "willfully participate in a campaign of misinformation."

Thanks again.