New grad resume

Bayat · Apr 30, 2013

Since you said you didn't go through clinicals, you got some work cut out for you; be sure to utilize any associations at the school to network and help. As soon as you get your license, volunteer at the local free clinic as a RN to gain experience while job-hunting.

Had to use a lot of soft skills since I don't know what hard-skills you have that's transferable. Tailor by using the buzzwords in the job description that'll fit your true skills, but be truthfull, don't pad and kept list to 4 - 8 top skills you're offering to the job.

The personal branding statement (below "Social-services Experience Registered Nurse" brand), professional profile and skill highlights are somewhat generic so you'll need to tailor accordingly to show what values you're offering if you get the job you seeking.

Use this as a guide to prep your own resume and go over it with your instructors to polish.

First name Last name,

Address * City, State ZIP * Phone number * Email address

Social-services experienced Registered Nurse

6 years in social services and graduating RN. Skilled in mental health interventions and parent education using excellent communication and interpersonal relationship skills. Desire a full-time in a .

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

* Currently completing Registered Nurse program; knowledgeable in current care methods and techniques.

* Experienced LPN and Nurse Aid with provable and transferable skills.

* Resourceful in perceiving and resolving problems and proven communication skills, both written and oral.

* Demonstrated aptitude for developing new skills.

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS

Licensed Practical Nurse in State of XXXX, February 2013

Basic Life Support certified by American Heart Association, May 2012

Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) certified by

Certified Nurse Aid in State of XXXX, January 2012

SKILL HIGHLIGHTS

- - * Psych and mental health care proficiency - - * Strong planning skills

- - * Case management expert - - - - - - - - - - - - -* Pediatric exams competency

- - * Patient care advocacy - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - * Problem resolution

- - * Strong medical ethic - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - * Gentle and skilled with therapy procedures

EDUCATION

COLLEGE NAME, City, State

Associate of Science in Nursing Program - - - - - - - - Anticipated graduation June 2013

COLLEGE NAME, City, State

Practical Nursing Certificate - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - November 2012

COLLEGE NAME, City, State

Bachelor of Science in Family Studies and Human Services- - - - - - - - - - - - May 2007

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

XXXXX MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, City, State - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2006 - 2012

Children's Case Manager

- - * Provided mental health interventions to children ages 4-18 with severe emotional disturbances and their families using a strength based model; also provided crisis intervention services as part of the mobile crisis team.

- - * Worked as team-member establishing individual treatment plans, needed services and advocate for clients.

- - * Initiated and maintained required clinical and administrative documentation.

- - * Facilitated the Home and Community Based Waiver (HCBS) program.

XXXXX JOB CORPS-SINGLE PARENT PROGRAM, City, State - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2010 - 2011

PRN Assistant Teacher

- - * Provided child care for at-risk children ages 6 weeks to 5 years.

- - * Planned and implemented developmentally appropriate activities.

- - * Educated parents on child development, language, motor and social skills and modeled appropriate interactions and discipline techniques.

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

Big Brothers Big Sisters of XXXX,

XXXX CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) ,

KSPS · Apr 30, 2013

I did go through clinicals, and am still doing them right now, I just did not put them in my resume because I have been told only to list clinicals on my resume if I did a unique clinical that would stand out or if I didn't have any work experience and needed to fill space. My clinicals have all been at the same hospital and were done on med/surg, l&d,peds, psych and er and since I am in an accelerated program I did very short clinicals on each one. Do you think I need to include a clinical section?

calivianya, BSN, RN · Apr 30, 2013

I would absolutely include an objective. I have a resume that says calivianyaresumeTEMPLATE and I change the template part to whatever the hospital name is so I don't mess them up, and I put a bunch of blank spaces in the actual statement that I fill in with the hospital/type of unit I'm looking for. Example would be something like this: To work as a Registered nurse in a ________ unit at ______ hospital where... blah blah blah. Personalize all of your resumes so the employer gets the impression that your heart's desire is where you are applying! That's my advice, anyway - not sure how much it's worth.

calivianya, BSN, RN · Apr 30, 2013

I would say absolutely include clinical experience. I included all of mine, plus all observational experiences. Some places you apply request it, seriously, so it's easier if you already have it on your resume. I've also had a couple of places ask exactly how many hours I worked in each area. Do they really think our instructors tell us? I know my school has never told me how many hours I've had, I only know how many I had in my practicum because we kept up with those hours ourselves.

Bayat · Apr 30, 2013

The problem with an "Objective" section is: employers already know what your objective is - getting a job. But what are you selling? What is your brand? What gives the employer a clue you can do the job if hired? What makes you stand out?

Remember, you have 7 to 9 seconds to convence an employer why they should interview you - the whole goal of the resume. That means the employer, your buyer, would be scaning about the top third of the resume before deciding whether it's going make the initial cut. Your resume is a marketing tool meant to attract that buyer by showing your skills and services in illustrating what you can do for that buyer in the future. So make the best use of your brand.

The personal branding statement (or profile statement) you see under the "Social-services Experienced Registered Nurse" brand-name should clearly and concisely conveys your qualifications, experience and education in terms of your employer's needs and values. A well-written statement should address in 3 - 4 lines: (1) your experiences and skills as they relate to your career; (2) what you can bring to the hiring organization and to the open position that no other candidate can; and (3) your professional goals. Essentally it's your cover letter in the most condensed form possible, or your 30-second elevator speech on steroids that'll sum up who you are in terms of what you can do if given the job. See http://careerrocketeer.com/2010/10/how-to-create-strong-profile-statement.html

Your professional profile expands on your branding statement to show key points of your resume in terms of overall accomplishments. It's about 3 - 5 bullet points that encapsulate your top selling points to tell a story of your career. It does two things: (1) condenses your resume below to show your strenghs that you can do the job if hired; and (2) substantiate much of the personal branding statement above by telling a quantifiable story. See http://my.safaribooksonline.com/book/-/9781593576707/chapter-4-telling-stories-on-your-resume/i76

I'd say include your clinicals in a section called "Clinical Experience" right after your "Education" section and organize the material to help sell your brand. It's not so much what you did but how you market it. Employers like to see evidence of traits you listed. Let's say, for example, you list "IV therapy" as one of your skills, the clinical rotation(s) where you did IV work would show what specifics you did that comprise IV therapy skills. Or you list "commited" somewhere in your branding or professional profile statement; you follow up with a statement "frequently volunteered extended hours to meet critical project deadlines" in the approperate work experience or rotation. One suggested way to organize your clinicals is:

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

Medical Surgical - - - - - - TITLE OF HOSPITAL OR FACILITY - - Location - - Dates - - x hrs

(If you completed more than one rotation in the same area, you can group them together and describe both experiences or you can keep them separate.)

- - * Use action verbs to begin sentences

- - * Focus on the populations you have treated and include the diagnosis

- - * Be specific regarding treatments and give examples when applicable

- - * Show rather than tell your experience

- - * What did you learn, develop, or teach to patients and their families?

Obstetrics/Gynecology - - TITLE OF HOSPITAL OR FACILITY - - Location - - Dates - - x hrs

- - *

Pediatrics - - - - - - - - - - - - TITLE OF HOSPITAL OR FACILITY - - Location - - Dates - - x hrs

- - *

Of course, that entails you'll have to reduce your "Professional Experience" section down to 1 - 2 most important bullet points showing how you exceeded expections for your two jobs each if they relate to your new career, or exclude the bullet points all-together if your clinicals are extensive and rename "Professional Experience" to "Additional Work Experience" if you realize the jobs don't really relate to your career.

I find the more eyeballs going over your resume, the better. Be sure to let them be as honest and brutal as possible in their critique. Never assume once you make a resume it's set in stone; always strive to improve yourself and your resume. For my nurse friend I'm helping I did about 40 different resumes/cover letters and scored her about one interview for every four to six resumes filled out and sent, sometimes three in one week. I'm still working to improve those odds.