New RN needs feedback on resume

llg, PhD, RN · Oct 26, 2011

I like your resume -- though I would probably delete the objective. I haven't included an objective on my resume since the 1970's. It doesn't add anything of value and it takes up space.

Accompany your resume with a nice cover letter, tailored to each job you apply for.

Good luck!

NewRNtoo · Oct 26, 2011

Will do - thank you so much for your input!

ddunnrn · Oct 27, 2011

I agree with the previous poster--they beat me to the punch. The other thing I saw that I would changed is the use of CAPS. They are considered unsophisticated, and are a left-over from when typewriters were used, that couldn't special typefaces like bold and italic . I would change the all-caps areas to Bold-type Title Case (only important words capitalized). I would not use any special formatting for the address lines of you former employers.

Please don't take this as a criticism, it's only that I have some experience in doing resumes, and have researched the topic somewhat extensively. If you have any other questions, feel free to email me.

Dave Dunn, RN

[email protected]

NewRNtoo · Oct 30, 2011

Thanks Dave! :)

kbest · Dec 2, 2011

I like your resume and agree with the comments above. I also am a mid life career changer. I would like to know how to handle the fact that I worked in corporate from 1982 to 1992 and then various retail positions, I have been working at my current retail job for 7 years but it is not health related but shows longevity. One of the corporate was in generic pharmaceuticals and I feel is relevant. would appreciate any thought on how to handle this

llg, PhD, RN · Dec 2, 2011

If it's only a few jobs, I would list them separately -- like the OP did. But if your previous experience involves several different jobs/employers, you might want to group them together. For example, you could say that you worked for "10 years in retail, providing customer service ... blah, blah, blah..." grouping those jobs together. You could then write "detail available upon request" in parentheses behind your summary statment.

If you want the pharmaceutical job to stand out, list it separately and give a brief summary statement describing the job responsibilities in a way that highlights their relevance.

kbest · Dec 4, 2011

Thanks for your input. I have another question. I am currently volunteering at a healthclinic as an RN. Should I list that under work experience or community involvement.