Need help with cover letter and resume please!

[Slylyfeignedchagrin]

I graduated nursing school in May and took my NCLEX in October and now I'm finally going to start applying for jobs. I have never made a resume or cover letter before so I was wondering if you guys could critique what I have so far and provide me with some constructive criticism. Thanks so much!

Cover letter:

December 2, 2011

Dear ______:

I am looking to acquire an entry-level RN position at your facility. I graduated with a BSN from Rutgers University in May 2011 and passed my NCLEX in October 2011.

My four years of nursing school along with my waitressing jobs over the past few years have helped me become organized, flexible, hard-working, and a quick learner. My education has enabled me to develop the critical thinking and communication skills necessary to provide excellent patient care. Through my experiences while serving at restaurants, I have learned to adapt quickly, anticipate the needs of the guests, make quick decisions, and provide exceptional customer service.

I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you to learn more about the entry-level nursing position and am available for an interview at your convenience. Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Resume (i just copy and pasted it so the formats a little off) :

Objective: To obtain an entry level position as a registered nurse.

Education:

05/2011 Rutgers College of Nursing, New Brunswick, NJ

- Bachelor of Science in Nursing

- GPA: 3.4 (Dean's List)

11/2011 Registered Nurse, State of Texas

Clinical Experience

Maternity, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ

Pediatrics, St. Peters University Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ

Medical/Surgical, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ

Geriatrics, Central New Jersey Jewish Home for the Aged, Somerset, NJ

Psychiatric, Summit Oaks Hospital, Summit, NJ

Community, Visiting Nurse Association of Central Jersey, Red Bank, NJ

Leadership (Psychiatric), Summit Oaks Hospital, Summit, NJ

Work Experience:

Saltgrass Steakhouse July 2011-Present

Pearland, TX

Server

- Working as a team with other servers to provide professional, fast-paced customer service

- Anticipating guests' needs

- Remaining organized and prepared to mediate any problems that arise.

Denny's September 2008-September 2010

East Brunswick, NJ

Server/Host

- Served and communicated with a variety of people.

- Engaged customers in friendly conversation while serving food and beverages.

East Meets West August 2006-June 2008

East Brunswick, NJ

Sales Associate

- Provided customer service

- Performed sales transactions

- Displayed ability to assist and communicate with a variety of people

Skills

Fluent in English. Fully understand spoken Urdu.

CPR Certified

Proficient in MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint.

Team player with excellent communication skills.

[Biffbradford]

I'm no expert, but I had a number of 'experts' look over my resume and here's the final layout. I was told that "Objective:" is so pase'. I'm certainly not a new grad, but here's the organization of mine and it has gotten more interviews than my old one, which used the "Objective:" approach. (Still NO JOB however)

Name

Address, phone, email (centered on page)

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Job listed - skills

Job listed - skills

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

[BellasMommyOBRN]

cover letter= amazing! very nicely worded.

resume= this is just strictly from my experience, (particularly with strong memorial hospital here in rochester ny) skip the clinical rotations on your resume. i had put that on there and the recruiter told me to take it off. just stick to your past job experiences and responsibilities (actually, strong didn't even want my responsibilities lol).

don't be afraid that your nursing resume is short. it's going to be because you are new. a short resume that occupies one page is actually easier for the nm to look through when he/she is managing a busy unit!

my resume was short and to the point and did enough for me to land my dream job in maternity.

good luck to you!

[somedaypeds]

I think I would leave out "entry level". Just my opinion.

[Slylyfeignedchagrin]

Thanks so much for your help guys!