Resume "requires" work experience??

[NurseZen]

Hi all! So I recently graduated with an ADN and I am pursuing my BSN (2 classes to go!!). Problem is, I have no work experience in healthcare and barely have anything substantial in any other field. Worked as a secretary/T.A at a Elementary/middle school for a year and as a cashier for another year. I'm fairly young (22) and I feel like that just adds to the "this person is inexperienced" aspect.

For one of my BSN classes this past semester, the instructor had us revamp and submit our resumes to help us out. She returned mine saying that most places require a work experience section/I needed one. I was confused by that but it was one of our last assignments and I never got to contact her about it. I attached my resume to get a feel for how bad/good it is from you guys (hopefully). Does it really need a work experience section?? Can I start submitting this or does it look like it still needs work?Resume sample.docx

[llg, PhD, RN]

Yes, I think you should include your work history. It's not in health care, but even work outside of health care can show that you are sufficiently reliable, dependable, responsible, etc. to hold down a job.

To keep your resume on 1 page, I would condense the clinicals you did in school to 1 or 2 lines -- saying something like, "School clinical experiences listed on Page 2." By moving that list to the next page, it gives you room on page 1 to list your employment history. The only school experiences that I would list on page 1 are any that make you stand out as an individual -- something that most other students didn't do in school -- maybe something that relates directly to the type of job you are applying for -- etc. Taking up valuable space to state that you learned about HIPAA in school is a waste as EVERY student in EVERY school learns about HIPAA in school. You want your resume to make you look good, help you stand out, etc. Don't waste space with details about routine stuff that every new grad has done.

[beekee]

What skills did you learn from those two jobs that apply to nursing?

Nurses educate. Your T.A. job highlights your ability to teach to a wide variety of people, modifying based on their learning needs.

Employers are huge on customer service. A cashier is on the front line of creating a pleasant service experience for the customer.

Nurses use technology. Your experience as a secretary shows that you are able to use basic office equipment and software.

These are all skills you will use as a nurse. Don’t be afraid to highlight them. (I didn’t look at your resume).

[NurseZenn]

Thank you both! I cant seem to get into my old account for some odd reason so I just signed in with a new one. I'm so happy I decided to get this looked over again because it definitely seems like I could make it look a lot better. Thanks again!!