Suggestions for keywords that will get my resume onto an actual nurse manager's desk?

[witty_online_moniker]

New grad RN, graduated in May and passed my boards in June. Been looking for jobs since getting my license with absolutely no luck whatsoever. Like every other new grad, I'd prefer an acute care position, but I will consider other options for getting my magical one year of experience if I can't land an acute care position right away. I strongly suspect that my resume isn't making it past the initial HR screening. I get that my lack of experience and two-year degree plus BS in a non-nursing subject aren't great selling points, but the last few automated rejection letters have come less than 24 hours after hitting submit on applications and I'm starting to get a little discouraged.

My background is in non-profit program management, training/teaching, and the population served was largely pediatric. Feedback I received from someone in HR in a major healthcare system in my area was that my experience is too pediatric focused and implies that I am not interested in a position with adults. Also, that my resume lacks healthcare-related keywords. Other than volunteering at a pediatric hospital and teen reproductive clinic, I have absolutely no healthcare experience. Oh, and I "only" have my ADN instead of a BSN. Starting a RN-BSN program in January, but I guess that isn't enough. :-(

I have been in contact with a few managers at the pediatric hospital where I volunteered - one said that she would have me in for an interview in a heartbeat if she was able to hire new grads onto her floor, which leads me to believe that my cover letter and resume are much more effective when viewed by actual humans instead of computers. So...how can I get past the computer? What are some keywords that are more likely to get my resume through the automated systems?

My task for this weekend needs to be yet another resume rewrite, plus I think I need to be more proactive about getting paper copies into the right hands as I start the next round of job applications. Sigh. This is the first time in my life that I have really struggled to find a job and I'm pretty sure it's the darn resume holding me back, even though everyone that sees it tells me it looks professional and is very well-written. If someone would just give me an interview, I wouldn't be so frustrated by the process. I know I haven't been at it for that long in the big scheme of things, but every month that ticks by without me getting a job makes me feel like my chances of getting a job are going to go down the farther away I get from my graduation date.

[all4neuro]

My husband graduated from the police academy the same month I graduated with my ADN. This was 1997, and there was a hiring freeze for RN's in Columbus, Ohio at that time.

I passed out resumes, and even attempted to personally hand my resume to HR and managers. The manager's wouldn't take my resume, instead they gave me sympathetic eyes, and advised to come back in a couple months. They shared that basically their hands were tied d/t the mergers and restructuring. (that later failed)

First attempt, NOTHING.

I waited a few months between my first and second attempt. Reason being for wait, we moved, had our first child, graduated from college, and got married, all within 9 months! That is 4 major life changes or "stressors", although positive. I decided to let go of the job searching stress , and adjust to everything.

8 months after graduation, I got my first job.

My husband's friend from the police academy became aware of my job search and offered, "my mom works at WHH, I will see if she will take your wife's resume".

It was a skilled/special care/LTC facility. I took the job, although I wanted a hospital acute setting job. Nine months later the hiring freeze/restructuring thawed, and I was hired by a respected teaching hospital.

How did I finally get hired? My new sister-in-law was promoted to NM of a cardiac unit, she had a recruiter pull my resume.

So, the morale of my story is ..... you need to find somebody that you know, or that you can get to know better to help up "get in".

Everyone knows somebody that has a connection, find it and utilize them.

A nurse I worked with was hired by doing a "drop-in" on units, requesting to speak with their NM. Maybe it was luck or timing, IDK.

I have no idea about resume robots, etc. There is plenty of info. on-line about how to get a resume thru to a human.

Good Luck!!!!!

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

Honestly? As a new grad? Pretty much nothing you can do. In my part of the country (DFW), new grads are only eligible for hire through internships. Those happen twice a year only with start dates in January and June. Interviewing for these happens about three months beforehand and getting an interview given the huge number of applicants requires knowing someone. Work those connections. The manager who said she would hire you if she could? Ask her if she could get you in front of someone who can.

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

Your resume and cover letter needs to reflect, not what they can do for you, but what you can do for them.

Structure your resume so that transferable traits from your previous jobs are clearly listed.

Use action verbs, but don't oversell yourself.

Network. Network. Network.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Unfortunately, health care is completely different from most other industries in that there are 'hard stops' on job qualifications for most positions. No matter how well you articulate your prior experience, your educational credentials and experience will generally determine your chances. Many hospitals are limiting their (very few) opportunities for new grads to BSNs only. Unless you meet this criteria, your application will not even get passed the first hurdle. Hiring managers can face consequences for stepping outside their organization's rules for the hiring process, so it is likely that they will re-direct you if you manage to make contact with them.

Attempting to circumvent the normal process by 'name dropping' or other means can end up biting you in the rear because it can in be interpreted as a feeling of "entitlement" to special treatment. Believe me, that is a description that you do not want associated with your name.

[witty_online_moniker]

This is such a different experience for me as every other job I have landed has been on my own merit with my cover letter and resume being enough to get me an initial interview. Nursing seems to be an entirely different ballgame and I struggle quite a bit with it being more about who you know than your qualifications. While I'm very outgoing and good at forging relationships with people, I'm not very comfortable asking them to do me favors unless they offer first.

The manager who was very positive about my resume/experience said that she would be happy to forward it to the manager who hires new grads twice a year. My timing for this particular hospital has been a little bit off -- I was too late to get in on the summer new grad program and too early for the fall one. To make things even more difficult, the fall program has not been posted externally. I applied for the positions that I think are part of the program (based on what I know about the new grad hiring process) and followed up with a hard copy of my resume to the same manager that would have received my resume earlier this summer. I believe that I have conducted myself professionally when trying to get my resume around the initial HR screening and my behavior has not crossed the line into obnoxious/entitled territory.

I did get some promising news that my resume is now in the hands of a nurse recruiter at another hospital, thanks to a friend of a good friend who was able to pull a string or two for me there. No guarantees that anything will happen, but that is a lot farther than I am getting at most places!

I think it is also time for me to reluctantly broaden my search to positions that are not as appealing to me. I am planning to begin RN-BSN courses next winter, so it isn't the end of the world if I end up paying my dues elsewhere while working toward my degree. I'm just worried that even a year of experience there isn't going to be enough -- most job postings want you to have both a BSN and a year of acute care experience. I'm worried that I'll be in the same position in a year. I just need to remind myself that it is almost always easier to find a job when you're already employed and it is better to get experience and a paycheck instead of spending months reworking my resume with the same results.