Three-page resume

foreverLaur · Jul 22, 2010

I'm 23 and only recently graduated college and I have a hard time keeping it all on one page. I've had a lot of jobs. I leave some of them off, but there are quite a few I want to keep on because the experience I gained, while not directly relateable, is still valuable towards my future nursing career.

For e.g. 4 years of being a waitress, working as a patient support assistant, working as a multi-skilled tech, working at E&Y doing auditing, another accounting summer internship (took a lot of initiative and completed some awesome projects for a hospital), working at a pharmacy, teaching at a 4-year university....

Smashing down a resume is a hard job! I've been told by career counselors that at my age, I should stick to a one page resume and not switch to a CV but they also tell me to put all that work experience on there... duno what to do!

msn10 · Jul 22, 2010

This is an educator position that requires an MSN and extensive clinical experiences, volunteer experience, and professional nursing membership.

3 pages almost seems short for an educator! I am in the same field you are. Mine was 3 pages also but may I recommend a CV? You are on a whole other playing field. I had 3-4 interviews per opening, usually with the DON, VP, and other execs who will pour over the resume because they require so much education and experience.

Had mine done professionally and it was the best money I ever spent, but it sounds like you are doing great the way it is. Good luck!

JessCNA2RN · Jul 22, 2010

To foreverlor;

I am the same age and I tailor my resume to the feild. For example, If I were to apply to be a waitress I would put my waitress jobs on there. If I'm applying for a healthcare job then I put mainly health care related jobs. I have found that health care jobs want to see what I've done in health care not what restaurant I worked at. However, if you have large employment gaps in doing this I think its wise to put your last 5 jobs. I try to keep it short and sweet with a strong cover letter.

:)

foreverLaur · Jul 22, 2010

To foreverlor;
I am the same age and I tailor my resume to the feild. For example, If I were to apply to be a waitress I would put my waitress jobs on there. If I'm applying for a healthcare job then I put mainly health care related jobs. I have found that health care jobs want to see what I've done in health care not what restaurant I worked at. However, if you have large employment gaps in doing this I think its wise to put your last 5 jobs. I try to keep it short and sweet with a strong cover letter.
:)

My last health care job loved that I had been a waitress because it showed I am capable of relating well with people and multi-tasking which is useful skills in health care. They also loved that I had worked for E&Y as they are a very prestigious company and it taught me to understand the behind the scenes type of stuff. My other accounting based internship they liked because I took initiative and started my own project that helped the company and they liked that it showed initiative on the job which is useful for being a PCA too. So even non health care related jobs can be very relevant and useful to obtaining health care jobs.

eaRN · Jul 22, 2010

In today's environment, we're lucky if the nurse recruiter even gives 15 seconds to our resume.

NICU_babyRN, BSN, RN · Jul 22, 2010

3 pages for 18 years if fine! I had two pages coming out of my BSN degree given my extra, non-school related, nursing internships. They were very valuable nursing (not extern or assistant) experience and they totally helped me land my dream job!

JessCNA2RN · Jul 22, 2010

I guess it depends on who interviews you. I see your points, I understand the logic and even agree with you, but what the hiring manager thinks and sees on a resume is more important. I was giving my personal thoughts and my experience in applying for CNA jobs. If your resume states that your last 3 jobs were waitstaff, bartender-whatever and on the second page it states that you were a CNA it is my thought that they may not get to the second page and think that you do not have health care experience. Many jobs, especially right now, want to hire individuals who already have heathcare experience, sometimes they ask for at least 1 year of experience. My overall point is that you should tailor your resume to show that you are the right person for the job which I believe is by putting together your most relevent job experience.

mspeirs · Jul 22, 2010

I believe if the three pagers are legitimate and worthy jobs that they will help in making you stand out from a person with one page.

I have gone to many interviews and am happy that I am in the position to choose my next job and the job doesn't choose me.

:)

Otessa, BSN, RN · Jul 22, 2010

If you have a lot to write in a resume, I suggest taking the time to write a curriculum vitae (CV) that allows you to expound on your professional experiences. It is fine to use for bedside positions, and pretty much expected for advanced nursing positions (educator, admin, CNS, NP, CNM and CRNA). In a CV, you literally have no page limits, but you also should not be redundant. You can include things such as: educational history, publications, research, professional organizations and offices held, grants submitted and funded, committees served on, presentations, CE attended, honors and awards. I have been an RN for 21 years and an educator for 17, and my CV is over 20 pages. I have to submit the CV routinely for things such as my annual evaluation, part of grant applications, as evidence when doing legal consulting, when being nominated for awards, when applying to be on a review panel for a nursing journal as well as when applying for a job. I would suggest doing a Google search for CV or spell it out. Get some basic samples and decide what layout you wish to use. I used a CV from a nursing professor who was willing to share with me. Hope this helps!

Then maybe I should call mine a mini-CV .

I do have a full CV-if I was to apply for a faculty position.

otessa

Otessa, BSN, RN · Jul 22, 2010

3 pages almost seems short for an educator! I am in the same field you are. Mine was 3 pages also but may I recommend a CV? You are on a whole other playing field. I had 3-4 interviews per opening, usually with the DON, VP, and other execs who will pour over the resume because they require so much education and experience.
Had mine done professionally and it was the best money I ever spent, but it sounds like you are doing great the way it is. Good luck!

I actually will be bringing a portfolio of examples of my work, publications, committees, to the interview.

llg, PhD, RN · Jul 23, 2010

I have a hybrid ... resume/CV ... combo that is 5-6 pages long. I doesn't list everything I have ever done, but it lists the major things. Usually, I add 3 or 4 items each year.

When we hiring people in our Staff Development Dept., most applicants submit resumes in the 2-5 page range.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

llg

Otessa, BSN, RN · Jul 23, 2010

I have a hybrid ... resume/CV ... combo that is 5-6 pages long. I doesn't list everything I have ever done, but it lists the major things. Usually, I add 3 or 4 items each year.
When we hiring people in our Staff Development Dept., most applicants submit resumes in the 2-5 page range.
Good luck! Let us know how it goes.
llg

Thank you!

I'll let you know.

otessa