Wondering why you can't get hired or promoted? Resume + Interview hints!

[VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN]

Thanks, Karen! Excellent resources!

We have one faculty member (not a part of our nursing school, but a part of our community college faculty) whose specialty is writing resumes and cover letters, and any other qualifications that students need on interviews to get the job! She even has a nice little notebook she has prepared that goes over all aspects of job hunting (how to dress, what questions to anticipate on an interview, etc.). The mission statement for our community college is - equipping local residents (who are unemployed or underemployed) with marketable job skills so they can go to work!

[Jolie, BSN]

Karen,

Could you make a "sticky" of your resume and cover letter sources? Thanks!

[LPNtoBSNstudent, BSN, RN]

Great post! Thank you Karen.

I also had resume writing in LPN (14 years ago) and BSN school. In fact, it was a required assignment to hand in a completed one, just last semester in my 'professional leadership in nursing' class.

Good advice about finding out who the manager is and forwarding the resume directly to them.

[codebluechic, ASN, RN]

And it never hurts to send a thank you note after the interview. :)

[Antikigirl, ASN, RN]

Yes! The thank you letter seems to be a dying art as well, but my bosses admitted to me that it was the cover letter, resume, additional contact list (separate), letters of recomendation, and thank you letter that got me the job! I was worried that I was sending in TOO much info, but no I was sending in a very good reflection of myself!

I bring that thank you card with me to my interviews, make sure I get the names correctly, and put it in the mailbox on my way home from the interview! Nothing fancy...I just got those nice white with gold letter thank you cards from an Office supply store. They are simple and classy! I always bring up one thing positive said to remind them it was a positive interview (or at least leave with that note :) ).

[Genista, BSN, RN]

Thanks Karen-

I had a class on resume writing and interviews in college also. However, it always helps to brush up. I'm interviewing for two positions this week. I appreciate the interview tips & links. I haven't interviewed in a few years, so this post is very timely! :)

[Jami RN, BSN, RN]

As a hospital nurse recruiter, I couldn't agree with you more, Karen! I would also add:

Follow all of the instructions and fill out your application completely. If a company instructs you to fill out an electronic application, please do so -- many hospitals have moved to a paperless hiring system. If you insist on filling out a paper application, you will be seriously disadvantaged.

Do not let the first questions you ask be: "How much is your sign on, relocation, hourly wage, differentials, etc." The nursing shortage is not as severe in some parts of the country as others. If money is the only reason you are considering a position, some hospitals won't want you. Hiring and retaining the right employees is becoming more important than just hiring as many nurses as possible. The same goes for a generally entitled attitude -- you will make yourself look bad if you make multiple demands early in the hiring process. Save these questions for after you have interviewed or at least until you've been offered an interview.

Be polite to everyone that you come into contact with. I've tossed applications because the applicant was rude to our HR receptionist!

Do not show up to talk to a recruiter or for your interview in sweats, jeans, halter tops, with dirty hair, with 4 kids in tow, accompanied by your mom and boyfriend, etc.

You would think all of these things would be common sense -- but they're not! I see them all every day. Many nurses have developed a very entitled, rude, and demanding attitude because of the nursing shortage. I never cease to be amazed at the way some people go about their job search!

[llg, PhD, RN]

As someone who has read a lot lot of resumes, applications, etc. and done lots of interviews ... I wholeheartedly agree with the previous posts in this thread. In fact, as coordinator of a nursing student extern program, I have decided to emphasize job hunting, career planning, and employee skills in our extern classes as opposed to offering a lot of physiology and nursing care classes. The applicants who "do it right" really stand out from those who don't know how to make a positive impression on a potential employer.

Here is another tip for resumes:

Do NOT pad your resume or try to make school experiences look like employee experiences. I've seen a lot of that -- and it makes a very bad impression. It makes me think the applicant is sneaky, someone I can't completely trust. No one wants to hire a person they can't trust.

llg

[Quickbeam, BSN, RN]

WORD to all those looking for professional resumes. I did hire/fire as an RN case management supervisor for years and the resumes I'd get, Oy! Juvenile fonts, duckies, pictures of their kids and kittens....that stuff has no place on a professional resume. Save it for the Christmas letter. Really.

[SmilingBluEyes]

This is a great thread, thanks. I did receive training on resume and cover-letter writing in my ADN program, thankfully. It was covered in the last weeks of our final semester. A plus for me was, being in the military, I did get the practice for writing resumes, as we had to often submit our own awards packages. And letter-writing was a huge part of my responsibilities in the Air Force, as well. I got really good at it!

But I think ALL nursing programs need to address this very important issue, not just here and there. I thank you for posting this thread-----we all, myself included----could stand to learn a few tricks and brush up our skills. Very informative.

And I do agree, a sticky would be a good idea, here or in the nursing career threads!

[llg, PhD, RN]

SmilingBluEyes said:

This is a great thread, thanks. I did receive training on resume and cover-letter writing in my ADN program, thankfully. It was covered in the last weeks of our final semester. !

I find it significant that most schools that include any of this content do so in the final weeks of the final semester. By then, it is too late for most people. Most students already have their jobs lined up by then.

Not that the problem is exclusive to new grads. I think it is even worse among experienced nurses, many of whom think they don't have to try anymore because they have experience. The thread could just as easily be titled, "Ever wonder why you can't get that promotion?"

llg