Nurse CV and Cover Letter: Make a Statement When Applying for a Job

A powerful resume tells the story of your profession journey and shows what you’ve learned and completed along the way in which. Nurse.com has gathered information on the what, how, and why of making a resume and canopy letter that may impress nurse recruiters and hiring managers.

Top Tips and Best Practices for Nurse Resumes

Each nursing job you apply for is exclusive. Make sure your resume matches the main points of every job. Target your clinical experiences and accomplishments to this specific opportunity and emphasize the way you fit into this organization.

Down Your homework in the power by researching its website for details about its mission and vision. This will show your interest not only within the job but additionally in becoming an element of the culture and goals of the power. In your CV writing guideYale University School of Nursing offers the next best practices:

• Limit your CV to at least one or two pages, depending in your level of experience.
• Avoid including an excessive amount of text as it’ll create clutter.
• Focus in your accomplishments in previous jobs and clinics somewhat than simply listing the responsibilities related to each position.
• Use plenty of energetic words to explain the way you analyzed, communicated, improved, collaborated, managed, helped, created, etc. in your previous roles.
• Share other skills and accomplishments that may enhance your clinical knowledge, reminiscent of knowledge of various languages, public speaking experience, membership in skilled or student organizations, knowledge of various software systems, etc.
• Finally, you should definitely edit your CV and ask a friend, colleague, mentor or member of the family to review it.

How to Structure Your Nurse Resume

When creating your resume, start with who you’re. List your contact information so the recruiter can contact you directly for an interview. This will help nurse recruiters know if you happen to are an area candidate. The following sections include:

• This short section can include a press release of your profession objectives, not than three sentences, and a job profile description that describes what you offer.
• List all relevant positions, even outside of healthcare, that reveal skills reminiscent of communication, conflict resolution, public education, and more. Do this in reverse chronological order.
• Describe your educational path and any unique skilled experiences, reminiscent of clinical internships.
• They will reveal your interest in further education and commitment to working in nursing groups.
• Adding current and past volunteer experiences at church, school or in the local people demonstrates your broad interest in healthcare out and in of the workplace.

Are cover letters still valid?

The cover letter could seem archaic to some nurses. In fact, Survey 2021 According to ResumeGenius.com, lower than 30% of job seekers still include a canopy letter with their resume. With that in mind, including a canopy letter mechanically puts you ahead of 70% of others when job hunting. Think of it as a resume complement that acts as a sales pitch or marketing tool to indicate your value. It also helps you to tell hiring managers why you wish to work for his or her company.

A canopy letter gives you the chance to introduce yourself and sell yourself as a candidate that a nursing hiring manager can’t do without. It’s also a tool to share a private story or experience that describes why you meet the qualifications for the position while expressing your strong interest within the position.

The value of keywords

As nurse hiring managers attempt to fill many positions directly, lots of them depend on software generally known as an applicant tracking system. This software scans resumes to Keywords that fit each position. The best advice for nursing job seekers is to begin with the job description the healthcare facility is trying to fill. Look for vital keywords and phrases—reminiscent of patient care, patient education, leadership, and clinical research—and strategically add them in the event that they aren’t already there.

Another approach to be sure your CV will pass muster tracking system is to make use of a web based resume optimizer that may analyze your resume and offer suggestions on where you may improve its effectiveness. There are many free options online.

Social media blunders

social media will be a terrific place to share your interests, skilled accomplishments, and family fun. But there are also many pitfalls for nurses. Hiring managers often take a look at potential candidates’ social media accounts. What are they searching for?

According to data from 2020 Research at Penn State UniversityHow you present yourself on social media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok can change how potential employers perceive you. Researchers surveyed 436 hiring managers, including those within the healthcare industry, to see a hypothetical job candidate’s Facebook profile. Of the three categories survey participants rated, posts that showed self-centeredness elicited essentially the most negative perceptions.

The researchers said the outcomes showed these candidates could also be perceived as “less willing to make sacrifices for the good of other employees and the organization.”

Negative perceptions amongst recruiters were also related to self-image as an excessively opinionated person, defined by posting divisive content that could possibly be perceived as argumentative and fewer cooperative. Negative outcomes were least prevalent amongst recruiters for social media posts suggesting alcohol and drug use.

Nurse.com consultant Eileen Williamson, MSN, a nurse who has held quite a few leadership positions throughout her profession, says the most effective advice when posting on social media is to think before you post.

Keep it fresh

As your profession changes, your resume will change. When attempting to land entry-level patient care positions, deal with the abilities and experiences you gained during your nursing degree as they relate to the positions you’re searching for. This could include examples out of your pre-nursing days, reminiscent of working with customers in retail settings that demonstrated conflict resolution skills or public speaking opportunities that helped develop your communication skills.

If you’re in the center stage of your nursing profession, be sure that Keep your CV fresh. The more skills, experiences, and continuing education courses you come across, the more you wish to highlight them in your resume. This shows hiring managers that you just’re up to this point.

Still searching for a job late in your profession? Your CV ought to be a approach to convey the importance of your skills in the sphere and experience gained in difficult situations, reminiscent of leading teams and caring for patients through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whether you’re searching for a position in medical surgery right out of faculty or a CNO position later in your profession, be sure your nursing resume tells a story about why you’re the best person for the job.

Sign up for the next profession opportunities courses:

The purpose of this module is to enhance nurses’ skilled networking skills to keep up solid profession development strategies. After reviewing the data presented here, you’ll have the option to: Identify 4 potential sources to contact for networking, discover steps for face-to-face networking, and describe three self-marketing sales props to be used in effective networking.

This CE program will educate nurses on how one can use social media to boost their careers. It describes how social media can have a positive impact in your profession, identifies ways to avoid profession damage brought on by social media, and compares several sorts of social media.

Use this CE module to enhance your skills in preparing for and participating in job interviews. After reviewing the data presented here, you’ll have the option to discover at the least 4 interview preparation strategies, select the most effective answers to common interview questions, and select appropriate inquiries to ask your interviewer.