To win coveted nursing interviews in a highly competitive job search climate, you need to ensure that not only is your resume the BEST written resume you can possibly have — but that you are avoiding making mistakes that could poorly skew the perception hiring managers have of you.
Here are some of the top ones we see.
- Non-professional email. Get a new one only for job searching and make sure it is on-brand.
- Personal information. The hiring manager does not want to know that you are divorced/happily married/a dog lover, or party animal.
- Spelling errors! You must have someone else proofread your resume. As the writer, you won’t always see the mistakes or typos.
- Not listing all licensure, certifications, and professional affiliations. Even if no longer active, list it on your resume with the expiration date. These certifications are great keywords.
- Professional affiliations missing. This demonstrates your commitment to your professional and interest in career growth.
- Not listing an expertise/key skills/nursing strengths section. Keywords are imperative in an electronic search!
- Not including a Qualifications Summary. ‘Objective’ should not be included in your resume anymore. This is an outdated practice.
- Lack of focus. A generic resume will not get you an Emergency Department position or ICU job. Achievements and details of past/current positions must be included. Quantifiable achievements are necessary.
- Font size and variety of fonts. You want your resume to stand out and be readable, but not busy. Stick to two fonts at the most and include plenty of white space.
- Stick to the facts. Never lie on your resume. It is cause to terminate your employment.
- Omitting number of beds in your unit. Prove you can work in a fast-paced, high-volume, and/or high-turnover environments.
- Not explaining employment gaps. Recruiters and nurse managers see the gap. Acknowledge it and briefly explain the reason for the employment gap.
- Not listing your healthcare volunteer experience. It counts!
- Professional activities. List classes you’ve taught and students you precepted.
- Give an overview of your employers. Not every hiring manager knows about the locations where you worked. Include a snippet explaining the facility, “Joint Commission accredited, Magnet designated facility…”