Theresa has worked as a med/surg nurse at her hospital for the past six years. At a staff meeting yesterday, a supervisor informed her and her coworkers that their unit would be merging with one of the other med/surg units. Because no transfer opportunities are available, many nurses will lose their jobs, including Theresa.

Today, Theresa scans Nursing Spectrum and finds a few positions that she is both interested in and qualified for, but all of the ads say one thing: “Send résumé to…”

Job seeking still requires résumés

Today’s nursing shortage has created an extraordinary array of choices for nurses seeking jobs. But one element lingers from recent times when positions themselves were in short supply — nurses must have a well-stocked toolbox to secure the best jobs. Tools such as clinical experience, interpersonal skills, and a current, well-developed résumé are essential in building a successful career. Together, these comprise a nurse’s career profile and enhance marketability.

The first step in applying for any job is introducing yourself via a résumé. A good résumé can make the difference between getting an interview and being passed over for another applicant. Yet even with all the emphasis placed on this document, some nurses feel uncomfortable and unprepared when asked to produce one.

Until recent mergers, managed care, and downsizing, nurses had not been taught the importance of an effective résumé. Typically, a staff nurse only needed to complete an application and briefly meet with a recruiter to land a position in any healthcare setting. But employment conditions shifted, and nurses had to change with them.

What’s a résumé?

A résumé is your self-portrait. It portrays professional achievements, educational background, and personal accomplishments in one concise format. Used appropriately, this document becomes a key marketing tool for getting noticed by a prospective employer.

Employers, as consumers, shop for the best quality product. In this case, the nurse is the product and the résumé is the advertisement. In advertising, a product should quickly stand apart from the others to impress the market audience. The advertisement should reflect the product’s uniqueness and exceptional quality. So, too, must a résumé stand apart from the others and capture the recruiter’s attention in as little as three seconds.

However, even the best developed, attention-grabbing résumé may not be appropriate for every situation. For example, poster presenters and professional speakers should develop a curriculum vitae (CV) as well as a résumé. Many nurses are not aware of the differences between the two.

Résumés versus CVs

A résumé summarizes an individual’s professional accomplishments and should not exceed two pages. On the other hand, a CV describes in detail the individual’s professional activities and accomplishments and is generally several pages long. When trying to attract and hold a recruiter’s attention, a résumé is best. If your résumé becomes longer than two pages, pare down the information.

If you are unsure about which tool to use, keep in mind that many employers and organizations will state their preference. But be aware that the terms résumé and CV are often used interchangeably, which leads to confusion for the applicant. A CV is commonly used when seeking a position in education, pursuing an upper management position, applying for admission to graduate school, or securing speaking engagements. A résumé, though, remains the primary tool in the employment process. When in doubt, ask the prospective employer if they prefer a summary or detailed account of your background.

Styles and types

Résumés can either be organized chronologically or functionally. Most recruiters prefer the chronological style because it is easily followed. And by listing the most recent experience first, this résumé works well for nurses with good, solid work histories who are seeking positions similar to the jobs they are leaving.

The emphasis of a functional style résumé shifts from dates of employment to categories of competency, such as managerial ability, technical knowledge, and interpersonal skills. To determine if a functional résumé is more appropriate, answer the following questions: Do you wish to highlight certain skills or abilities? Do you have a history of job-hopping? Do you have gaps in your employment history? If your answer to any of these questions is yes, consider using the functional format.

A functional résumé is useful in several special situations. For example, frequent job changes can appear suspicious to recruiters and a functional style, which focuses on professional strengths, may lessen the possibility of a negative reaction from the recruiter. In addition, gaps in employment history may not seem as noticeable or significant if the recruiter encounters them later in the résumé. Functional résumés can also highlight transferable skills when you are attempting to switch specialties, change your career path, or when your current job doesn’t match well with the one you want.

To develop a functional résumé, first assess your skills to identify your strengths. After matching these strengths to the position you seek, group them into specific categories that can lay the groundwork for the résumé. With this style, a job history is listed in an abbreviated format, but on the second page.

As you build your experience and skill base, you may switch from a chronological style to a functional style and back again depending upon which position you target. A common strategy is to initially develop one of each and then determine which format you prefer. While there are no set rules on how to organize a résumé, there are several approaches you can use.

How to build your résumé

The key elements of any résumé are demographic information, education, work experience, professional achievements, and relevant personal activities.

The first section should contain demographics, such as name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address. You may choose to include a work phone number, but be sure a system is in place so that you receive messages confidentially. If your home answering machine contains a personal message, make sure the greeting is not offensive or potentially embarrassing.

List education in the next category. Begin with your most recent degree, highlighting any honors you have received. Include school names and the city and state where they are located. If you are enrolled in an advanced degree program, but have not yet graduated, include that information by stating for example, “Master of Science in Nursing, currently pursuing.”

The next section of the résumé is an employment or work experience section. List this information in reverse chronological order, beginning with your most recent position. Important facts to record are employer name, city and state, job title, dates of employment, and a brief description of your overall responsibilities, including specialty and leadership responsibilities. Organize this section to highlight your career progression. Although positions early in your career do not need to reflect accomplishments, your success in later jobs should be emphasized with -

• Bullets that list three or four key accomplishments per position.
• Numbers wherever possible to reflect quantitative results, such as cost savings or profits.
• Action verbs, such as created, implemented, or generated.

It is appropriate to include positions held outside of healthcare if those previous responsibilities relate to the position you are seeking. For example, your job as a bank teller may represent a unique experience in dealing with the public. Use your judgment before including jobs that are outdated or not related to experience and growth.

Although work experience customarily follows the education section on the résumé of a new nurse, more experienced professionals may list past employment first. This draws attention to the candidate’s strengths and experience. Either order is acceptable.

The next section, professional associations, lists professional memberships. Completely spell out the full name of any association and avoid the use of abbreviations, such as ANA or AONE. List licensures and certifications under a separate heading.

The final key element is personal activities, such as community service. This category demonstrates to a potential employer that you are a well-rounded individual. It provides insight into your personality and can augment your résumé if you lack work experience. In other words, this section can present a comprehensive profile of you as a unique and highly desirable employee, but only if the information is significant and relevant.

Optional information

Some nurses describe their nursing school clinical experience in their résumé. This nonessential information can contribute substance to an otherwise thin résumé, but should only be used by new graduates or nurses using the functional format. If the clinical experience section makes your résumé more than two pages in length, leave it out.

Another optional section lists presentations, including inservices, workshops, case studies, or other continuing education offerings you have given at work or in the community. You may also include poster presentations that you have contributed to professional forums. List this information in an abbreviated format and only if it doesn’t extend the résumé beyond two pages.

Record honors and awards in a separate section if they are relevant to the position you are seeking; and include academic awards received while attending school only if you are a new graduate. Be sure to cite the year in which the award was granted with its title and the awarding organization.

Preparation tips

Your résumé must be carefully designed to convey a professional image. When preparing this important document, remember to -

1. Use good quality bond paper in neutral tones, preferably in white or off white. Use the same paper for both your résumé and cover letter. If possible, have the envelope match the paper.
2. Use a computer to produce your résumé and cover letter. Do not handwrite changes on either form.
3. Use the spell check feature on your computer and then also proofread your résumé and cover letter for any spelling and grammatical errors. Typographical errors are an instant turn-off. Have a friend with a critical eye proofread both.
4. Be consistent with the general page layout and fonts. A 12-point font size is best.
5. Print your résumé with a quality printer, preferably a laser printer.
6. Send an original résumé, not a photocopy.

Among items that need to be omitted from your résumé package are a picture of you; references to marital status, children, age, race, or religion; and any mention of hobbies, such as skiing, water polo, basket weaving, or other private pastimes.

Scannable résumé

Today, many companies use computerized applicant tracking systems and scanning technology to process applicants’ résumés. Your résumé must be sent in a way that a scanner can read it, so you must format this résumé differently from as described above. This is because your résumé must be converted from paper to “information” that a computer can read before it is stored in the applicant database. This happens when the scanner, connected to the computer, runs software that examines the dots of ink on your printed résumé and determines their shapes by the letters they represent. This optical character recognition (OCR) matches patterns stored in its memory, and this requires you to develop a scannable résumé. This résumé is different form the traditional résumé as it is unformatted (ASCII text). When possible, especially if replying to a recruiter’s e-mail address, send along the formatted résumé (styled with bullet, indentations, etc.) and the unformatted (plain) one. When sending it along to a hiring manager for review, the recruiter will use the formatted (traditional) résumé so it is good to have both styles on hand.

To modify your existing résumé into a scannable version, first choose the right fonts. If you want a traditional font (with “edges” on the letters) choose Times Roman or Bookman. If you prefer a more contemporary font (with no “edges”) choose Arial or Tahoma. These fonts are not overly fancy and will ensure better scanning. Now, arrange the text of your résumé without underlining, which can cause word misinterpretation in the scanning process. Be careful using bullets that are unusually shaped or hollow as these can be interpreted as letters, causing difficulty in the recruiter reading your résumé. Also, spell out things like “%” as percent and “&” as and to avoid the same problem. Scanners read from left to right and often have trouble with columns. As a rule, you should also only print on one side of the paper but especially for scanning purposes as the scanner cannot turn your paper over. That means half of your information would be missing! Do not fold your résumé as this causes creases and that can make it harder to scan, and do not use a stapler as the hole left at the top can be misinterpreted as a letter. The best résumé is an original (not a photocopy) on high-quality, light-colored paper with one of the fonts mentioned above in a point size no larger than 12. Finally, put your name at the top of each scannable résumé because you will not be stapling and the pages can easily become separated in the human resources process.

The cover letter

The final piece of your résumé is the cover letter. This document must be concise and quickly capture the recruiter’s attention. If your cover letter is too long, the recruiter will not get to your résumé. Two to three single-spaced paragraphs is the standard length.

Begin your letter by addressing a specific person, making sure the spelling of the name, title, and credentials are correct. If you cannot obtain the spelling from an advertisement, call the recruitment office to verify this information. Although the tone of the letter needs to be business-oriented, remember that it also serves as a personal introduction.

Next, state the purpose of your letter, relating the title of the position you’re seeking and how you heard about it, such as the location and date of an advertisement or a referral by a current employee. The next paragraph should present your qualifications as they relate to the position you’re seeking.

Finally, close the letter with an offer to provide additional information if necessary and your desire to hear from the recruiter. You may also state a time when you will assume responsibility for follow-up; for example, “I will contact you on March 4 to further discuss my qualifications.” Remember that being creative within the cover letter will attract attention. Just make sure the approach is professional and appropriate.

One final tip — always mail or fax a cover letter with the résumé. A cover letter or résumé sent alone is not helpful for the recruiter and will most likely receive no response.

If you believe that résumé preparation is not important to you now or in the future, think again. Be prepared — it is much easier to update a résumé than to create one. You have invested your time in building a rich career, so take the next step and develop a résumé to protect it.