Are you searching for a new career, promotion, or a change of scenery? The first step to your job search is building a resume that will make you stand out amongst the crowd. A strong resume will get you noticed and can help position yourself to negotiate a promotion if you are looking to advance your career with your current employer. By creating a solid resume you are able to highlight the reasons why you deserve that higher salary and will help you put your best foot forward to attract desirable job offers.
Here are a few tips to help you polish your resume to help you land that new job, salary increase or promotion:
- Start strong: Lead your resume with a value statement. This overview should give employers a high-level picture of your career goals, area of specialty, experience level and other credentials or notable highlights. Keep it short and concise.
- Detail your experience: Employers and hiring managers need to be able to easily and quickly see your level of experience. Note the type of facility you have worked in, your workload and your area of specialization. Entry-level nurses with limited experience should definitely note any unpaid work, clinical rotations or practicums.
- Highlight your achievements: As you list your experience, be sure to add the contributions you’ve made to each employer. This is your chance to celebrate those achievements – this could be when you’ve gone above and beyond your job duties to make a positive connection with a patient, their families or your employer. Have you served on any boards or committees; helped restructure an office or provide training to other employees? Note this all. It shows you’re a team player who is concerned with the wellbeing of your employer, as well as their patients, and will be an asset to their practice.
- Returning from a leave of absence? There is no sense in hiding a leave, your potential employers will notice. Instead, format your resume to de-emphasize any unrelated work. Make sure you are noting all relatable experiences and try splitting the format to show Nursing Experience and Additional Experience. This will allow you to place the emphasis on your nursing and clinical experience, while providing detail as to why you may have a lapse in relevant work experience.
- Education: Be sure to include any academic honors, fellowships, if you are newly graduated, your GPA may be relevant (if impressive) and any related coursework. Include additional certifications, licensure and short mention of clinical rotations.
- Expertise: Give potential employers a snapshot of your capabilities. Bullet your areas of specialty for example pediatrics, cardiology, etc. Also include relevant skills whether it’s hands-on caregiving or case management. It’s all important to note.
Again, you want your resume to paint a picture of who you are and the value you can bring. Don’t get long-winded, be descriptive, but brief. Too much “fluff” can actually harm rather than help. This is your opportunity to shine, so make sure your resume is shouting your accomplishments louder than all those others, positioning you as the best candidate for the job.
To learn more about employment opportunities with AMEA Healthcare, click here and apply today!