By Deepa Arora
Illustration by Malcolm Garris/PhotoDisc
May 5, 1998

You may not believe it, but there are people out there who don't have resumes and simply fill out an application form when they hear of a job opening. However, they may be doing themselves a disservice. "An application form is not designed to be attractive or readable," says Nita Busby, of Resumes, Etc. It is not unique and does not grab the attention of the reader like a resume that highlights achievements and milestones in your career. If an application form is mandatory at a hospital or company, submit your resume along with it.

PRESENTATION

Everyone knows the cardinal rule is to check, recheck and re-recheck, your resume for errors before sending it out. But every recruiter or nurse manager has received at least a few resumes with spelling or punctuation errors. "It makes me cringe,"says Mary Marczyk, MSN, RN, a recruiter with Thomas Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia. Sometimes these resumes don't make it past the first cut. If there is a big demand for the applicant's specialty, he or she might be asked in for an interview, but the gaffe on the resume tends to color impressions of the candidate.

CONTENT

Deciding the kind of a job you want is a critical first step in writing your resume. "Your resume is like a calling card," says Genny Dune, a career counselor with the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. "It must emphasize what you want to do – clinical, administration, or teaching." Without this first step, writing a resume would be like throwing darts in the dark.

Next step - education or experience- what should you list first? The question often stymies people who are putting together their resume.

Experts say there is no cardinal rule – it depends on the individual and his or her circumstances.

For instance, if you are looking for a clinical position and have years of experience in the field, make that the lead. But if you have a recent degree, such as a healthcare MBA or a new certification, put that on top.

Generally try and keep the new information in the upper half of the resume.

"Starting with a profile statement is a good idea," says Busby. "A statement that says, presenting qualifications for a dynamic nurse manager….. "An upfront statement of your strengths is a good start that reflects ownership of your work.

OWNERSHIP

But nurses are often guilty of not taking credit for their work. "They give credit to their hospital, their team," says Anya Kirvan-Jones, MS, RN, director of clinical operations and performance for AccessHealth, a telephonically based care center. "You have got to get out and say, I was responsible for it, I managed it, so the resume can communicate what you produced, what you contributed."

BUZZWORDS

Health care has changed a lot in the last decade - make sure your resume reflects your awareness and familiarity with new concepts and ideas in the clinical field and in insurance and government regulations. "In the home health industry, I look for candidates who are current with federally mandated rules," says Jill Haniff, MBA, RN, Vice president of SmartMed Health Care Systems Inc. Haniff, who combined her experience as a home health care nurse and her knowledge of computers to her job in a clinical software firm, is always on the lookout for healthcare professionals who show an interest in other areas such as nursing law or software. "Pursue those interests through a course or a seminar and put it on your resume. It shows how motivated you are," she says. Her advice: "RNs must consider themselves professionals and market themselves as such."