You’re in the market for a new nursing position, but so far, you’re hearing crickets. If you haven’t updated your nursing resume in awhile, this is likely why you’re not generating interest for the types of positions you want.
Ensuring your nursing resume is as updated as possible is important, because you want potential employers to focus on what you currently have to offer. This version of your resume will serve as a starting point, that you can tailor to fit each position you apply to.
Use this advice to revise your nursing resume, so it sells you as the best fit for your ideal job.
3 Tips to Update Your Nursing Resume
Choose the Right Format
The most common presentation, a reverse chronological layout starts with your most recent job and ends with the position farthest back in your nursing career history — at least the oldest role you choose to list. This is a great option if you’ve been a nurse for several years and haven’t had any employment gaps.
On the other hand, a functional format places a greater emphasis on your nursing skills than your career history. This can be the best option if you’ve recently changed careers or have at least one notable employment gap.
Update Your Skills
Every nursing shift is a learning experience, so make sure your resume reflects your current skillset. This includes both your clinical skills and any new trainings you’ve completed since the last time you revised your resume.
It’s also wise to take a look at the skills already listed on your resume, to make sure they’re all still applicable. For example, you’ll want to remove any expired certifications and abilities that no longer reflect the type of nursing jobs you want — more on that next.
Remove Irrelevant Positions
In addition to deleting skills that no longer fit your nursing career trajectory, it’s also wise to take it a step further and get rid of entire positions that don’t make sense. Generally speaking, you should remove all non-nursing positions, unless they highlight a transferrable skillset that’s still relevant. If you’ve been a nurse for at least a decade, you might also consider deleting entry-level positions that don’t add depth to your resume.
Need a little help finding the nursing job you really want? Management Registry, Inc. is here to guide your search. Contact us today to learn more!