Rresume Writing

RESUME WRITING A resume is a tool to promote your experience, education, and accomplishments to prospective employers. It conveys to the employer that you have the skills to be a successful nurse. You want to send a clear and positive message. There are no rigid rules about writing a resume, only guidelines. Each person will have different information to convey and a different personality to express. What should be included in a resume?    Name block contains contact information. Type you name in boldface at 13-14 points. Include permanent and current addresses, if appropriate. List you phone numbers as well as your personal e-mail address. Name Address Home Telephone E-mail Address Objective Statement states what you want and what you can do.    Be concise. It should not be more than two lines. Relate the statement to the position you are seeking. State the title or type of position you are seeking. Do not use an objective statement if you are not seeking a position in a specific area. Objective: RN position in pediatric critical care unit Headings define information sections that describe your unique skills and experience.   Arrange headings in reverse chronological order. Highlight all headings and be consistent, using same typeface, boldness or capitalization. Education Professional Experience Professional Organizations Volunteer (or Community) Experience Activities Headlines explain the where and when of your experience.      List the Education section before your professional experience if you have no related experience and your education is directly related to the position you are seeking. Include undergraduate GPA if above 3.5 and graduate GPA if above 3.75. Include all Professional Experience related to nursing in this section, such as internships, part-time nursing assistantship. It is acceptable to include experience that is not paid since this section is called Professional Experience and not Work Experience. Include other information such as professional memberships, publications, presentations, security clearances, language skills, computer skills, and travel abroad. Make sure they support your career goal. Include honors and awards if they are unique and relevant to your career goals. Education University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree candidate, expected May 1999 GPA: 3.8 University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 2000 Major: Biology GPA: Biology 3.9; Overall 3.79; Phi Beta Kappa Professional Experience University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD Nursing Student, 2002-Present  Provided direct care to laboring mothers and infants including vital signs, fetal monitoring, medication administration, newborn and postpartum assessments.  Attended vaginal and cesarean births.  Completed seven-week leadership practicum in labor and delivery. Volunteer Experience St. Agnes Hospital, Emergency Department, Baltimore, MD Patient Advocate Volunteer in Emergency Room, October 2000 – May 2002  Provided assistance during sterile and orthopedic procedures and patient education.  Offered support to patients and families during emergencies.  Facilitated communication among patients, families, and medical professionals. Activities Member, National Student Nurses Association, 2002 - Present Additional Guidelines for Writing Resumes  Write your own resume. It is a reflection of you.  Be truthful.  Develop several versions of your resume in order to target various positions for which you are applying.  Use action verbs to provide a forceful way of presenting you qualifications and experiences. A list of action verbs is provided on the next page.  Use bulleted statements so that the reader will easily see what you have accomplished. Keep them short.  Keep most important information along the left margin and closest to the beginning of each section of your resume.  Use capitalization, bold, and indent to highlight important information. Be consistent. Use bullets or dashes, not plus signs or asterisks, to emphasize phrases.  Avoid use of italics, underlined text, graphics, and shading.  Do not use “the”, “a”, “an” or other articles throughout your resume.  Do not use acronyms unless they are spelled out the first time used.  Do not list high school if you have completed college.  Do not include irrelevant information such as weight, height, age, or marital status.  Do not include salary information.  Do not lie or even stretch the truth.  Do not use the title “Resume.”  If a second page is necessary, be sure to include your name and page number in the upper left-hand corner.  Avoid fancy fonts. Use Times New Roman, Arial, or Helvetica with a size of 11 points. Limit lines to 70-80 characters per line.  Use a 1-inch margin throughout.     Use quality bond paper between 16 and 25 lbs. Purchase matching envelops and personalized note cards as well. Reproduce professionally or use a laser printer. Do not staple the resume. Use a paperclip instead. Do not fold the resume. Use a 9”x12” envelope. Proofread your resume! Have someone read it, too. Proofread carefully. Proofread carefully. Proofread carefully. Proofread carefully. Proofread carefully. Proofread carefully. Proofread carefrully.