It’s been said that finding a job is a job in and of itself and that could not be a truer statement. Never mind the butterflies you get during the interview process or the long days prepping for the actual sit down with the hiring manager or even the networking that precedes all of that. The process begins and could very well end with your resume submission. The importance of the resume for a travel nurse could not be stated enough. Inclusion of nursing skills for a resume is an absolute must because if not, you run the risk of being looked over for the nursing job of your dreams. Below I’ve outlined some tricks of the trade for weaving in your nursing skills for a resume so grab a pencil and notepad!
Optimize!
Nowadays anything that can be done by a computer…IS. This includes saving a recruiter from having to leaf through thousands of resumes. A computer will automatically begin searching nursing skills for your resume by looking for key words and phrases. This method definitely has its pros and cons. Saving a recruiter a lot of arduous work being one of them. However, a con is that you could be a stellar candidate for a job but never get the chance to prove it if you don’t have specific words or phrases in your resume that caused it to be flagged as a potential interview. With human discretion taken out of this first equation, you must make sure that your resume is optimized for the search algorithms used by the computer searching it. Be sure to tailor your resume to the specific travel nurse opening that you are applying to. Study the job assignment and keep an eye out for buzzwords used by the facility you’re applying to. Pepper your resume with the buzzwords that continually pop up in the job description and it will be an instant standout!
License and certification please!
Humility is an admirable attribute but resume writing is no time to be humble. Don’t be afraid to list your accomplishments and experiences. Be sure to include all licenses and certifications that you may carry as these are definitely considered relevant skills for a travel nurse resume. Specific licenses and certifications help the recruiter or hospital staff determine where you should be assigned, how great of an asset you would be as a travel nurse and to what extent your skill set could be leveraged. When listing your licenses and certifications on your resume, be sure to pay special attention to the following recommendations:
- Include the expiration date
- Include date of certification/licensing
- Include title of license/certification
- Include name of certifying body
As I said, humility can take a backseat when presenting your certifications and licenses that you’ve worked so hard to obtain. After all, it’s your blood, sweat and tears that has you considered for a position as a travel nurse. Be proud!
Tailor swift
Now this part of the resume creation process tends to be the most time consuming and daunting of them all. Tailoring to include nursing skills to your resume requires part dedication, part attention to detail and part being a mind reader. Tailoring your resume to a specific job that you want takes time but if you develop a knack for it, you’re golden. The rule of thumb here is to construct your resume to tell a story – make your experience come alive and gear it towards the specific position you are applying to.
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