resume writing-career services

services offered

*personality and interest inventories *choosing a major and career decisions *resume & cover letter critiques *mock interviews (interviewLink) *Graduate school applications *career fairs and employer networking events *general job or internship search assistance *JobLink-connects you to employers for full-time jobs, internships, and work study. -- View career center events

Blunders

*spelling, punctuation, & grammar mistakes *including a photo (field determined) *using colored paper *too much info included *using buzz words like "team-player" *listing irrelevant hobbies *paragraphs packed with long sentences *using an unprofessional email address *forgetting to include contact info *not getting a proof-reader

College or community activities

*total number of organizations is NOT important *kinds of experiences in organizations ARE important *DO SOMETHING beyond being a member *focus on accomplishments *as you gain more work experience, these may need to be removed from your resume

applicant tracking system

*use a current version of word processing software *fill in all on-line fields for information -even if its in your resume -even if they tell you it will "automatically" fill in the form *respond to all requests for communication from potential employers within 24 hours *include your references when you apply -never use: "references upon request"

A good resume is..

*visually powerful & easy to read *reflects the truth *free of errors-no typos/spelling/grammar mistakes *concise and to the point *focuses on skills & accomplishments *is sent with a cover letter and list of references

Things to consider

*what the employer is looking for dictates how you should write/format your resume *your resume should be customized to the job you are applying for *generic resumes get generic results *length will be dictated by your experience -think like an employer

Avoid Cliché

*"best possible outcome" *"highly" anything *a job that is "challenging and rewarding" *"an innovative, motivated problem solver" *"team player, self-starter, good communicator" *"I am a people person" *"teamwork is my middle name" *"strive" *"Proven track record"

visually powerful and easy to read...

*1 inch margins *fonts: Times new roman, arial, Helvetica, verdana *font size: 10 point/14 point *consistent format throughout *use bullet points whenever possible *bold key statements, if you use blocks of text

Summary of skills

*Avoid subjective skills, use concrete skills -knowledge of all basic lab procedures -JCAHO standards/compliance -catheter,IV, and suctioning training -current CPR certification -experience educating families on medical issues -2 year experience working with EKG, phlebotomy, catheters, feeding tubes, IV and central lines

examples of job description

*ER Nurse -demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities -ability to work with diverse patients; foreign language skills preferred -must be familiar with XYZ electronic files system -must be a registered nurse in ER/OR/CS must be a graduate of an approved school of nursing. is currently licensed as a registered nurse by the state board of nursing -must have worked at least one year in an acute area or had previous ER experience

utilizing

*LinkedIn is the modern online resume *Build a profile -treat class projects as "jobs" to build an online portfolio of your work *utilize the advances search feature to seek contacts in fields you are interested in -personalize the connection request message *search for groups in careers you are interested in *student portal

Examples of job descriptions

*Nurse -Clinical skills -positive bedside manner -infection control -nursing skills -physiological knowledge -administering medication -medical teamwork -multi-tasking, listening, verbal communication -health promotion and maintenance

nursing examples

*Provided age-appropriate nursing care to children and infants on pediatric medical-surgical units with varied diagnoses including cerebral palsy, diabetes, congenital heart defects, among others. *Provided complete care for postpartum mothers and newborn infants; managed up to 3 mothers and 3 newborns *Provide pre and post operative nursing care for 8 to 10 adult and geriatric patients with musculoskeletal injuries and conditions including lumbar laminectomies and anterior/posterior cervical discectomies.

More nursing examples

*Responsible for up to five patients under the supervision of Clinical Instructor and a variety of Registered Nurses planning and providing bedside care, treatment and clinical documentation for patients on cardiac, oncology and medical surgical floors. *Administer oral and intramuscular and subcutaneous medications. *Regularly inserted and managed IV lines, PICC lines, CVP lines, nephrostomy tubes, tracheostomy tubes, urinary catheters, chest tubes, and managed surgical wound care.

experience

*anything related to the job you are applying for, including student organizations, volunteer positions, clinicals, internships *most recent items first *include: -employer and their location (city,state) -job title -dates of employment (month and year) -description of your skills and accomplishments

experience

*avoid excessive adjectives/adverbs *utilize action verbs *anything you are currently doing (present job), present tense -"work" "Plan" "hired" "led" "created" *quantify experiences by using numbers, hours, percents, amounts of time, dollars, etc

objective

*be efficient with words, avoid modifiers and other excess words: -"highly" -determined -best possible -outstanding -strive *proper grammar and punctuation is crucial *Do not talk about what you want to get out of the position

Examples of job descriptions

*clinical nurse navigator RN -demonstrated ability to supervise, train, and evaluate employees -budgetary experience -three (3) years of nursing experience in complex or chronic disease management or acute care required -experience in case mgt and/or outpatient care -experience in managing complex chronic disease patients within the community setting across the continuum of care, preferred -bachelors degree in nursing is required

other things to include

*electronic medical record system experience *billing code systems *types of facilities you've worked/did clinicals in: -short term acute care -long term care -long term acute care -senior nursing facility -trauma hospital and trauma designation (1,2,3,etc)

Getting through the first cut

*employers have basic criteria that must be met before a candidate is considered, These can include: -Specific degrees or training -Minimum amount experience (number of years) -specific skill sets (i.e. experience with a specialized machine, ability to deal with specific conditions) *These criteria will be listed in a job description *Use the employers wording in you resume

Applicant tracking system

*hierarchy of terminology -hiring facility's terminology is first -industry standards second -past employer third --hiring employer-"Intensive care unit" --Current employer-"critical care unit" --adjust your resume to match the hiring employers language *Never use language unique to one facility *use common section headers -experience or work hx not career achievements -education not academic achievements

other things to include

*number of beds in facilities where you have worked/studied *number of beds in your unit *type of unit, using standard, industry-wide phraseology -MS,TELE,ICU,CVICU,ER,L&D *Which medications you have experience dispensing *age range of the patients you typically worked with *industry-wide protocols, processes or procedures

Types of resumes: Chronological

-Each position in reverse chronological order -most common format -ideal for those with a solid work hx

education

-list universities in reverse chronological order -provide the correct degree title -include month/year of degree -do not include high school -name of institution, city, state, degree, major/minor, graduation date, GPA=3.0 -selected courses/detail on course work -honors/scholarships -license type (LPN,RN,NP,CRNA, etc) -foreign language

Applicant tracking system

-software designed to handle the recruitment process -resume "parser" and the candidate-matching/ranking -file formats: .doc,.pdf,.txt, and .xls files -zip files generally do not work -fancy formatting and fonts can make the ATS system not read your resume properly -use keywords, phrases, and jargon standard to nursing --exact verbiage in the job post -incorporate both acronyms and full names when possible --"intensive care unit" -"ICU"

Never use a template! Why?

-they look generic -difficult to format -unseen "code" that interferes with ATS

Action verbs

-budgeted -consulted -evaluated -experienced -improved -modeled -planned -processed -rehabilitated -coordinated -expanded -explained -investigated -instituted -mediated -presented -reported -tested

sections of resumes (you may need all of these)

-contact info -objective -education -skills -experience (or relevant experience) -activities -volunteerism -publications or research

Types of resumes: Functional

-describes skills/number of years doing them over all jobs you have held, combined -ideal for those who have had jobs in the same fields doing the same things -ideal for those who have had interruptions in employment

objective

-do you need it? -gives focus to your job search -clear and concise statement about the position you are seeking using a job title -may be specific **To become an emergency room nurse at XYZ hospital **To become a full-time nurse at a regional hospital

How long do employers look at resumes

Less than a minute

Objective: Poor

To attain a position in a clinical setting where I can strive to achieve the best possible results for patients through outstanding service

Objective:Great

To become a nurse at the ABC clinic

What is the main purpose of a resume

To get an interview

contact info

mon-fri 8-430pm 428 university blvd (across street from baird) 606-783-2233 [email protected]/career

Objective:Better

to become a full-time nurse at a clinic with the elderly