Question:
its getting closer to the time that i must begin to send out some
resumes and I need some advice on how to put one together and some ideas
for cover letters.
I already have a professional resume done with my work history but i am not
sure if this is a proper one to send out when applying for nursing jobs.
Answer:
. I'm an RN specializing in Labor and Delivery who
graduated in May '94 from a BSN program in Oakland, CA. I
stumbled across this list on internet and decided to subscribe.
It reminds me of how I felt when I was in school (didn't know
about the list then or I would have been on it). Although I've
only been out of school for a year, I find myself already
getting a bit jaded and need to be reminded of my ideals now and
then.
Regarding resumes, your best bet is to make your resume and
cover letter as professional as possible just as you would for
any other job in any other profession. However, if you are
interested in a particular position, you should do one of two
things. First, send your resume directly to the manager of the
unit you are interested in. Don't even bother with personnel or
the nurse recruiter. Their jobs are to screen people out who do
not EXACTLY match the "job qualifications" posted. They won't
even bother to pass your resume on if you don't have any
experience.
Second, (and this is the better of the two options), go in to
see the nurse manager in person (with your resume in hand), or
call on the phone. This has to be done with a certain amount of
tact because they are busy people. It also takes alot of guts,
but I have found that they are usually willing to talk to you if
they are not in the middle of something. Quite honestly, just
about everyone I know who has gotten the job of their choice
fresh out of nursing school has done this. I'm convinced that
this is the reason that I was able to get a Labor and Delivery
job with only 6 months of med-surg experience and no prior L&D
experience.
