By What You Should NOT Include:
1. Every Company, Sport, Project, or Club You’ve Ever Participated In
Hiring managers can spot fluff from a mile away. So while it’s more than okay to include nursing jobs and extracurricular activities on your resume, you must (must!) keep it relevant to the position you’re applying for. Your goal as a job seeker should be to make your resume as concise as possible, while still sufficiently summarizing your skills and experience as a nurse.
2. Don’t Overload Potential Employers with Details
If your resume contains numerous unrelated jobs, it isn’t necessary to list all your specific duties at each. This can make your nursing resume run long — something you definitely don’t want. Like we mentioned above, a resume doesn’t have to be long for it to be noticeable. On the other hand, if you’re running short on space but still want to include relevant jobs, it’s perfectly fine to describe your experience and duties for some positions and then list only a job title and reference for others.
3. Gaps
Gaps on your resume equal instant suspicion for hiring managers. What exactly were you doing for that time? If at all possible, you should avoid breaks in work experience. Now, that being said, most employers are aware of the economic climate and consequently the extra-competitive healthcare job market. If you find that you have multiple gaps on your resume (for example, due to a couple of hospital layoffs), don’t be afraid to use a short part of your cover letter to provide an explanation. Just like describing your skills and experience while on the job, you should provide explanation for why you’ve been unemployed.
Just remember, past jobs are an important part of your nursing career. The experience gained from them is significant — even if it’s not perfectly relevant. Be confident in your skills and stand behind your passion to get the nursing jobs of your dreams!
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