Seven
Myths About Resume Writing
by
Donna Cardillo, RN, BS
Ask
five people how to write a resume, and you’ll likely
get five different opinions.While most people are well meaning,
some dispense outdated or downright incorrect information.
Let’s set the record straight about some of the common
myths of resume writing.
1.
Your resume must be on one page.
This
one just won’t die. While one page resumes are standard
in some industries, they are not now, and never have been,
standard in the nursing profession. Once you’ve had
one or two jobs, coupled with your credentials, education,
professional affiliations, and so on, you’re easily
on two pages. This is perfectly acceptable and very much
the norm.
2.
Reducing the type size and margins is an acceptable way
to get more information on each page.
While
you may get more information on the page that way, you’re
reducing the readability of your resume and overloading
the reader with too much information. A 12-point type size
and a one-inch margin all around is the norm. If you need
a little extra space, you can slightly reduce the top and
bottom margins but never reduce the type size or font. If
people have trouble reading your resume, it probably won’t
get read. If you have too much material to fit on two pages,
start reducing the volume of information by revising, rewriting,
and weeding out.
3.
Don’t include non-nursing work experience.
This
is old advice that was given to nurses years ago. Today,
many individuals are coming into nursing as a second or
third career and bringing significant prior work experience
to the table. Besides, a diverse background is an advantage
in today’s workplace. There was a time that others
thought nurses were only capable of bedside clinical jobs.
No longer. So by all means flaunt your prior, relevant work
experience.
4.
You must include an objective.
This
is another one from old-time resume lore. Not only don’t
you need to include an objective on your resume, but I,
and many other career management experts, will advise you
not to. Why? Because everyone’s objective says almost
the same thing: “Looking for a position where I can
use all of my skills and experiences in a challenging environment
with opportunities for advancement where I can deliver high-quality
patient care.” The sentence is vague and meaningless.
Therefore, it serves no purpose. On the other hand, if you
include an objective that is specific such as “Seeking
a position in pharmaceutical sales,” then every time
you have another type of job to interview for, you’ll
have to change your resume. That’s not practical.
You can mention your particular interests in your cover
letter.
5.
Always end your resume with “References available
upon request.”
This
is another interesting item that many of us seem to be attached
to. The truth of the matter is that if a prospective employer
wants references, they will ask for them, and you’ll
provide them — end of story. Unless, of course, you
don’t want the job. “References available upon
request” is understood and therefore does not need
to be stated. Eliminate it as a way to unclutter your resume.
6.
The longer your resume, the more impressive it will be to
the reader.
While
that was once a common belief, it is old and outdated. Everyone
is on information overload today, so less is more. Be concise
and to the point. Eliminate irrelevant, outdated information.
For each job experience, list accomplishments, more interesting
experiences, and more marketable skills. Don’t bother
with the routine duties like “Delivered patient care,
Gave out meds, etc.” It is generally not advisable
to list all continuing education classes, for example. You
could mention relevant courses in your cover letter or list
“Selected Continuing Education Courses” on your
résumé. Your resume should highlight your
professional experiences, not be a detailed record of everything
you’ve ever done.
7.
I must include every nursing job I ever had.
Some
nurses have been in the business so long or had so many
jobs that they’ re going into volume three of their
resume. You get to a point where it is too much. You only
need to go back 15-20 years on your resume. Anything you
did prior to that is pretty old and outdated as this point.
So if you have been in the workforce for 20 years or more
and have had a series of jobs during that time, just go
back about 15 to 20 years. If you want, you could always
add a statement at the end such as “Prior to this,
had significant clinical experience in major medical centers.”
That’s all anybody really needs to know about you.
If
you’re groaning because your resume looks like something
out of old resume folklore, don’t despair. Give it
a fresh and updated look, improve its readability, condense
the content to that which is most important, eliminate the
unnecessary and meaningless, and keep it to a manageable
size. You’ll immediately improve the impact of your
resume while bringing it into the 21st century.
Donna
Cardillo, RN, BS, well-known career guru, is Nursing Spectrum’s
Dear Donna and the author of Your First Year As a Nurse:
Making the Transition from Total Novice to Successful Professional.
For more information about resumes and CVs check out: The ULTIMATE Career Guide for Nurses – Practical Strategies for Thriving at Every Stage of Your Career
Copyright
Nursing Spectrum Career Fitness Guides (www.nursingspectrum.com),
All rights reserved. Used with
permission.
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