Your resume is one of the most important documents used in the job search. Nursing students and new graduates should limit their resumes to one to two pages. It is important to customize your resume by specifically tailoring it to each position you apply for. Your resume is your best chance at standing out to an employer so make sure it is easy to read and well organized.
Many employers spend less than a minute visually scanning your resume before entering it into a computer program that searches for specific terms or phrases that they find important. These keywords are likely found in the job description.
Your resume should include the following sections:
- Contact information
- Name (in bold and slighlty larger font)
- Home address
- Phone number
- Email address (make sure it is professsional!)
- Summary and Objective (optional)
- Briefly summarize who you are and what your career objective is
- Example: Patient-focused CNA and ambitious nursing student with 2 years of healthcare experience seeking nurse internships at XYZ hospital.
- Education
- Do not include high school; only post-secondary education
- GPA isn't required, but you can include if over 3.0/4.0
- Clinical Experience
- Include name of hospital/facility and unit.
- Description of duties and clinical hours are not necessary
- Work Experience
- Does not need to be directly related to nursing
- Volunteer Experience and/or Group Memberships
- Include student (e.g. Student Council, Student Nurses Association) or outside organizations (e.g. hospitals, doctor's office, clinics)
- Licensure and Certifications
- Only those that are current and up-to-date
- Graduating students can include thier NCLEX test date if known
Additional resume and cover letter writing tips:
Contact Tula Georgopoulos tula@uic.edu for one-on-one resume writing help or to find out when the next resume workshop will take place!
View sample resumes below
