Building a Resume/CV That Rises to the TOP
At JADPRO Live Virtual 2021, we had another excellent round of Conversation Circles! Deborah Rust, MSN, CRNP, AOCN facilitated this group about how to make your resume or CV really stand out. She gave some excellent resources and advice.
You have about 10-20 seconds to peak the attention of the person reviewing your CV/Resume. It’s your story, so use it wisely! The goal is to get the interview! Did you know that some companies rely on a software program to sort through applicants? So, you must highlight up front what is marketable and relevant to the position.
Ms Rust advises customization of your CV/Resume for each potential submission – having several versions. The format is one way to customize. The chronological format, the most traditional, is useful when you have consistent work history with growth and achievements in the same field, without gaps in employment. A functional or skills-based format may be more useful when you are changing careers or reentering the job market (as there may be gaps in employment). This format is also useful for a variety of different jobs.
Within the resume/CV, prioritize your work experience over education. Show your value and success. Skills and abilities can be divided into categories that relate to the job you desire. Ms Rust noted that having an objective statement is outdated and advised that you have a carefully worded summary of 3-5 sentences that highlights your skills and includes relevant keywords (especially action verbs) from the job description. This is often the place that recruiters will look first – they want to know what you bring to the table, what you have done – rather than what you want. Optimize key words like “resolved”, “reduced”, “improved”, or “delivered”. Showcase adaptability and transferable skills.
Layout and appearance are critical, usually 1-2 pages at the maximum. The font should be no small than 11 and the most popular fonts are Calibri, Times News Roman, and Arial. Layout, order, underlining, and capitalizing should be consistent. Pay attention to colors (think subtle) and the use of white space, margins and tabs. Using bullets is advised. Of course, make sure you spell and grammar check! When submitting an electronic file, make sure the name of the file includes your full name.
Some Circle participants asked the following questions:
- Should you have a cover letter? – Yes! This gives you a chance to expand on your 3-5 sentence summary
- Is it ok to leave the year of graduations off the CV? - Yes, it is perfectly acceptable to leave these off and often advisable. Also never list your date of birth, social security number, license numbers, etc.
So write, edit, and rewrite! Have at least 2 other people give you feedback. (Ms Rust provides resume/CV critiques.) Remember that this is a process and plan for updates. YOU GOT THIS!
If you have registered for JADPRO Live Virtual 2021 – you can access the slide and sample CV and Resume that Ms Rust provided! (You can still get access to all the content until the end of year! Register at www.jadprolive.com).
Here are some resources noted brought forward in the Conversation Circle as well as references from this great discussion: