A dream travel nursing position starts with a top-class resume. Even if the jobs you’re looking at ask for application forms, creating a resume is a great way to get the facts of your qualifications and experience straight in your head, giving you experience in selling yourself and better preparing you for job applications and, if all goes well interviews.
What to include in your resume?
There are a hundred different posts on the best thing to include on travel nurse resumes, so it’s easy to bloat out your resume by trying to include all of them. These tips are guidelines condensed from the advice of experts and recruiters of what the most successful applications have in common. Still, at the end of the day, it’s up to your judgment what elements best sell you and your qualifications.
1. What Sets You Apart?
Positions will likely receive hundreds, if not thousands of applications, so it pays off to demonstrate the unique aspects that set you apart from the competition. This includes specialties, specific trauma or teaching experience, anything that highlights how unique your application is compared to other applicants, or how you are especially suited to the role.
2. Be Specific
One way to set your application apart is by tailoring each application to each position. Serge Tankian, a resume expert at Boomessays and Paperfellows, points out that “there’s nothing more off-putting to a recruiter than knowing you’re reading a copy-pasted CV. It shows the candidate doesn’t really care about your position or, if they are, isn’t willing to put the time in to show it. Look at the assignment listing for the job you’re applying for and include the keywords in your CV, preferably in summary near the top. Also, if you can, do some research on the employer and refer to specific points. You’d be surprised how few applicants do; it’ll immediately set you apart.”
3. Tick The Boxes
Often with travel nurse applications, you have to do a lot of work to get your resume in front of a real and responsible person. Many applications are vetted out by automatic applicant tracking systems, which are just looking for applications to satisfy certain criteria. Sometimes your resume could be perfect, but it’s not formatted appropriately, so the tracking system discounts it.
The aim of the game is simple and clear.
Don’t try to be too fancy with fonts and formatting, or it’s likely to confuse the system. Use plain text, bullet points, and clear and conventional section headings. Also, include keywords or even direct quotes from the job description to show that you fit the specified criteria.
4. List Your Certifications
One of the things that set nursing apart from other careers is the certifications you have to gain before you can practice, so you should make sure you include these in your resume. You’ve worked hard for these, so display them proudly on your applications!
Be detailed
Try to be as detailed as possible when listing your certifications and licenses. Include identification numbers, the official body, and expiration date (or, if not applicable, date obtained) for every license and/or certification you have.
5. Use Action Words
How you write your resume is almost as important as what’s in it, sometimes more so. With a pile of a hundred applications in front of them, recruiters are often looking for any reason to abandon your resume. If your text is boring or difficult to read, there’s less of a chance a recruiter will keep reading to see what you’re qualifications are.
Action words suitable for travel nursing resumes
Thomas Oliphant, a career writer at Write My Paper and Finance Writing Service, recommends you “use action words related to your chosen field to engage the reader. Action words suitable to nursing include administered, nursed, evaluated, sutured, tested, and others. These words show definitive action and are better at getting your experience across.”
Conclusion
Often, no matter what the resume advice is, the best person to give you feedback is your recruiters. Every job is unique, every company has its preferences and guidelines, and the only way to learn them is to send off resumes, ask for feedback — try and try again.
We hope you found these tips for your travel nurse resumes helpful. Do you have any tips you would suggest for travel nurse resumes? Comment them below.
Finished the travel nursing guide and are ready to look for an assignment?
