Resume Keyword Loading

July 09, 2023 by Sarah Wells in how to, job applications, nurse, future nurse, resume

By: Sarah K. Wells MSN RN CEN CNL

Let’s talk about how to load up your resume with the keywords that help you get picked by the Resume Bot AKA Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Software.

To review, ATS software scans your resume for keywords. The more keywords you put in your resume, the better chances you will have of being picked by ATS and having your application reviewed by HR to be considered for an interview.

Where do we put the keywords? The best place to #keywordload is in a “Professional Summary” section near the top of your resume. But what words do you use?

If you look at any nurse job posting, you will see the “required qualifications” and the “preferred qualifications”listed. The “preferred qualifications” sound very generic, but often these are the keywords ATS is programmed to look for! Consider using similar wording as the job posting to ensure that your resume is chosen by the Resume Bot!

Is this all making your head spin? Reach out to New Thing Nurse and get the support you need to get your resume picked every time.

About the Author: Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL is an 11+ year nurse dedicated to helping nurses of all experience levels and specialties achieve success in their careers. Sarah founded New Thing Nurse to help provide support and guidance to the nursing community in a simple and direct format. Sarah’s vision is to foster a more supportive and fulfilled nursing world that spreads throughout healthcare and beyond.

New Thing Nurse helps the nursing student, nurse, and nurse practitioner community land dream jobs! Join us on IG or Facebook @newthingnurse 🩺

Where do pronouns go on a resume?

June 02, 2023 by Sarah Wells in future nurse, how to, job applications, nurse, New Thing Nurse, resume

Where do pronouns go on a resume?

By. Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL

A person’s pronouns can never be assumed. It is important to ask what pronouns people use when speaking to them at work. This can be difficult during job applications. Most online job application software do not have a space for pronouns, and pronouns are important.

A resume can help fix that. You can list your pronouns at the top of your resume next to your name:

Examples:

Sarah K. Wells (she/her)

Sarah K. Wells (they/them)

Sarah K. Wells (she/they)

New Thing Nurse offers inclusive support to all nurses as they work to achieve their professional and academic goals. Your resume should reflect who you are. The New Thing Nurse Winning Resume Template Series offers a standardized space for pronouns to make it easy to share your true self with future employers.

New Thing Nurse helps the nursing student, nurse, and nurse practitioner community land dream jobs! Join us on IG or Facebook @newthingnurse 🩺

What is ATS and what does that mean for my nurse resume?

March 30, 2023 by Sarah Wells in future nurse, job applications, New Thing Nurse, nurse, resume

By: Sarah K. Wells, MSN. RN. CEN. CNL

Resumes have CHANGED over the years. Today’s resume has to work to work for humans AND computers. #saywhat

The reason why your resume has to work for computers is Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software:

What is ATS? ATS is computer software, often incorporating AI, designed to scan resumes for keywords and then filter out the ones that do not match the job description.

Your resume today has to be a SMART document with formatting to be compatible with the ATS.

I like to tell people that your resume is the key and the ATS is the lock to the door of the interview. If your key doesn’t fit the door’s lock, you will never be considered for the job.

ATS & The #BlackHoleEffect

So in short, resumes today have to be compatible with ATS software. You can think of ATS as a Resume Bot that can be your best friend or worst enemy.

What does this look like?

I call this the #BlackHoleEffect. This is the phenomenon that occurs when nurses apply to dozens or even hundreds of job postings via hospital websites and never get a call back. It is not because they are not qualified for the job. It is simply because their resume document is not compatible with the ATS software.

Read that again - because of a document problem, nurses are not getting considered for nurse jobs during a historic staffing crisis.

How to Beat the Resume Bot - Formatting

First, you need to know that ATS software often CANNOT read certain formatting. To make sure that your resume is ATS software friendly, do the following:

Use a White Background - Your resume needs to have a white background. Any color that is not white - meaning gray, beige, pink, anything that is not white - can prevent your resume from being selected by ATS software.
Say No to Photos or Complex Graphics - ATS software often cannot read files with photos or graphics. That means no cute ECG strips in your header or photos of yourself. These are fine for resumes attached to an email or printed out to hand to someone, just not for uploading to an online job application portal.
Upload Your Resume as a PDF File - Many ATS software systems have trouble reading MS Word or Note files. To make sure that your resume gets considered for a job interview, always upload your resume in a PDF file format.

Resume Keyword Loading

Now, let’s talk about how to load up your resume with the keywords that help you get picked by the Resume Bot.

ATS software scans your resume for keywords. The more keywords you put in your resume, the better chances you will have of being picked by ATS and having your application reviewed by HR to be considered for an interview.

Where do we put the keywords? The best place to #keywordload is in a “Professional Summary” section near the top of your resume. But what words do you use?

This is all making my head hurt.

It’s a lot, I know. But to be competitive in today’s nursing job market, you need to be an informed consumer who is educated on the tech used in hiring processes.

And I have good news! New Thing Nurse is here to help!

How New Thing Nurse can help you beat the Resume Bot!

New Thing Nurse has the tools and services to help you land the interview for your nurse dream job!

New Thing Nurse offers nurse and nurse practitioner resume templates that are SMART formatted to be picked by ATS and are eye-catching to healthcare leaders. Easy-to-use, written with ATS-compatible suggested wording HEAVY on the keywords, and affordable for any budget, this is a perfect answer to the #BlackHoleEffect:

Don’t have time to use a template? Use the New Thing Nurse personalized resume preparation services. This allows you to live your best life knowing that a proven expert in nurse and nurse practitioner resume writing is creating a winning professional document to support you in succeeding in your next career move!

For more information on New Thing Nurse personalized document services, reach out!!

About the Author: Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL is an 11+ year nurse dedicated to helping nurses of all experience levels and specialties achieve success in their careers. Sarah founded New Thing Nurse to help provide support and guidance to the nursing community in a simple and direct format. Sarah’s vision is to foster a more supportive and fulfilled nursing world that spreads throughout healthcare and beyond.

Looking for YOUR nurse dream job?

Join the conversation on IG or Facebook @newthingnurse and join nurses and nursing students who are focused on success!

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Looking for your nurse dream job? Your resume will be your ticket in!

February 24, 2023 by Sarah Wells in job applications, New Thing Nurse, nurse, future nurse, nursing students, nursing school, resume

By: Sarah K. Wells MSN RN CEN CNL

Oh nursing! You are so amazing! A 3-day work week! Getting to work in your PJs! Endless job security!! However, finding the job of your dreams starts with a job search. The ticket to any new position is that resume, and I know everyone loves pulling their resume out to update it.

My name is Sarah, and I own New Thing Nurse, an academic and professional services company for the nursing community, and I have seen a lot of ugly nursing resumes. Some are too wordy. Others are too long (7+ pages is NOT ok). Many don’t have enough information. I’ve seen resumes without a person’s contact info or any clinical experience listed. **INSERT SCREAMING EMOJI FACE HERE** Below are my Top 5 Pro-Tips to keep your document comprehensive, eye-catching and concise!

The New Thing Nurse Resume Top 5 Pro-Tips

1. Make sure they know who you are & how to contact you.

Always include your full name & credentials at the top of your document in BIG, BOLD FONT. You want the person reviewing your document to know exactly who you are & what credentials you hold. EX: Jane Smith, BSN, RN, CPEN, ABCDEF
Make sure that your phone number, email & mailing address are current & at the TOP of the page under your name.
They can’t make you a job offer if they can’t get a hold of you!

2. Use a Professional Summary.

The professional summary is located just under your name & contact info at the top of the page. This is a paragraph that is an introduction to what kind of employee you are going to be for a potential employer.
Use this as an opportunity to highlight your experience. Make is STRONG. Make it CONVINCING. This is frequently the main piece of the resume that an employer will read. Make it COUNT.
- EX: Bachelor’s prepared nurse with 5 years of acute care experience seeking a challenging clinical environment. Experienced leader who excels working with diverse interdisciplinary care teams. Passionate patient advocate who wants to be the next stand-out member of your nursing unit.

3. Keep it concise.

Keep your resume to TWO PAGES OR LESS.
If you have 20+ years of experience, that’s great! You don’t need to list it all. Most employers are just interested with the last 5 years of professional experience. If you have an impressive project or position that you held in the more distant past, consider weaving that into your professional summary.
If you are a new nurse, you might not have a lot to put on your resume. Consider using your clinical rotations in place of professional experience. However, try to keep your resume to 1-2 pages. Don’t feel the need to put in a lot of filler just to take up space.

4. Make it neat & pretty.

Use easy to read fonts & don’t clutter your resume with too many words or graphics. The average reviewer looks at your document for less than 30 seconds. If you’re document is too busy, you can be sure that they will skip right over to the next applicant’s.
Triple check for typos & misspellings. Get a 2nd set of eyes to look over your resume before submitting it.
Color is totally acceptable, but do not take this moment to use the entire rainbow. This is a professional document that needs to be eye-catching, but not eye-punching. I always recommend color-schemes with 2-3 colors maximum in a pleasant palette.

5. Make sure that your info is current & correct.

Ensure that all the information provided is up-to-date & correctly listed.
Avoid leaving time gaps in your professional experience.
Try not to list things out of order.
Ensure that your educational info is correct.
List all CURRENT certifications. Don’t list them if they’re expired.
Make it as easy for the reader of your resume as possible to get the most accurate information about you through a quick glance over your resume.

If you follow these tips, it is hard to go wrong. Have more questions? Never be afraid to seek out more advice. New Thing Nurse is always available to help with all of your resume preparation needs!

Happy job hunting!

- Sarah @ New Thing Nurse

Looking for YOUR nurse dream job?

Use the Winning Nurse Resume & Cover Letter Templates to make this year YOUR year!

Join the conversation on IG or Facebook @newthingnurse and join nurses and nursing students who are focused on success!

Cover Letters: Do I need one?

January 27, 2023 by Sarah Wells in how to, New Thing Nurse, nurse, nursing, job applications

Cover Letters: Do I need one?

By: Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL

Cover letters were once a standard MUST for every job application. Times have changed and with the transition to computer-based job applications, cover letters are now NOT necessary for most new job opportunities.

There are still a few situations where a cover letter can make the difference between being hired or not. Here are my recommendations on when you will want to include a cover letter with your nurse job application:

Gaps on the Resume - If you have periods of time without work, a cover letter is needed. Some common reasons for these gaps are staying home to care for a child or relative, extended illness or injury, and school programs including getting your prereqs. If this applies to you, make sure to make a brief explanation of any gaps to avoid concern from potential employers.
Moving from One State to Another - If you are currently living in California but applying to jobs in New Jersey, you will want to include a cover letter with a short explanation of your planned move. This will reassure potential employers that you are committed to relocating.
Nurse License & Legal Issues - If you have any issues with your nursing license, you need to explain this in a cover letter. This would include delays in getting it issued. You may want to get a consultation on how best to word this if you are explaining any legal challenges that you may have experienced.
Background Check Problems - If something is going to pop up on your background check that is concerning, like past arrests that have been resolved, you need to explain this in a cover letter. A common example is a DUI incurred many years ago. This will still come up on your background check, so be proactive and explain that issue before hiring personnel find it.

New year, new job? Use the Winning Nurse Resume & Cover Letter Templates to make this year YOUR year! Join the conversation on IG or Facebook @newthingnurse and join nurses and nursing students who are focused on success!