How to Make a Resume
for Nursing Jobs in Canada
Is it time to learn how to make a resume for nursing jobs in Canada?
With years of schooling behind you, and a significant amount of sweat and toil invested to become a
nurse, now that you have a nursing license you will still need to find a job.
Nursing jobs in Canada are plentiful but still you will need a well crafted nursing resume to
apply for work. Many employers now have online
resume submission services so an electronic copy of your nursing resume is a must.
Richard Lindsey from www.how to make a resume.org shares with us his expert resume advice. Richard explains the
different types of resumes and what should be included in each of the sections of your nursing resume.
About Richard:
with considerable experience on both sides of the hiring exchange Richard has extensive experience
reviewing and making decisions based on resume content.
He can tell you what is needed in your nursing resume to catch the eye of the person who reads it and
how to structure it so that it presents your valuable
education and experience in a way the shows the employer you are the professional nurse they are seeking.
In keeping with the theme of "how to make a resume for nursing jobs in Canada" I posed some questions to Richard.
His resume advice will provide you with the basics for how to put your nursing resume together.
RNC - "Can we start at the beginning Richard? Exactly what is a resume?"
Resume is the North American transliteration of the French word for summary.
In common usage the word refers to a relatively short document that is distributed to
potential employers. There are as many variants of the resume as there are applicants.
One of the most important things to remember about resumes is that they are marketing documents.
The product being marketed is you!
RNC - "Please can you explain the purpose of a nursing resume."
The purpose of a nursing resume is to present a professional first impression that will entice a
potential employer to call for an interview.
It must demonstrate the acquisition and possession
of such professional knowledge, skills, and experience to persuade a potential employer that the
writer is qualified for the job and brings the employment assets to the job in sufficient quantities to
enable the applicant to do the job once hired.
RNC - "Nurses who are applying for nursing jobs in Canada will want to use a professional resume
format. Can you explain what is meant by a job resume format".
Traditionally, resumes are written in a manner that conforms to an accepted format and structure.
The most popular formats are the chronological format and the
functional format.
The chronological format is written so that every entry in each
section is in reverse chronological sequence. For instance, the employment history section or work history
section would list the current or most recent position first. The next most recent position would be
listed next, and the rest of the document would be written in similar reverse chronological order.
The advantage for the chronological resume is that it is easier for an employer to trace one's work history
and observe career track progress.
This resume format is beneficial for the person
who comes in at the bottom of the chain of command, and has quick, steady progress straight up the
corporate ladder. That is what it is designed to showcase.
For persons who have an employment history that has a less than vertical path, an alternate format,
the functional format may present the applicant in the best light. The functional resume
is built around your skills or accomplishments, rather than a calendar.
RNC - "One of the themes of your website How To Make A Resume.org is the necessity for applicants to think about two
major parts of the resume - claims and evidence.
Richard can you please explain these two terms."
You have only 15-20 seconds to grab the screener’s attention immediately, draw them into the document,
and provide verification of the material that first got their attention.
The hot zone of your nursing resume is the area that grabs the eye first. This area of the resume is where
you put the essential claims you are making about your suitability for the job.
The hot zone is about 3 inches long from the middle of the page up toward the top, immediately beneath the contact info.
At one time, resumes had an objective section that went directly to the work experience and
concluded with one's educational background. The objectives were usually poorly written in terms of what
the worker wanted from the company, such as, "I want a cushy position that pays a lot and requires little
work."
While that may be a bit of an exaggeration, it demonstrates the point that objectives
were worker centric rather than written to satisfy employer needs.
A new way emerging in the resume field is to write a professional summary in a narrative format that
clearly establishes the your claims, and is written in such a way as to be clearly suggestive of
position preferences. This composes the "claims" segment of the resume. This segment needs to be very
short and to the point.
The rest of the document should be the provision of evidence that backs up every claim in the
professional summary. The document should be written so that the employer whose attention is
piqued by a claim in the hot zone can look down into the appropriate section and see evidence as to
when, where and how the asset that claim focuses on was obtained and developed, as well as a description of
how that claim contributed to the company's bottom line or solved some significant challenge.
RNC "Many of the visitors to this website will be internationally educated nurses who are seeking to become
a nurse in Canada. Richard, if you could offer one last parting thought for how to make a resume for nursing jobs in
Canada what
would it be?"
Your nursing resume will remain in your personnel file for years.
Write it so that you will not be fearful of living up to it, because that is what your employer will
expect you to do. If you cannot master an skill, do not claim you have it.
Yet, it must also put your very best foot forward in no uncertain terms. If it does not grab the
screener's attention, you will not be invited to interview.
Make it easy for a potential employer to contact you, and be available immediately.
Return calls and emails STAT.
At this point, an employer is examining everything about you and
forming an opinion of you. Present yourself so that at the conclusion
of any contact there is no question about your professionalism, no question about your qualifications ,
and no question about your desire to make a significant contribution within the Canadian health care system.
Follow Richard's Resume advice for
how NOT to make a resume
- Do NOT leave a single misspelled or misused word or a misplaced piece of
punctuation.
- Do not even THINK about sending a resume with a stain or blemish or error on it.
- Do NOT staple, dog-ear or rubber band it together.
- Do NOT use anything resembling iridescent colors.
More Advice on How to Make a Resume That Gets Attention
- Pay attention to every detail and have someone check it over for you to make sure it
looks professional, reads well, and is correct in spelling and grammar.
- Use conservative papers, high quality, but only white or very near white.
- Send your resume in a flat, 9 x 12 envelope so that it does not get folded or creased.
Even more advice from Richard on how to get nursing jobs in Canada
Use discretion about what you say, your appearance, your demeanor and every other detail of the
search process. Demonstrate your capability to lead and think independently.
Learn about the Canadian health care system and how you would fit in.
Finally, if you want to become a nurse in Canada, read every page on this website.
Beverly Hansen OMalley knows exactly what you need to know and will advise you properly. Be wise, seek
her counsel and then FOLLOW IT.
RNC extends a great big thank you to Richard for sharing his advice on how to make a resume with all the
visitors here on www.registered-nurse-canada.com.
I know that all the people who visit these pages and who want to become a nurse in Canada will be so much farther ahead in
creating a winning nursing resume now they have all this expert advice on how to make a resume for nursing jobs in Canada.
