Nursing Resume References
Tips for Providing Character and Employment References for Nursing Jobs in Canada
Resume references do not need to be included on your nursing resume when
you apply for nursing jobs in Canada. Here are some tips for how to handle nursing employment and character references on your nursing
resume.
Normally your references are not submitted until the employer has made the decision to hire you.
Once the decision to hire you has been made the employer will often state that the offer is "pending receipt of references". This is the time when the employer will be asking you
for the contact information for two references.
It is quite likely they will request both a
character reference and a nursing employment reference.
Resume References for Nursing Employment
If you have any previous nursing experience in Canada your employer will want a nursing employment reference. Make sure that you include the name of the person that they should contact at your previous nursing
employment. Most often reference requests are made either by telephone or fax
so include both the telephone and fax number where your new employer can send the reference request.
If you have no previous nursing employment in Canada you can still provide an employment reference if
you have worked at a paid job. Not having a nursing employment reference will not jeopardize your
chances of getting a job. Just remember that all nurses start their nursing
career without a nursing employment reference!
Your future employer just wants to know if you have a satisfactory work record and that you are a good employee who shows up on time, gets along well with others, and
cares about doing your job well. If you have a previous employer that can provide this reference then that should be sufficient.
If you are just graduating from a nursing education program you should be able to get a reference
directly from the school. Often this will be used in place of
the nursing employment reference.
Character Resume References
A character reference is not about your expertise in nursing but rather about your character as a person.
If you have any contacts with people who are in community leadership positions they can often be used as a character reference.
Don't forget that a criminal records check has already
been done and your application for a nursing license has already been
accepted so there has already been
a good level of scrutiny as to your suitability for the nursing profession.
Employers who are hiring into nursing jobs in Canada rely more on this established
level of public accountability than they do on character references.
Tips for handling references on your nursing resume
- Make sure you have permission to give out a person's name and contact information as a reference.
- As a matter of etiquette you should call the people you have listed as your resume references and let them know that you have had an offer of nursing employment and they can expect to be contacted.
- Do not include any written letters or references with your application. Your employer has no way of knowing if they are genuine and they are of no value whatsoever.
The employer will want to contact your referees directly.
REMEMBER! The purpose of your nursing resume is to get a job interview. Check out the
Job Interview Tips for Nursing Jobs in Canada.
Here is a list of all the pages on this website that contain more specific information to help with writing your nursing resume.
Resume Objectives - Include resume objectives in your nursing resume if you are
applying for nursing employement in larger urban hospitals and you have specific career goals. Nursing resume objective examples are offered so you can
create your own resume objective statements.
Career Objective Examples for Resumes - If you have previous nursing experience a resume objective
statement should be crafted for your nursing resume. Sample resume objectives are offered for pediatrics, long term care, and other nursing settings.
Outline of a Resume - An outline of a resume
is presented to help with writing a resume for nursing jobs in Canada.
Write A Good Resume- A step by step process offers help with
writing a resume so you can create a nursing resume that informs the employer about your ability to work as a professional nurse.
Resume Words for Your Nursing Resume- Use these resume words when completing the resume objective
statement or qualifications summary.
Registered Nurse Resume- Create a registered nurse resume that contains a qualifications
summary closely matching the Canadian nursing competencies.
Nursing Resume References- Resume references do not need to be included on your resume when
you apply for nursing jobs in Canada. Tips for how to handle employment and character references on your nursing resume.
Free Resume Writing Online- Links to sites where you can make a resume online for free!
