CAREER PLANNING:

BEGINNING A JOB SEARCH,

SOURCES OF JOB LEADS,
DEVELOPING A RESUME
 WHAT IS CAREER?

CHOSEN PROFESSION FOR YOUR LIFE. REQUIRES A

WILLINGNESS TO GET THE TRAINING NEEDED TO
BUILD YOUR SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE.
 WHAT IS CAREER PLANNING?

DELIBERATE PROCESS OF KNOWING WHO YOU ARE

SO THAT YOU CAN BE SURE OF WHERE YOU WANT
TO GO OR WHAT YOU WANT TO BE AT SOME
DEFINED POINT IN THE FUTURE.
 BEGINNING A JOB SEARCH

REQUIRES FOCUSED EFFORT

REQUIRES PREPARATION
MAY TAKE TIME
DEPENDENT ON OVERALL MARKET AND LOCAL CONDITIONS
ESTABLISH CLINICAL AREA OF INTEREST
 BEGINNING A JOB SEARCH

REMEMBER, BEING ABLE TO

COMMUNICATE YOUR QUALIFICATIONS
ON YOUR RESUME IS PREPARING YOU TO
COMMUNICATE YOUR QUALIFICATIONS
DURING THE INTERVIEW!
 BEGINNING A JOB SEARCH

YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER

ARE THE FIRST IMPRESSIONS YOU
WILL MAKE ON AN EMPLOYER.
 BEGINNING A JOB SEARCH
INDICATORS OF YOUR PERFORMANCE AS A FUTURE EMPLOYEE:
DEMONSTRATING SELF-MOTIVATION,
CRITICAL THINKING,
ATTENTION TO DETAIL,
AND CREATIVITY IN PREPARING YOUR RESUME AND COVER
LETTER,
CONDUCTING YOUR JOB SEARCH,
AND INTERVIEWING
 SOURCES OF JOB LEADS
NEWSPAPERS
BULLETIN BOARDS, EMPLOYMENT TELEPHONE LINES
JOB FAIRS
ELECTRONIC MEDIA, INTERNET
SEARCH ENGINES
JOB BOARDS
AGENCY AND CORPORATE SITES
MEDIA SITES
 DEVELOPING A RESUME
A RESUME IS A BRIEF SUMMARY OF YOUR BACKGROUND,
TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE AS WELL AS YOUR
QUALIFICATIONS FOR A POSITION.
A RESUME:
GETS THE EMPLOYERS INTEREST
IDENTIFIES CRITICAL AREAS SUCH AS EDUCATION,
WORK EXPERIENCE, AND SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS
IS TAILORED TO THE EMPLOYERS NEEDS
 DEVELOPING A RESUME

CREATES A FAVORABLE FIRST IMPRESSION ABOUT

YOU AND YOUR ABILITIES
COMMUNICATES THAT YOU ARE SOMEONE WHO IS
A GOOD FIT FOR THE POSITION
IS VISUALLY APPEALING
IS GENERALLY NO LONGER THAN ONE TO TWO
PAGES
KEY AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS TO
INCLUDE IN YOUR RESUME, COVER LETTER,
AND JOB INTERVIEW:
KNOWLEDGE OF NURSING CARE PRINCIPLES, PRACTICES, AND
PROCEDURES
KNOWLEDGE OF MEDICATIONS, THEIR PROPER DOSAGE,
EFFECTS AND CONTRAINDICATIONS
KNOWLEDGE OF DIETETICS, SANITATION, PERSONAL HYGIENE,
SAFETY PRINCIPLES, AND INFECTION CONTROL
ABILITY TO ASSESS PATIENTS' NEEDS AND COORDINATE
APPROPRIATE NURSING CARE PLAN
 ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE ORALLY TO REPORT INFORMATION
ABILITY TO COMPOSE WRITTEN REPORTS AND
DOCUMENTATION, RECORDS AND CHARTS
ABILITY TO PREPARE AND MAINTAIN REPORTS OF SHIFT
ACTIVITIES AND PATIENTS PROGRESS
KNOWLEDGE OF REHABILITATIVE NURSING, PRE- AND POST-
OPERATIVE CARE
 ABILITY TO PLAN, ORGANIZE AND IMPLEMENT ASSIGNED WORK
ABILITY TO GAIN THE CONFIDENCE OF THE STAFF TEAM AND SUPERVISORS
ABILITY TO WORK EFFECTIVELY WITH PATIENTS AND FAMILIES
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL IN CPR.
LIST AND BE ABLE TO DISCUSS COURSES COMPLETED THAT BEST
DESCRIBE YOUR KNOWLEDGE BASE INCLUDE COURSE TITLES, BUT NOT
NUMBERS.
 LIST NURSING CLINICAL EXPERIENCES INCLUDE THE NAME OF
THE ORGANIZATION, CITY, STATE, DATES, AND AREAS/UNITS IN
WHICH YOU WORKED, ALONG WITH A BRIEF JOB DESCRIPTION
(OPTIONAL).
LIST EXPERIENCES, IN ADDITION TO YOUR NURSING CLINICALS, IN
WHICH YOU HAVE WORKED WITH OTHERS IN A SERVICE ROLE,
SUCH AS PART-TIME JOB OR VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCES.
DESCRIBE HOW YOU ESTABLISH RAPPORT, OFFER EMOTIONAL
SUPPORT, AND RESPOND TO THE NEEDS OF PATIENTS ON AN
INDIVIDUAL BASIS; REFER TO YOUR ABILITY TO WORK EFFECTIVELY
WITH PATIENTS WITH DIFFERING PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL
NEEDS.
 THINK ABOUT YOUR STYLE AS A MEDICAL TEAM MEMBER,
INTERACTING WITH OTHER MEDICAL STAFF AND SUPERVISORS
AND BE ABLE TO DISCUSS IN AN INTERVIEW.
DESCRIBE YOUR APPROACH FOR MANAGING YOUR TIME AND
ESTABLISHING GOALS, AND HOW YOU MONITOR YOUR
PROGRESS.
DESCRIBE YOUR ABILITY TO MULTITASK AND WORK UNDER
PRESSURE OF MULTIPLE RESPONSIBILITIES AND
TIMELINES/DEADLINES, WITH ATTENTION TO DETAIL.
DESCRIBE INSTANCES WHERE YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
IMPROVE CERTAIN SKILLS REGARDING PATIENT CARE, SOCIAL
SKILLS, TEAM WORK, LEADERSHIP SKILLS, AND TIME
 RESUME AND COVER LETTER GUIDELINES

AVOID ERRORS IN SPELLING, GRAMMAR, AND PUNCTUATION.

ONE- PAGE RESUME RECOMMENDED
AVOID RESUME TEMPLATES
CREATE A HEADER FOR YOUR RESUME
RESUMES THAT MUST BE TWO PAGES
MAKE SURE YOUR RESUME IS SCANNABLE.
DO NOT FOLD RESUME, COVER LETTER, OR OTHER APPLICATION
MATERIALS
 ELEMENTS OF A RESUME
IDENTIFYING FORMAL EDUCATION AND
INFORMATION/HEADING SPECIALIZED TRAINING
CAREER OBJECTIVE PROFESSIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS AND
EMPLOYMENT
MEMBERSHIPS HELD
DATA/PROFESSIONAL
EXPERIENCE AWARDS AND HONORS
REFERENCES
MILITARY EXPERIENCE
 THE CHRONOLOGICAL RESUME

LISTS JOBS IN REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

ADVANTAGES:
MOST COMMON TYPE OF RESUME
GOOD FOR THOSE WITH A STEADY WORK HISTORY,
OR NEW GRADUATES WITHOUT A SIGNIFICANT
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
EASIER TO WRITE
 DISADVANTAGES:
CAN HIGHLIGHT GAPS IN EMPLOYMENT
HARDER TO SPOT SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, AND
TALENTS
WHEN CAREER-SWITCHING, MAY NOT EASILY ILLUSTRATE
THE FIT BETWEEN CAREERS
IF RETURNING TO WORK AFTER SEVERAL YEARS ABSENCE,
DOES NOT READILY SHOW APPLICABLE EXPERIENCES
 THE FUNCTIONAL RESUME
PUTS GREATER EMPHASIS ON SKILLS AND
QUALIFICATIONS THAN ON CHRONOLOGY
ADVANTAGES:
GOOD TOOL TO USE TO DEEMPHASIZE JOB TITLES,
OR ISSUES WITH CONSISTENT EMPLOYMENT
CAN BE USED FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE MULTIPLE
CAREERS OR WHO WANT TO DRAMATICALLY CHANGE
THEIR CAREER FOCUS
EMPHASIZES SKILLS AND ABILITIES RATHER THAN
PROGRESSIVE JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
 DISADVANTAGES:
LESS FAMILIAR TO EMPLOYERS
HARDER TO WRITE
 WRITING A COVER LETTER

THE COVER LETTER IS A ONE-PAGE LETTER THAT HAS

THE PURPOSE OF GETTING THE PROSPECTIVE
EMPLOYER TO BECOME INTERESTED ENOUGH TO READ
THE RESUME.
IT PRESENTS HIGHLIGHTS AND A SUMMARY OF THE
CRITICAL POINTS FOUND ON THE RESUME.
WHENEVER POSSIBLE, ADDRESS IT TO A SPECIFIC
PERSON.
 IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH, STATE WHO YOU ARE, WHAT
POSITION YOU ARE APPLYING FOR, HOW YOU FOUND OUT
ABOUT THE POSITION, AND WHY YOU ARE INTERESTED IN
WORKING AT THIS PARTICULAR PLACE.
THE SECOND PARAGRAPH SHOULD SUMMARIZE YOUR
QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE POSITION YOU ARE SEEKING.
IN THE LAST PARAGRAPH, REPEAT YOUR INTEREST IN THE
JOB AND REQUEST AN INTERVIEW.
 DEVELOPING AN ELECTRONIC RESUME

SENDING A RESUME VIA E-MAIL REQUIRES SPECIAL

CONSIDERATIONS.
TYPE THE RESUME USING WORD PROCESSING
SOFTWARE, THEN SAVE IT IN ONE OF THREE FORMATS:
ASCII PLAIN TEXT (.TXT)
RICH-TEXT (.RFT)
HYPERTEXT (.HTML)
 THESE FORMATS MAKE IT EASIER TO E-MAIL AND READ,
BUT THEY DO NOT ALLOW FOR EXTENSIVE
FORMATTING WITHIN THE RESUME.
USE KEYWORDS WHEN SENDING AN ELECTRONIC
RESUME, BECAUSE RECRUITERS SEARCH RESUME
DATABASES USING KEYWORDS.