One nurse’s definition of a successful career may be pursuing an LPN to RN degree and finding a job where they are able to coordinate patient care, while another’s may be to be directly involved in the care of geriatric or pediatric patients.
However you define “success”, the advanced programs at St. Louis College of Health Careers will give you the tools and resources you need to excel in your path and reach your dream with confidence.
How Do You Build Your Resume as a Nurse?
- Be Specific and Succinct: While good advice for any resume, being specific and focusing on tangible details will serve nurses well. Nurses who tailor their writing to match the qualifications of their desired position – highlighting how their cultivated experiences and skillset will make them a good fit for this job – can strengthen your application’s chances of success. That said, ensure your bullet points are also short, as resumes that recruiters can review in less than ten seconds have a higher chance of moving forward than longer resumes.
- Proofread: No, you don’t need stellar writing skills to be a good nurse – but ensuring your resume is error-free can show employers your dedication and attention to detail, which will reflect positively on your abilities as a nurse.
- Highlight Your Education: Nurses fresh out of school who lack real-world experience can list relevant coursework as well as experience with clinical rotations. At St. Louis College of Health Careers, we provide students with a rigorous education and ample real-world experience that will bolster their resume even before they’ve joined the workforce.
- Mention Computer Skills: Nurses who understand how to manage electronic health records and other critical software are in high demand. If you have experience that highlights your computer skills, make a special note of that on your resume.
- Make Your Resume AI-Proof: Some recruiters are now using AI to screen resumes, especially if they have a large applicant pool. Ensure your resume’s formatting is simple and well organized, the language is clear and the font is easy to read to lower your risk of an AI tossing your resume aside for a benign error.
Your resume is only the start to a successful career, and while the end goal is different for everyone, there are some common tools everyone can use, such as pursuing more advanced degrees and developing your skills.
What Are the Tenets of a Successful Nursing Career?
Job Satisfaction
Find a job that caters to what you’re passionate about – whether that’s patient care, education or administration – and, if possible, has a good work-life balance so you can maintain that passion for many years without becoming burnt out.
Become an Expert
Honing your expertise and skillset within your specialization will make you a valuable teammate and employee – both of which can lead to a successful career. Currently, nurses make up a significant majority of the healthcare workforce with over three million employed, but only approximately 11 percent have a master’s degree. You can gain a competitive edge over other nurses applying for leadership roles and higher-paying positions by getting an advanced degree.
Pursue Opportunities
Seek out opportunities that give you more experience, like leadership roles, that make you a more likely candidate for further advancement.
Continue Learning
Successful nurses also keep up with technology and patient-care advancements in their field. Even if you don’t go back to school, seeking new and challenging continuing education courses can ensure your technical skills, medical knowledge and passion for the work remain fresh.
Watch Out for Yourself and Your Needs
Forgetting to take care of your own mental health can quickly lead to burnout, which has the potential to derail your career. Taking care of yourself – eating a healthy diet, getting a good night’s rest whenever you can and exercising as regularly as possible — can be crucial in alleviating stress, enabling you to care for others better and with ease.
Take the First Step Toward a Successful Career With Robust Courses and Hands-On Training From an Esteemed School
The faculty at St. Louis College of Health Careers will prepare you to excel in your chosen field, training aspiring LPNs, RNs and healthcare administrators to excel from the very first day. Call 866-529-2070 to learn more about our programs and apply today.