Resume Writing for NPs
I just can't say enough about the importance of a good resume. It's critical to landing the interview. And since you only get one shot at it, the resume you submit better be good.
Unfortunately, no one really teaches NPs how to write a good resume. Occasionally as a student we will get some advice, usually from well meaning "career placement" folks who are really not familiar with the style and content that potential employers are expecting from NP candidates. We also get some guidance from NP faculty members, which can be helpful in a general sense. But unless your professors have been out job hunting lately, or in a position of reviewing resumes for the purpose of hiring, they can be somewhat out of touch with resume trends as well.
I turned next to the Internet and looked up how to write a resume for an NP. The examples were disappointing to say the least. Most were formatted in a manner that I would highly discourage using if you wish to be taken seriously. And to make matters worse, most of the services on the Internet would charge you a tidy sum to use their format or to have them write it for you. If you chose to go that route not only would you be unlikely to get the interview, you would also be out quite a few of your hard earned dollars.
So where does an NP turn to for resume advice? Recruiters can be fairly good judges, although many of the larger firms will use a software program to distill your information automatically into a standardized format for their clients so your typical recruiter may not necessarily be able to give you specifics either. They also may not be inclined to offer you much help if you are not using their services.
The best advice probably comes from hiring managers, not the HR folks but those who are actually doing the hiring. They go through large volumes of resumes when they are conducting a job search and will be able to tell you some very specific dos and don'ts. If you know anyone who is in the position of hiring NPs, I suggest you take them to lunch and pick their brain. Get the advice straight from the folks that matter when it comes to hiring.
Or you can ask me, your friendly career coach .