Resume Tips: Land Your First Nurse Practitioner Job

Aug 13, 2021

Selecting your first position as an NP may be a challenge. How should you begin? Where should you look? What should you avoid?

Online search engines for job listings are likely the best place to start. Hospitals and other large institutions post open positions on their own websites and through their human resources departments. However, this is only the beginning.

By now, you have started networking, even if you don't realize it yet! You have developed contacts through your work as a nurse, your classmates and educators, and through clinical sites and preceptors. Ask! The best NP positions available may not always be posted.

"When I was considering a job change, I compiled a list of all the primary/urgent care centers in my geographical area where I would consider working. I then prepared a cover letter describing my ideal position and the characteristics I possessed that would contribute to a successful practice. I attached my curriculum vitae and mailed it to the lead physician in the practices I had identified, approximately 30 in all.

Remember, these were “cold calls” in the sense that none had posted vacant positions. I received several calls and went on three or four interviews. Most did not turn out to be what I was looking for. One did. I have been with this practice for more than 15 years. See what time, effort, and patience can do?"

This strategy is from Fast Facts for the New Nurse Practitioner.

TIPS FOR A STRONG RESUME:

Find your strength and format for it. If you have little or no experience working professionally as a nurse this is for you. Use a skill-based approach, also known as a functional resume. This should be set up something like this:
- Personal information, including your credentials!
- Objective or Professional Summary- A lot of people are skipping this and it is YOUR CHOICE but if used well this is a great opportunity to explain why you’re so awesome even without a lengthy experience section. Why are you still the best candidate for this position? How can you help the employer achieve goals? How can you add value to the organization? My advice, if you’re just going to state that you’re a hard worker, team-player, or any other generic personal opinion-based statement SKIP IT. But if you can really think through the questions above and showcase what you have to offer, experienced or not, take it and run with it! Well, don’t run, maybe jog… keep it short and sweet but impactful.
- Skills- Choose a few areas where you shine AND can offer examples, whether on your resume or in an interview, of why this specific skill belongs on your resume. Think of things like clinical judgement, leadership, and quality care.
- Experience (see tip #2 if this is making you cringe!)
- Education
- Other relevant training, certificates, affiliations, awards, honors, volunteering, etc. DO NOT put your personal hobbies and interests here, this is a resume, not a dating profile.
You actually have experience. If this is your first employer in a nursing role don’t discredit your clinical hours as experience! Include where you completed your clinical hours along with how that experience adds value to your ability to perform the role you’re applying for. List the number of hours and name of your preceptor for a potential common network connection! You can also include any health care related roles or volunteering you’ve participated in.
Care enough to customize. Yes, you can blast every job opening on the planet with a basic resume but if you want to make people stop and get excited about you making tweaks is wise. To be clear, you don’t have to re-do it every time, but if the job description uses the word “cost-effective” or “patient-centered” repeatedly, it’s probably wise to address it in your resume for that position.
Think in keywords and phrases. It is rare that the person hiring you is the first to review your resume. Whether human or machine-based, there are always specific words and phrases that will draw attention (hence the customizing in #3).
Review, and then review again, and then ask other people (maybe your mentor, read up on that here!!) to review, and then review even more. Have you showcased the biggest reasons that you’re an asset? Are you positioning yourself for the job you want most? For the love of God are there any typos, mistakes, grammatical errors, spacing issues– this is not why you want to lose! This is your first impression, make it a good one!