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Tips for New Grad Nurses on Resumes, Applications, and Interviews

May 29, 2018 By Kati Kleber, MSN RN Leave a Comment

Tips for New Grad Nurses on Resumes, Applications, and Interviews

This podcast is available on iTunes, Stitcher, PlayerFM, iHeartRadio, Libsyn, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.

Articles contain affiliate links. For more information on affiliate links, click here

Who You’ll Hear

Kati Kleber, MSN RN – Nurse educator, former cardiac med-surg/stepdown and neurocritical care nurse, author, and speaker.

Want to Connect With Other Nurses?

Our non-Facebook community is just what you need.

I'm Ready

Melissa Stafford, BSN RN CCRN SCRN – highly experienced and currently practicing nationally certified neurocritical care nurse.

Elizabeth Mills, BSN RN CCRN – highly experienced neurocritical care nurse, current Stroke Navigator for a Primary Stroke Center.

What You’ll Learn

  • Resumes
  • Applications
  • Interviews

Resumes

  • Perfect, no typographical errors
  • Don’t put all of your clinical experience
    • Put things that are relevant to this job
  • Put people other than your clinical instructors; nurses on the unit, MD’s, manager
    • Get a team of cheerleaders – people who will vouch for you
  • Networking begins in nursing school
    • Make a good impression EVERYWHERE
  • Don’t think only clinical people can write resumes
    • Volunteers, administrators, administrative assistants, leadership

Applications

  • Don’t wait until graduation to apply
    • Do this way before graduation
    • Look at the websites of prospective facilities
  • HR departments are slow
    • Give it a few weeks before calling about the status of an application
    • Many won’t even let you call them; they just update online portals
  • Video interview tips
    • Don’t look at the floor
    • Look at what’s behind you – remember they are seeing that!
    • Don’t wait until the last day

Interviews

  • First impression begins with scheduling the interview
    • Don’t be difficult to schedule because it looks bad
  • Look up information on the facility, work into the conversation
  • Questions beforehand
    • Go over them at home, with others – even if it looks silly!
  • Strike the balance between confident and cocky
  • Handwritten thank you note post-interview – looks awesome
  • Make sure you’re speaking positively about yourself and not negatively about others to make yourself to look good
  • Dress appropriately for the interview. Check out What to Wear to a Nursing Interview (2022 Guide) for tips

More resources

  • Your Last Nursing Class: How to Land Your First Nursing Job by Beth Hawks, MSN RN-BC
  • Nursing Interview Questions and Answers – FreshRN blog
  • Uncensored Thoughts of a Nurse Interviewer: From Inside the Interview Room – Nurse Code blog
  • When you Don’t Land Your Dream Job

Filed Under: Nursing Jobs & Interviews, Podcasts Tagged With: Applications, helpful tips, interviews, new grad, nurse interview, Resumes

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