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

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Who You’ll Hear

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

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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.

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

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

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