Struggling to land a job in the nursing field or looking to change your career? Considering that America is currently going through its largest nurse shortage in recent history, you’d think that getting hired would be as simple as asking anywhere and then getting to work. However, even in their dire staffing conditions, most hospitals are as strict as they’ve ever been when it comes to hiring policies. Standards aside, did you know that the quality of your resume plays a pivotal role when it comes to them even considering you as a potential employee? Even if they don’t hire you, a good resume can make the difference between them looking at it or leaving in a pile with the others.

If you’ve just finished your studies, it’s likely that you haven’t given your resume some thought yet. If this is the case, you might be making some common mistakes that, while not very significant, will decrease your chances of a potential employer taking a look and subsequently hiring you.

That being said, here are some of the most common mistakes that most people make when writing their resume.

Tailor Your Resume for the Position

One of the most common mistakes when it comes to making your resume is to write up only one copy and hand it to all your potential employers. Yes, you’re a nurse, and yes, your skills will still be the same regardless of where you’re applying. However, even when you’re competing for the same position in different places, it’s crucial that you tailor your resume to make it enticing for each employer. You could look at the job description, and then slightly modify the summary and highlight the traits that are most relevant for the position in your resume. You might also list any other skills that could help in each job you’re applying to.

Be Specific 

As a nurse applying for a position in a hospital or health center, it’s possible that you will share the same academic studies as most of the other applicants. In this sense, why would the hospital want to hire you instead of the other applicants with that have the very same preparation and skill sets?

It’s true that you’ll have the same preparation as most of the other applicants. However, what will significantly help, and could potentially set you apart from the rest, is your work and volunteering experience.

Don’t be afraid to get specific in your resume. Try to list everything that you’ve done for your career, including volunteer work, short courses, accomplishments, and other types of experience that could make you a better fit for the position you’re applying. If possible, try to add details and statistics to your accomplishments to give them more credibility. Furthermore, consider listing other skills unrelated to nursing, but that could help you become a better candidate for the position, such as being multilingual, or proficient at specific types of management software, among others.

Add Keywords to Your Resume

We’re living in the information age, where everyone has software for every purpose, and where even resume applications are heavily monitored and filtered by a computer before making their way into a human’s hands. Most of these software track specific keywords to highlight particular profiles that could make a potentially good fit for the employer’s needs. In this sense, if you don’t have the correct keywords, your profile might not even be seen at all.

To properly load your resume with these keywords, begin by taking a look at the job description. Try to use the same terminology that they use in the description as these will probably be what the filter is looking for in their candidates.

Address the Downtime

Depending on your circumstances, there might be times when you suddenly stopped working. Maybe you had to care for a family member, or were caught up in some personal matters. Regardless of the reasons, you will want to address the downtime in your resume by explaining what led you to take an extended break from your career. This will help you avoid confusion during the interview and, if the downtime was due to career-advancing opportunities, will give you something to discuss with the recruiter.

Always Strive to Remain Professional

When it comes to writing a resume, you must strive to achieve consistency between all the elements that you’re writing down. For instance, you can’t look professional if you write an expertly-crafted summary, but use a selfie-style photo for your resume. On the other hand, it’s difficult to look as serious as your professionally-taken profile picture if you have a summary that reads like a 12-year-old wrote it. Try to look at everything that is written on your resume, and take a few minutes to ponder if they are consistent with each other.