Preparing a professional CV is very important when you are looking for a job. A good portfolio has to present your skills and experience, showing the potential employer why you are the right candidate for the job. As nursing is not an easy profession, those who are looking for a job in nursing have to be able to demonstrate that they have what it takes to do it.
Here we give tips on how to prepare a CV as a nurse. Follow our advice and successfully secure a job in nursing!
Why is paying attention to CV important?
Your CV will be the first thing your prospective employer sees, even before they meet you. That is why your CV has to give them some idea of who you are. An engaging CV can make you stand out from hundreds of people who are applying for the same opening.
Moreover, if you adapt your CV to the job you are applying for, you will show them that you took the time to understand what the employer is looking for and what the company’s mission is.
Creating a good CV is more difficult than it seems. There are certain things that you must include and a structure you need to use. Otherwise, your CV might be automatically rejected and you might not make it to the interview stage.
What to include on a nursing CV?
As a nurse, your CV might be slightly different to CVs of people applying for other kinds of jobs. Still, just like any other CV, your nursing CV should list your education, work experience, and skills. In addition to that, it might be a good idea to say a few words about your passion for nursing.
Here are the things you should include:
- Your strengths and qualities
- Your interests and hobbies related to nursing
- Previous jobs in nursing or other fields where you gained relevant experience
- Achievements in nursing or other related fields
- Professional training and short courses you completed.
If you are applying for a specific job, you should carefully read the job ad and mention only the skills that are relevant for this opening.
What are the rules to follow when writing a nursing CV?
Have a look at the table below to find out what are some basic rules you have to follow when preparing a CV.
| Length | Avoid making a CV with more than 2 A4 sides |
| Layout | Make sure the different sections of your CV are distinguishable |
| Presentation | Your CV has to be easy to read, organised, and neat |
| Adequacy | Make sure the CV matches the description of the job you are applying for |
| No mistakes | Proofread and review the CV before you submit it to make sure there are no mistakes and typos |
| Covering letter | It might be a good idea to accompany your CV with a covering letter in which you explain in more detail how your skills are relevant to the job opening |
If you follow these rules, your CV will be clear and professionally organised.
What should nurses include in a personal summary?
Personal summary is an important part of CV as that is where you can tell your prospective employer a little bit about who you are. First impressions are very important and when it comes to applying for jobs, your CV is what will determine what first impression your new employer will have of you. Your personal summary should not be longer than 100 words. You can provide more details in your covering later if you want to expand on certain things.
You should make sure that your personal summary is tailored for a nursing job instead of being rather vague. It is in your personal summary where you can show your passion for nursing. You can also briefly mention which of your qualities and strengths make you the best candidate for the job.
As a nurse, you should focus on the qualities that a nurse should have and provide examples on how you use them in your professional life.
What sections should a nursing CV have?
The structure of your CV is very important. Generally, a nursing CV will have the same sections that CVs for other jobs cover. These are:
| Education and Qualifications | You should start with the most recent education level you completed (or are enrolled in). Make sure to state dates and names of institutions that awarded your degree or certificate. If you completed many courses and schools, make sure to only list the most recent or the most relevant ones to avoid the list getting too long. |
| Employment and work experience | Just like with education, you should start with your most recent employment. Make sure to include job titles, names of employers, and dates when you worked there. You should also include bullet points stating what your main duties and achievements in each job were. If you are a newly-qualified nurse and do not have much work experience yet, you can include placements you did at university or volunteering programmes you took part in. You can also talk about your university thesis. |
| Key skills | You should list skills you have that are relevant to a nursing career such as clinical or interpersonal skills. You can be creative with deciding what you mention in this section but make sure that the things you list show the employer why you should be hired as a nurse. |
| Professional training | As a nurse you probably completed various training courses. In this section you can list training, workshops, or conferences you took part in. You can also talk about any articles you have published or membership in relevant nursing organisations. |
| Interests and hobbies | This section is not a compulsory one. If your CV is too long already, you can leave it out. Nevertheless, if you are a new nurse and you do not have many things to include on your CV, you can talk about your interests and hobbies that are related to nursing and medicine. Thanks to that you will show your employer that you have a real passion for nursing. |
What about references?
When you are applying for jobs in nursing, many employers will ask you for contact details to people who can give you references. Some job candidates decide to list one or two referees in their CV to make things easier. Nevertheless, if you are not sure who could be your referee or the job ad does not say that references are needed, you can omit this section.
What are the next steps?
So you put together your nursing CV and you applied for the job. Do you wonder what happens next?
After the closing date the employer will review all the applications and will invite some of the candidates to a job interview. Not everyone will get the chance to take part in the interview so if you make it to this stage, you should already be proud of yourself.
If you are selected for the interview stage, you will receive an email or a call informing you about the date. They will normally let you know in advance so you will have some time to prepare.
It is a good idea to do some research about the organisation or hospital the interview is for as they might ask you questions that test your knowledge about it. You should also ask yourself why you want to get a career in nursing and come up with an answer that will convey your passion for the profession.
If you need help putting together a CV or preparing for your nursing interview, we can help!
Call us today on +44 131 610 8868.