Writing your resume shouldn’t be challenging, especially if you are a travel nurse who has to update your resume more often than the typical healthcare worker. As healthcare workers who typically jump from one opportunity to the next after several weeks, travel nurses must know how to build effective resumes that showcase their skills and experience that recruiters would review and choose in a heartbeat.
In this article, we provide a resume-writing checklist for travel nurses. We hope that these helpful tips can empower travel nurses to create and submit excellent resumes and cover letters that potential employers would love to get their hands on.
Travel nurse resume checklist
☑ Use simple, easy-to-read fonts. Use a standard font, such as Arial, Calibre, and Helvetica, which are easy for Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to read or process. Avoid fancier font types, or ones that are in cursive or are overly styled. Make sure that you use a font size of 10 to 12 points, too.
☑ Create master resume and cover letter documents. These documents will serve as the base for your personalized applications, as each organization has its own list of requirements and preferences. Fine-tuning your resume and cover letter to best match the role you’re applying for is vital to landing the job you’re eyeing. An AI tool can analyze a job description and suggest keywords for inclusion in your master resume and cover letter documents.
☑ Update your address and contact information. Although some facilities offer local travel positions, many still prioritize travel nurses who reside at least 50 miles outside their homes. In case you move residences, make sure that you update your resume to reflect the town and state you currently live in.
☑ Check your resume for commonly made mistakes. Avoid typical resume writing mistakes, including formatting errors, using slang and jargon, affixing your photo, and neglecting to proofread your document before submitting.
☑ List your licenses and certifications. Don’t forget to add your licenses and complete list of certifications. These demonstrate your competency, expertise, and specialized skills, which can give you a leg up when it comes to employment opportunities.
☑ List new skills learned. As you gain more travel nursing experience, chances are high that you’ll learn a wide variety of skills in each facility you have an assignment in. Add a resume section that includes your specific skills, such as experience with specific devices and tools, electronic health record (EHR) systems, procedures, and therapies. You should also include information about the units you’ve worked in or specialties you have experience in, such as med-surg, oncology, neurology, or tele-ICU.
☑ List your highest educational attainment. If you have an Associate’s and a Bachelor’s degree in nursing, consider just listing your Bachelor’s instead of both. Some companies use an ATS that automatically rejects resumes with disqualifying terms or phrases in them. If the company’s ATS system is programmed to reject resumes with Associate’s degrees, your resume might not make the cut. To be on the safer side, list your highest educational attainment.
After you’re done crafting a top-notch travel nursing resume, you can apply to one of our job openings here.
