The Nursing Home Blog has some advice for nurses and aides: Write a resume to get the attention of potential employers!

1. Employers already understand your basic job duties as a Nursing Assistant or a Charge Nurse. Don’t use valuable space listing daily job tasks such as passing medications, assisting with ADLs, or communicating with physicians and families. Instead, list individual accomplishments, committee participation, and newly acquired skills gained from each position you have held. Items such as “Participated in Safety Committee”, “Attended CNA Day at 2005 IHCA Convention”, and “Received Perfect Attendance Award Three Years in a Row” have a much larger impact than listing daily job duties. Honesty is key.

2. Don’t be cute. Fancy fonts, colored paper, and other gimmicks may differentiate you from the next applicant, but remember, your goal is to be professional, not tacky. I suggest sticking to one of four fonts: Times New Roman, Tahoma, Arial, or Verdana. These fonts are easy to read and professional. Comic Sans is an attractive but extremely over-used font; I highly recommend not formatting your resume with it.

There is a lot more advice- check it out…Always have your resume updated and fresh. Don’t forget a cover letter too!!