Cover Letters for Nurses

Cover Letters for Nurses

Why are cover letters so important? They provide the prospective employer with a brief review of your skills and abilities in the form of a letter. Letters are written much differently than resumes and can have a lasting impact on the reader.

The best news is that writing one it isn’t that hard. An excellent Registered Nurse is always going to be in demand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Among all of the health care occupations, registered nurses had the highest level of employment—over 2 million."

What does that mean? It means there are more nursing positions in the health care industry than doctors, surgeons and technologists.
Nurses, generally speaking, are in a good labor market right now. If you are a nurse, that's good news. You should not encounter difficulties in obtaining work.

What about that awesome position with the top salary that you have your eye on, though? Do you think the competition for that position will be greater? You bet it will. That means your credentials will have to be presented in the best light possible if you are to get the job offer.
So, how do you write a great cover letter?

The cover letter builds on the resume and leads the employer toward it. Its goal is to get the employer excited about the resume. It is a sales tool, just like the resume is. Sell yourself in a compelling and exciting way. Inject energy and let your best qualities reach the employer through carefully written examples and anecdotes. Don't just state what you are capable of, show the employer what you have done in the past with vibrant language that attracts and invites the employer to want to know more.
You are a part of a significant sector of the labor market.

You have to be your very best to get the great jobs. What skills and abilities do you have that you can offer the employer – and – how can you do so in a way that makes the employer pick up the phone and call you for an interview?

Be personable, but professional at the same time.

Let your cover letter generate interest in your resume, then let your resume grab the employer's attention so that you are invited in for a face to face meeting.

A cover letter isn't likely to persuade an employer to grant you an interview on it's own, but it is part of the whole package that WILL encourage an employer to want to get to know you better. Make it an exciting and enjoyable read and you will find yourself being offered the next Registered Nurse position you apply for.

To review a cover letter checklist, click here: Cover Letter Checklist
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Resume Tips

Resume Tips:

• Good resumes show how your qualifications fit the requirements of the jobs you apply for.
• Most occupations require abilities like reliability, teamwork, and communication.
• Good resume objectives focus on the employer's needs.
• Nonwork activities add experience to your resume.
• Tailor your resume for each occupation or job of interest.
• Use action phrases— not complete sentences.
• Highlight specific achievements.
• Include quantifiable results where possible.
• Identify increases in responsibility.
• Mention special work related skills.
• Identify coursework relating to the employer’s needs.

More Tips:
• Chronological resumes organize your experience around the jobs you have held.
• Functional resumes emphasize skills rather than employment history.
• Sprinkle your resumes with language found in the position description.
• Use a laser printer and keep the font size at 10 points or above.
• Avoid mistakes by having several people proofread for you.

Even more Tips:
• Resumes can be formatted for scanning, e-mailing, or posting to Internet sites.
• Digital resumes use simple, technologically friendly formatting.
• Digital resumes emphasize keywords.
• Plain text resumes should not exceed 65 characters per line.
• E-mail a plain text resume to yourself and to a friend to test the way it transmits.

Source:
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/employ/resumes/resumes.htm

Additional resume information:

'Plain Text Resumes'

'Resume Preparation'

'Job Application Form'


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