I met a hospital supervisor about two weeks ago who shared with me his take on resumes and hiring. The Nursing Supervisor told me that when he gets an “over the top” resume he won’t even look at. He admitted that he’d been burned by employees who just didn’t live up to their resumes. That’s understandable.
In fact, I could probably make my resumes “over the top” too, however I try to make these documents as well-written as possible, but formatted in a such a way that the average Joe, who knows a few things about Microsoft Word, could do it himself. I don’t include graphs or charts, no color, and the fonts are pretty simple for compatibility across all platforms. Most of all though, I don’t utilize “overused” words and hyperbole, such as “successfully” and “results-oriented.” You either did it, or you didn’t. If it wasn’t successful, why would you list it at all?
I probably should make you aware that this Nursing Supervisor works for a VA Hospital which only accepts Federal Resumes. He added that he doesn’t want to see a 5-page resume for a nurse with only 2 years of experience. That being said, in my 9 years as a Professional Resume Writer, I have never written beyond 2 pages, because after much research, I learned that rarely will anyone read past the second page.
Always remember, the word “resume” is French for “summary.” It’s not a novel or life history. It’s a marketing document designed to get the reader to respond by contacting you for more information in an interview.
–Susan Geary, 1st Rate Resumes