DRAW FROM JOB ADS TO CREATE YOUR RESUME
By Ann Baehr, Best Resumes of New York

Before an artist can sit down to a blank canvas and paint a masterpiece, he needs a reference point such as a garden or bowl of fruit. Similarly, job seekers need job ads to identify their required skills.

You are probably like most people when it comes to describing what you do on a day-to-day basis. You are on autopilot. You can do your job with your eyes closed because it is fairly routine with the exception of a few special projects.

So why do you draw a blank when it comes to writing your resume? Sure, you can cover the basics, such as the industry, the products involved and maybe even touch on the types of clients and department you work in.

But what about really getting into the nitty-gritty about the scope of your responsibilities? Do you know how to break it down and align it with the requirements of a position?

This exercise is designed to help you work it out. Let's review a job ad for a nurse.

* Must have experience assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating pediatric patient care within a large medical facility.

* Must have experience planning for expected outcomes of care for those patients assigned.

* Must have experience performing interventions according to identified priorities, plan of care, and hospital policies.

* Must have experience promoting interpersonal relations with patients, family, and physicians.

* Must have experience communicating pertinent information about patient, nursing unit, and activities as appropriate.

If you were a nurse who had to write a resume, you might compose the following statements:

* Provide exceptional nursing care to patients.
* Work well with patients, families and nurses.
* Report problems to physicians requiring immediate attention.

So, what is missing from this information? In reviewing the requirements, you can see that it is too general and does not provide enough detail to qualify for a position in a particular unit, within a certain type of medical facility and working with a specific patient population.

Many people might prescribe to the theory that nursing is nursing. But this is simply not the case. A nurse works in either a private practice setting, a nursing home or a large medical center. He or she can work in any one of numerous specialty units such as pediatrics, critical care, Operating Room or Medical Surgical. The list of units is extensive.

Would a hospital searching for a pediatrics nurse quality this job seeker for the position? Chances are they would be more likely to quality the job seeker who wrote the following in his or her resume:

* Provide quality pre- and post-operative care to 8-12 pediatric patients on a busy pediatrics unit with 40 beds.
* Collaborate with medical and mental health teams to identify and manage patients' and family needs.
* Develop patient care plans and discharge plans.
* Coordinate patient admissions and transfers.
* Educate patients and their families with a focus on expectation, prevention, medication, at-home care and pain management techniques.

Now the reader can see what the patient population is, the type of unit, and the scope of responsibilities. This is only a brief to make a point.

To take it further, examine each requirement and think about what you do along those lines. Modify the sentences to make them your own and real. The requirements are an excellent tool to help you identify what you do, and to find great key words. In the end, you will be giving the reader what they are looking for in a candidate.

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Ann Baehr, Best Resumes of New York