Creating a Professional Resume
I often speak to a CRNA’s earned income of being the heavy lifter when accumulating wealth. Today we examine one of the factors that may influence whether you are selected for that dream position. I’m talking about resumes and CVs. I’ll cover the basics of each starting with resumes. Let’s get into it…
A resume is a brief, one-page document focusing on your work experiences and background applicable to the job you are applying for. Update this document every so often to avoid starting from nothing if you ever need it again.
I read content from Ivy League publications to writing center recommendations on what goes into a solid resume. And to no surprise, sources agree on general components, but what it looks like is up to you. I’ll cover style and formatting in a bit. Templates included because I don’t articulate well.
From the top…
Who is applying? This is the first thing they will see. Name, email address, and phone number are a minimum. I included a physical address as well.
When writing your name, follow with the highest degree earned, licensure, then professional credentials. There was some discussion on order a while back, but I think it looks like this. As always, please correct me if I’m wrong. I really don’t care for inaccurate information floating out there. My ego isn’t that big.
Name, Degree, CRNA
Professional Experience
As a working CRNA applying for a practicing CRNA position, your work experience supersedes your education. List work experiences in reverse chronological order starting with your current position. Try this…
Name of Employer
XYZ Hospital, City, State
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
Name of Employer
XYZ Hospital, City, State
Registered Nurse, Intensive Care Unit
When applying for anesthesia school, I used a longer format to highlight skills and responsibilities. I’m a fan of the short form, but this is worth considering. I don’t recall the specific bullet points I used, but it was something like this for my high school and college job.
A Construction Company
City, State
Project Manager, Safety Director, Shop Foreman
Facilitate the arrival and removal of materials at a job site.
Promote worker safety by monitoring work conditions, upholding workplace safety standards, and leading quarterly safety meetings.
Oversee all warehouse operations.
The CRNA version would look like this.
Name of Employer
XYZ Hospital, City, State
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
Provide anesthesia to a variety of patients in an independent CRNA model.
Utilize techniques such as regional anesthesia, spinals, and epidurals.
Place central venous catheters.
Education
There is discussion as to whether this is top priority or second fiddle. For a working CRNA, work experience is what your employer wants to see. If you are applying for a position in academia or an SRNA, consider placing this section above professional experience or creating a CV.
As with my work history, I went with a short form here.
School, City, State
Degree, Start Date-End Date
Mount Marty University, Sioux Falls, SD
Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice, Start Date MM/YY- End Date MM/YY
South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD
Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Start Date MM/YY- End Date MM/YY
Certifications
This includes all licensure (RN and CRNA). It also includes BLS, ACLS, PALS, ATLS, NRP, and whatever other exciting things exist in the wild.
Professional Affiliations
Organizations like the AANA. Anything relevant to the position you are applying for. Or something to set you apart.
Volunteer Work
Optional section. If you are a mission trip regular, I would add those under work experience unless you have a great number of trips, which would warrant its own section.
Style and Formatting
Pick a reasonable font. Something easy to read. Adobe.com recommends Calibri (Microsoft Word default), Cambria, or Arial. All are professional and will suit you well. Times New Roman is a classic font that has been used for decades. It lacks flare, but gets the job done…just like me, which is why I used it on my last resume.
Your name pops with a recommended size of 18-24 points. Headings 12-16 points. Resume body shrinks to 10-12 points.
Margins on all sides between 0.5” and 1”. If space is tight, adjust the margins or select a narrow font such as Arial Narrow. A condensed font is a better way to squeeze more on a page than removing margins.
Must Haves
Your resume must be specific to the position and to the point. An easy to read document screaming you are qualified just by scanning.
Be factual and accurate. Ensure the dates are accurate. Dates tell the story of your existence. Dates can overlap if you are working multiple jobs or working through school. Major gaps are a red flag, so be sure to tell the whole story.
Be consistent with sizing, spacing, bold, and underlining. Consistently list events in reverse chronological order.
Recruiters may take the liberty of sending resumes without permission which locks you into their service if you choose to work at a given location. To minimize this headache, watermark your resume. “For XXX facility only.” I would guess including that in the top by your personal information would serve the same purpose.
If you choose to utilize bullet points describing your work experience, be sure to use action verbs. More developed, accomplished, and managed. Less made, did, and was.
Avoid
Spelling and grammar mistakes make readers cringe. I find a single read through isn’t enough for me, but sometimes that’s all I have time for. Don’t be like me.
No pronouns such as me or I.
No slang.
No numbered lists. Bullets are fine.
Templates
Locum CRNAs
Depending on how many facilities you worked for, I would look to condense the locations as much as possible. If you have 20+ years of experience traveling, you may need a second page similar to a CV. Or a resume and a long-form CV.
Resumes for SRNAs
All of the stylistic points apply. Be sure to place your name and personal information on top.
I had a couple notable differences on my SRNA vs CRNA resume. SRNAs don’t have any job experience, so that section leaves something to be desired. Education is the most valuable aspect of your resume, so lead with it (in reverse chronological order).
I chose to follow with my clinical experiences. I had quite a few sites, so I condensed things a bit.
Then I added my professional experiences making note of my time as an RN.
Then certifications and training. I chose to include CRNA licensure but replaced the expiration date with “TBD.”
Lastly, I included my professional affiliation with the AANA.
Resumes for Academia
This is best handled by a Curriculum Vitae (CV). A CV exceeds the one-page limit because it is a comprehensive document including all professional qualifications, accomplishments, and publications.
The order of topics is pretty loosey-goosey. I recommend the order of importance based on the position you seek.
Sections in a CV
Personal information – Name, email address, phone number, and address.
Professional Summary – Include 2 sentences summarizing who you are and what you do. I am a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist with XXX years of experience in XXX setting performing XXX skills.
Education – Same as above, but with greater details such as awards, affiliations, and GPA.
Professional Experience – Save as above, but with details as to specific job responsibilities. The long form.
Skills – List relevant skills showcasing your suitability for the position.
Publications – Cite any works you have credit for producing.
Professional Affiliation – Same as above.
Awards/Honors – Anything significant or relevant to your career or the job.
I’m sure you noted the included templates. There are many more online with varying degrees of flare. Some with page break style lines. Some in color. Others very unique. A quick internet search will have you staring at more than you know what to do with if you are seeking inspiration.
I would guess the new A.I. software could produce something fairly well, but I don’t know first hand. Just what I’m hearing from the cool kids. Thanks for reading.