University of Michigan Health System
Nursing Recruitment & Retention
Professional Resume & Cover Letter Writing Tips
Basics! The first thing on your resume should be your name in large, bold font. Your name and
contact information should be included on all of the pages of the resume. Contact information
should include address, phone number and an email address. Make sure to update the
information frequently and that the email address is professional!
Use a design that is simple, but grabs the reader’s attention. Highlight the most important
information about your education (including your GPA), work experience, awards, volunteer
service, and special skills/certifications.
Work experience. Please include the correct name of the business and accurate dates of
employment. Achievements are preferred over the listing of responsibilities.
Use bulleted sentences. The main selling points should be clear and quick to scan. Don’t worry
about being specific; you can go into details during the interview.
Leave off irrelevant information. For example: race, weight, age, religion, social security
number, pictures of yourself and hobbies.
Do you add nursing school clinical experience to the resume? There is no need to add the basic
classes, but if you have had an Extern or Internship, or a clinical class that was out of the
ordinary, please list it on the resume.
Get an outside opinion. Ask a friend to review the resume and cover letter. Having someone
else review the information can give insight into how others view the information. They can
point out spelling errors or sentences that are confusing to the reader. Proofread it at least
twice! Don’t rely on spellcheck-it makes errors too.
If you have not had steady employment, include summer jobs or volunteer work to
supplement employment history. If you fit into this category, it is important to have personal
references attached with the resume and faculty recommendation letters to support your work
ethic during clinical rotations.
Use a good printer. A laser printer is preferred, it prints clean. Plain white paper is preferred,
but a neutral color is ok. No need to be fancy with colored papers or plastic covers.
Cover Letters are still relevant. It is a concise, personal introduction, 2-3 paragraphs long.
Address it to a specific recruiter, not “to whom it may concern”. State purpose of the letter;
highlight abilities, units/positions of interest. Good place to talk about your knowledge of their
institution. Thank the recruiter for their time. Sign the letter if possible. Remember, a bad
cover letter can cause your resume to be ignored!
Good website sites for help with resume writing! (you can just “Google” it too!!)
www.Career-advice.monster.com/resumes
www.resumewriting.net
www.careerperfect.com (resume samples)
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/coverlettersamples/a/coverlettsample.htm (cover letter
samples)
Mrs. Gayle York
University of Michigan Health System
Nursing Recruitment and Retention
2301 Commonwealth Blvd.
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105
January 21, 2012
Dear Mrs. York,
As a current Nurse Extern on the Trauma Burn Unit, it was very exciting to see the posting for a
Graduate Nurse on the Trauma Burn Intensive Care Unit! I have applied online for the Graduate Nurse
position #66666. As requested, my resume has been attached for you to review.
The opportunity presented in this job posting is very interesting, and I believe that my Nurse Extern
experience on that unit will make me a very competitive candidate for this position. The key strengths
that I possess for success in this position include:
1 year Externship in the Trauma Burn ICU at the UM Health System
Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing to be completed in May
Continually striving for excellence in customer service and patient care
I am very familiar with the University’s Mission and Values and strive to weave them into my own work
ethic. I am adaptive to my environment and always look for new learning opportunities. I have been
trained on the MI Chart system and can use the system with proficiency.
Please feel free to contact me anytime at (734)-123-4567 or via email at nnurs[email protected] .
Thank you for your time and consideration and look forward to speaking with you about this
employment opportunity.
Sincerely,
Nancy Nurse
Nancy Nurse
123 Main Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105
(734) 123-4567
Education
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Michigan
Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing, Graduating May 2012
GPA 3.99
Work Experience
2010 – Present, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor Michigan
Nurse Extern
Trauma Burn Intensive Care Unit
Responsibilities include care of the trauma/burned patient population, under the direction of a RN.
2007 -2010, Dairy Queen, Ypsilanti Michigan
Shift Supervisor
Supervised 6 employees on the evening shift. Duties include cashier, provides drive-thru service, customer service
and recovery.
Professional Achievements
National Student Nurses Association Scholarship
Dean’s List for 3 consecutive years
Memberships
Sigma Theta Tau, International
National and Michigan Student Nurses Association
Activities
Volunteer, St. Luke’s Hospice 2011
Volunteer, American Red Cross 2010
Volunteer, Ann Arbor Soup Kitchen 2010, 2011
References
Available upon request
