Ten Minute Resume Tweaks to Land Any Travel Contract

Feeling like you can’t land the travel contracts you’re after? In this week’s blog, Ten Minute Resume Tweaks to Land Any Travel Contract, we’re sharing the best updates to make your resume shine and stand out from the crowd. These quick tweaks which you can make from top-to-bottom will help you land the travel assignments you’ve been eyeing! 👀

 

From The Top

The top section of a resume should be a clear, brief introduction to who you are and how to reach you. Here are the must-haves:

• Your full Legal Name (i.e. the name listed on your Social Security Card, Driver’s License, Nursing License, etc.)
• The best email address to reach you. This should be one you check regularly during the application process.
• Your mobile number. Things move quickly for travel contracts, save your recruiter’s phone # and be ready to receive important texts at a moment’s notice!

 

 

K.I.S.S In The Meat Section

Sounds a little weird, but it’ll make sense once I explain—and you’ll probably never forget it now; so, you’re welcome 😇. If your teachers never taught you; K.I.S.S. stands for “Keep It Simple Silly.” For the meat of your resume, the experience section, it’s essential to keep it simple.

Facilities reviewing resumes for open travel positions need to work quickly, so they only want to see the most important details about your work experience. Trust us when we say you are doing everyone (including yourself!), a favor by stripping your travel resume to the basics.

For Resumes with Only Perm Staff Experience:

For each previous position you held, there are 5 key details to include:

• Facility Name
• City/State
• Month/Year started to Month/Year ended
• # of Beds in Unit
• Patient Ratio

 

Most responsibilities described in your role will be considered standard. Which means there is only a need for additional information if it sets you apart from others. Below is a resume where the work history includes examples of relevant additional information:

 

 

For Resumes with Some/Mostly Travel Experience:

Everything listed above for staff experience is how you will also structure your work history, but here are some details that are a MUST for prior travel experience:

• Add the term “Travel” next to each employment experience you traveled for
• Add the name of the agency that placed you. You can list this as a bullet point on your resume. Feel free to copy and use this sentence: “Travel contract with ___________________ .”

 

 

For Resumes with Significant Employment Gaps:

Nowadays, it is much more widely accepted to have gaps on your resume, especially for travelers. There are many reasons why you may have a gap in your resume, such as personal travel, caring for family, maternity leave, burnout, or returning to school—all of which are perfectly valid and acceptable!

The best way to navigate resume gaps (because eventually, they do come up) is by including them in your resume like you list your work experience. Title these as “Employment Gap” with the Month/Year it took place and the City/State you were in at that time. If further information is ever needed about that gap for an assignment you are applying to, it will be at that point which you may need to elaborate further. In the meantime, that gap can be K.I.S.S.’ed! 💋

 

 

It’s important to also note it’s best practice to list at least the last 5-7 years of work history on your resume if it is relevant to your healthcare profession.

 

You’ve Been Schooled!

It’s natural to want to show off just how smart you are, but for the education section of your resume, just stick to higher education & any education you received towards your profession. Don’t sweat the K-12 details or GPA; the main info needed in this section is:

• Diploma/Degree
• Month/Year Graduated
• Institution Name
• City/State of Institution

License and Registration, Please.

At the bottom of your resume, you should have a dedicated section for all licenses, certifications & additional credentials. Always have photos/digital copies of each of these, but here is how you will put them on your resume:

For Licenses:

If applicable to your specialty, always note on your resume if it is a compact/multi-state license, or a single-state license. The following should also be included for each license:

• Expiration Date
• License Number
• State of Issue

For Certifications:

List any relevant/required certifications for your profession & specialty. The following should be included for each certification:

• Expiration Date
• Issued by AHA (American Heart Association)
  • Please note that it is becoming more widely accepted that AHA is the gold standard. If your BLS certification is not currently AHA & you plan to travel, we strongly recommend this

Here’s how this section should look:

Let’s Put It All Together Now

So, you have now gone top to bottom on your resume, adding the must-haves, and removing the fluff. Here is an example resume with everything we went over all together:

 

Wrap Up

By making these simple yet effective tweaks, you’ll be well on your way to landing the travel contracts you’ve been dreaming of. Now, go ahead and give your resume the makeover it deserves—your next adventure awaits! 🌟

If you’re interested in travel and want to know more about creating the perfect resume, click here to apply to one of our open positions, or here to simply submit your resume as-is and take advantage of our white glove service to get you travel ready!✈️

 

#GoFartherWithArdor