Bold in Relevance Part 4 of 4

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Welcome to The Bold Brief—

You are a member of this community of top-notch expert nurses and healthcare professionals who aspire to be “bold” in career and life. We want to be bold in our life’s purpose, and bold in life and career choices to live with authenticity, balance, and meaningful challenges.

Relevance refers to the degree to which something is connected to or appropriate for a particular purpose, context, or situation. In the context of your resume, relevance means ensuring that the skills, experiences, education, and qualifications you present are directly applicable and valuable to the job or industry you are targeting, highlighting your fit for the role. Without measurable outcomes on your resume, you may be irrelevant for the role you desire.

In this final part of our 4-part series, we’ll focus on a crucial, often overlooked step: Tailoring your resume for specific non-traditional roles where nurses standout and are uniquely qualified to contribute successfully.

So… bold in relevance.

Understanding the Importance of Tailoring Your Resume

Your resume could be irrelevant! Your generic nursing resume won’t cut it in a competitive job market! Tailoring your resume for specific job roles isn’t just a final step—it’s essential. When transitioning from clinical to industry roles, hiring managers want to see that you understand their needs and can translate your skills to fit those requirements.

Tailoring your resume isn’t about adding buzzwords—it’s about targeting specific skills and experiences that explicitly - word-for-word- match the posted job description. Employers and hiring managers want candidates who can solve their specific problems. Customizing your resume for each specific role, demonstrates that you understand the role, the challenges of (any) industry, and how your skills can add value.

The Evidence to Support Resume Tailoring and Customization

Targeted resumes increase a candidate's chances of being selected for interviews. Industry research indicates that specific resume details that align with job descriptions have a higher success rate than generic resumes.¹

If you're a nurse aiming to transition into a non-clinical role, understanding how Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) work is crucial to getting noticed by hiring managers.¹ ATS platforms are widely used by companies to streamline the hiring process, so…they matter:

• Widespread Use: Nearly 70% of large companies, including 99% of Fortune 500 companies, rely on ATS to screen candidates. This means your resume will likely go through an automated system before a human even sees it.

• Growing Trend in Small and Mid-Sized Businesses: About 20% of smaller companies now use ATS, and this number is growing. Even in smaller organizations, ATS systems are becoming a go-to tool for recruiters.

• Positive Impact on Hiring: An overwhelming 94% of recruiters report that ATS has improved their hiring processes, making it essential for you to optimize your resume to pass ATS screening.

For expert nurses, this means tailoring your resume to exactly align with posted job descriptions, using industry-specific keywords, and ensuring that your resume format is ATS-friendly. Doing so increases your chances of standing out in competitive HealthTech, MedTech, and Pharma roles.

What This Means for Your Resume and Career

Incorporating tailored resumes into your job application process is a career-transforming practice. Here’s what this approach means for your career transition:

• Increased Interview Opportunities: A tailored resume shows you’re qualified and interested in the specific role, making it more likely for hiring managers to shortlist you for an interview.

• Stronger Positioning in a Competitive Market: With industries like MedTech and Pharma increasingly seeking professionals with both clinical expertise and leadership skills, tailoring your resume helps position you as the ideal candidate.

• Better ATS Performance: By including keywords from each specific job posting, your resume has a higher chance of passing through ATS software, getting you one step closer to your dream role.

• Relevance is Key: Customizing your resume ensures that you focus on what matters most for the job you’re applying for, making you stand out as a qualified and relevant candidate.

Tailor to Stand Out: 5 Steps to Make Your Resume Powerful

Step 1: Thoroughly Review the Job Description

Start by thoroughly reading the job description. Identify the key skills, qualifications, and responsibilities the employer is seeking. Highlight the recurring terms or phrases, as these are likely to be ATS keywords that you must include in your resume.

Example: If the job posting emphasizes “team leadership” and “data analysis,” focus on these terms in your resume. If you’ve managed a team in your clinical role or handled complex patient data, make sure to emphasize these skills.

Step 2: Tailor Your Skills Section

Highlight the skills that are most relevant to the job by reviewing the job posting. Add additional skills that set you apart, ensuring they’re applicable to the posted industry role. Need to learn more?

1. Read Part 2 How to Identify Your Transferrable Skills 

2. In the Bold Nurse Academy^TM , we have many resources to help make your career transition do-able! From color-coded step-by-step resume templates to integrate full lists of transferable skills and measurable outcomes to interview and salary negotiation coaching, the Bold Nurse Academy has helped 100’s of expert nurses leave their traditional clinical roles for non-traditional industry roles in sectors such as HealthTech, MedTech, Biotech, Pharmaceuticals, and Medical Devices, offer unique opportunities to apply clinical expertise in innovative ways.

Step 3: Adjust Your Professional Summary

Customize the top half of your resume by tailoring your professional summary to mirror the job description. Mention the qualifications and accomplishments that are most relevant to the posted description, ensuring this section aligns with the job title and core responsibilities.

Step 4: Incorporate Relevant Keywords

Ensure your resume incorporates keywords directly from the job description. This helps your resume make it through automated tracking systems and into the hands of hiring managers. The Bold Nurse Academy has great resources to hone your keywords!

Step 5: Proofread and Polish

Review your resume to ensure your industry resume is error-free and maintains a clear, concise, and professional tone. Double-check for any missed opportunities to highlight your relevance to the job.

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Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve completed Part 4 of my series on building an industry-relevant powerhouse resume. Now, you’ve learned from all 4 parts of Bold in Relevance: The Nurse’s Step-by-Step Guide to Building an Industry-Relevant Resume:

• Part 1 of 4 Understanding the Difference Between Clinical and Industry Resumes

• Part 2 of 4 Identifying Your Transferable Skills

• Part 3 of 4 Quantifying Your Impact – Showcasing Results and Achievements

These steps will ensure that you stand out as a well-prepared, expert candidate for exciting new opportunities - that you never knew existed.

Stay tuned for weekly editions of The Bold Brief, where we’ll continue to explore career strategies, career innovation, and evidence-based bold moves to take your life and career to the next level

Remember, the bold career and life that you desire is not just a dream—it's within your reach. Let's make it a reality together.

💗P.S. If you find this content useful for your life, career, and happiness, please share!

P.P.S. If you want to learn from me on a daily basis, come connect with me on LinkedIn or in my Facebook Community.

Remember that this is a dedicated space for you, the nurses at the bedside and beyond, the committed healthcare professionals ready to explore transformative career paths beyond traditional roles. Every week, we'll dig into evidence-based strategies, insights, and stories designed to empower you to take bold steps toward a fulfilling career and life outside the hospital setting.

1  Applicant Tracking System Statistics for Q4 2024. Link