Nursing Jobs: Rising Above the Competition

Posted On January 2,2020

Nursing remains a solid career choice, but if you want to secure your dream job you’re going to want to have more than bare minimum qualifications—you’re going to want to stand out from the competition. Today, let’s look at what it takes to rise above your peers and be the favorite for any nursing job you desire.Learn More about Athena's Nursing Program

Keep Training

If you’re looking for your first nursing job after graduation, this may not be the most satisfying thing to read—but the best nurses never stop learning new skills. The best paying, most desirable jobs in nursing have more stringent training requirements.

That may be depth of skill, with expectations that you’ll have pursued more advanced knowledge in specific niches or fields or learning, or it may be breadth of knowledge, where a job requires an understanding of other aspects of a medical business; the business end, the administrative end, legal, social work, etc., etc.

Figure out which direction you want to take your career early on, and plan for appropriate ongoing training. And even before you finish your next course, the fact that you’re still working to develop your skills will help you stand out beside your complacent peers.

Value Presentation

It’s easy to forget the importance of a good first impression and the value of presenting yourself as a competent, communicative, easy-going professional. You can certainly get a nursing job without being personable or presenting yourself well in general, but you’ll never be able to compete for the most desirable positions that way.

There are several different aspects of presentation you’ll want to keep in mind as you pursue any new nursing job. The first point of contact with a potential employer will likely be a resume, but it may be a chance encounter through networking at your nursing association or school.

Learning to present yourself professionally any time you’re in a career-adjacent environment is important for this reason.

Beyond that, you’ll want to show up to your interview at 100%. A nurse needs to be able to work with doctors, patients, and admin staff every day—make sure you show them what you’ll be like in that environment.

Be Mindful of Important Secondary Skills

When businesses look to hire nurses, they’re not just looking at your credentials directly related to nursing; they want to know how well your secondary skills relate to the position, too. If a position is going to be admin-heavy, then your ability to navigate paperwork and IT may matter more than any medical knowledge you have.

It’s critical that you learn how to identify the skills relevant to any particular nursing job and emphasize those on your resume—or when you’re putting together a career development strategy and need to figure out which courses to take and skills to develop independently to net a dream job.

Join Professional Associations

Professional associations aren’t just for padding your resume, they’re a key way to pursue further training, find networking opportunities, become informed about a new nursing job openings, etc. Figure out which organizations best suit your field and join them.

Standing out among your peers for a nursing position means showing that you’re the best fit for the job. Athena Career Academy can help prepare you for a rewarding career in nursing. Contact us today for more information about our program.