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How to Land a Licensed Practical Nurse Job

Employment opportunities for licensed practical nurses are expected to grow by 21 percent in the next eight years. If you're an LPN who is currently searching for a job, there are plenty of resources at your fingertips. Try skimming through the job listings in your local newspaper, or go online and search for positions on a variety of job boards. Once you've nailed down where you want to apply, pull out your old resume and get ready to polish it up. The job hunt is on!

Where to Look for Employment

Aside from the Help Wanted section in your local newspaper, the best place to look for an open LPN positions is online. Many hospitals and facilities post available jobs on their own websites. These websites either have online applications that you can fill out immediately, or they provide contact information for their human resources departments. If that's the case, you will have to send a hard copy of your resume and cover letter via regular mail.

There are a variety of online job boards that post available LPN positions, inluding:

 

The key to searching for a licensed practical nurse job is persistence. Don't just look at one job board and give up if you don't see any LPN positions that interest you. Your search will, most likely, take hours (maybe even days), but don't get discouraged! You will be rewarded for your patience and persistence.

 

Writing a Cover Letter

Here are a few basic tips to help you get started on writing your cover letter and resume for an LPN position. Keep this in mind: Your cover letter is usually the first contact you will have with a recruiter or hiring manager. Because of this, the cover letter should provide a personal message of intent and convey your interest in the job. It should also portray you as a professional candidate worthy of being considered for the job.

First and foremost, the cover letter should be addressed to the hiring manager or recruiter who will be reading it. If this person's name is not readily available, you might have to call the company or hospital's human resources department and ask for the name of the person who will be reviewing the applicants for this particular position. After this, the cover letter should introduce who you are and how you heard about the position.

Once the brief introduction is complete, the cover letter should go on to highlight the skills and experience you possess that make you a match for the job. Be sure to describe any skills or other qualifications that might set you apart from other candidates. Also, it's important to mention that you are a licensed professional in the state in which you are applying.

Here are few links to sample cover letters for LPN positions:

 

Writing a Resume

After the cover letter is complete, you can start on your resume. The first decision you must make is what format you want to use. There are three basic resume formats used by LPNs:

  1. A chronological resume is the most popular format. It lists an LPN's work experience in descending order. His or her most recent experience is at the top, and the oldest experience is at the bottom.
  2. A functional resume focuses on the skills and experiences an LPN has gained, instead of focusing on the order in which they occurred. The functional resume is most often used when a person is looking to change careers.
  3. A combination resume uses both of the aforementioned formats. First, an LPN's skills and experiences are listed, followed by a chronological list of work experience.

 

Once you've decided on a format, it's time to start writing. Keep your resume concise: most hiring managers like resumes that are only one page in length. Keep this in mind as you start listing your skills and work experience.

  • To begin, place your name, phone number, address, and professional email (e.g. an email with your real name, not your nickname) at the top of the resume. If desired, an objective statement can be included, although it is not essential.
  • Next, if you have selected the common chronological format, you should list your work experience. Start with the most recent position you held. List the name of the company you worked for, the dates you worked there, the duties you performed, and the skills you gained.
  • After this section, list your educational history, starting with your most recent degree or certification. Include the name of the institution, where it's located, dates attended, and degree or certificate earned. Also include any honors, scholarships, or other awards you received during this time.

 

The final step, after you've written your resume and cover letter, is to proofread, proofread, proofread! Be sure to have another person read over your resume and cover letter, and then read over them again yourself before submitting them. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is sending a resume and cover letter that contain spelling or grammar errors.

Here are few links to a few sample LPN resumes:

 

Article Resources:

Career Owl
Resume Objective
Career Know-How
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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