Your Ultimate Guide to Job Search Tips for Travel Nursing
Are you ready to embark on a travel nursing adventure? Here’s what you need to know to find the right job for you. In this practical guide, we'll share valuable job search tips for travel nurses, including strategies for both new and experienced travelers to land your ideal assignments.
Researching Travel Nursing Opportunities
Travel nursing offers freedom and flexibility that’s unparalleled in the healthcare industry. As you research your ideal travel nursing job, consider your priorities to help narrow down your search. Some nurses may prioritize certain destinations or a particular type of healthcare facility, while others are looking for opportunities to build their professional skills and gain more experience.
Once you have decided which factors are most important to you, it’s time to get started on your search. Take some time to peruse websites and platforms that specialize in travel nursing job postings to see what kind of assignments are available. One to check out: Onward Healthcare’s job search page. You can search by location, nursing specialty, assignment duration, type of shift or your desired start date.
Another tip: Use AMN Passport to get advice and insight from other travel nurses.
Perfecting Your Travel Nursing Resume
As you prepare to apply for travel nursing jobs that match your requirements, be sure to polish your travel nursing resume. A top-notch resume should be concise, yet detailed enough to highlight your relevant experience, your specific clinical skills and certifications. In order to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers, you’ll also want to highlight your ability to work in diverse healthcare settings and adapt quickly to new environments. Your recruiter should be able to help you perfect your resume before it is forwarded to a potential hiring facility.
Some employers may also require a cover letter to signal your interest in working for them. This is a great opportunity to not only demonstrate your professional expertise and your passion for travel nursing, but also to explain why you are the perfect fit for a particular assignment.
Building a Strong Online Presence
Before you get too far along in your travel nurse job search, take a close look at your online presence. Have you vetted your social media profiles and postings recently to make sure everything reflects positively on you? Connecting with travel nursing communities on Facebook and Twitter, among others, is a great way to learn about potential employers and job opportunities. Just remember that everything you post online, even in a private community, could become public at some point. Post accordingly.
Additionally, this is a perfect time to optimize your LinkedIn profile to highlight yourself and what you have to offer to a potential employer. A few tips:
- Pick the right photograph for your profile. A recent professional photo will set the right tone.
- Use your summary to sell yourself. Write a captivating narrative that demonstrates your professional excellence and will impress prospective employers.
- List all your relevant skills, certifications and honors. This is not the time to be modest.
- Ask colleagues or managers to write endorsements for you.
Partnering with a Travel Nursing Agency
While you can embark upon a job search on your own, working with a travel nurse staffing agency will give you the best chance of securing the kind of job you really want. Established agencies like Onward Healthcare can really streamline the process for you and help you avoid a number of hiccups. They already have relationships with top-notch healthcare facilities and know how to connect you with the right opportunities.
You’ll be working with recruiters and their colleagues who can help you:
- Find travel nursing assignments that meet your requirements and qualifications;
- Prepare for interviews and compare contracts;
- Handle all the onboarding details and logistics, including licensing;
- Provide free housing or a housing stipend plus travel reimbursements;
- Give you guidance and encouragement along the way.
As a bonus, all of these services are offered free of charge! And, if you work for Onward Healthcare, you can also use the AMN Passport app to easily find, book, and manage your travel nursing assignments.
Networking as a Travel Nurse
Your professional network is another great resource to tap when you’re looking for a new job, including a travel nursing job. Reach out to them and ask if they know about any job openings—or who to contact to find out.
Plus, when you become a travel nurse, you will meet even more people who can become part of your professional network. As you take on travel nursing jobs, you’ll establish relationships with people who will share their knowledge with you and encourage you to develop your own skills. Those people may be able to help you in the future, too, when you’re looking for a mentor, a professional reference or information about career opportunities.
The Recipe for a Successful Job Search
Travel nursing offers a myriad of opportunities for professional development and personal adventure. Approach your job search strategically to give yourself a good shot at the best travel nursing jobs. As noted, it is important to focus on your priorities, take time for some research, optimize your online presence, polish your resume, nurture your professional connections and work with a reputable travel nursing agency.
Finding the ideal travel nursing assignment will require some time and effort. And your job search needs to be personalized to you and your goals. So follow these job search tips, be persistent and stay positive. Before you know it, you’ll be packing for your next big travel nursing adventure.
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