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Now that you’re an CNA, opportunities will be opening up in front of you. More specifically, you’ll have to open up the opportunities yourself by selling yourself to potential employers. The best way to start the selling process is bywriting a stellar resume, your main selling tool. List each job that’s relevant to the job you’re applying for, and list three or four accomplishments at that job.

It’s important to list accomplishments on your resume as opposed to duties. Make it seem like you’re not just a regular worker who goes through the motions, but somebody who goes to work to actually do something. For example, if you worked at a nursing home, instead of writing, “Cared for tenants in a prompt and orderly fashion,” write, “Achieved the least number of complaints than any other employee.” It helps if you actually achieved measurable accomplishments, but just be creative and you’ll see that a mere duty can easily be reworded into something that sounds much better.

Once you have your polished resume, it’s time to send it out. Most job postings on the internet or in the newspaper are a wild goose chase. Instead, try posting your resume on job boards. When you send your resume to a specific job posting, only one employer will see it, if that. But when you post your resume on a job board, many employers will see it.

In conjunction with posting your resume on a job board, try your luck with a staffing agency for nurses. Even if you’re unable to get full-time work through a staffing agency, it’s common to at least get part-time work, and if you do well, it usually turns into something more. After all, in a period of economic downturn, getting your foot in the door is getting in the door.