Check when the employer requires an active credential. If you’re still in training, ask when you can apply. A one-page resume and two work or clinical references are a useful starting point. Follow the job posting if it asks for something different, and ask about background checks, health requirements, orientation and supervision.
What do CNA employers check?
Requirements vary by state and employer. Common checks include an active certification or registry listing, identity and work authorization, a criminal-background check, references, CPR or first-aid training where required, and the physical ability to perform the job safely.
Ask the employer which checks apply and when they happen. Do not pay for a job placement, and do not send a Social Security number, bank details or identity documents until you have confirmed the employer and the hiring process.
What should a first CNA resume include?
For a first CNA job, one page is a useful goal. Put your credential, training and availability where the employer can find them quickly. Use specific duties and skills rather than a list of broad claims about being hardworking.
- Header: Name, city and state, phone, email and the credential you hold.
- Summary: Two or three lines about your training, clinical experience and the care settings you want.
- Training: Program name, completion date, clinical hours and the skills you practiced.
- Work history: Recent jobs, dates and duties that show reliability, teamwork and customer care.
- Skills: Safe transfers, bathing and hygiene, vital signs, infection control, documentation and reporting.
- References: Have two work or clinical references ready, with their permission. Follow the employer’s instructions on whether to include them with the resume or provide them separately. Never include patient information.
Where should you look for CNA jobs?
Look on the career pages of hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living communities, home health agencies, hospice programs and staffing agencies. Choose settings and shifts that fit your training and schedule. Your state workforce agency and local job centers can also help with applications, training funding and hiring events.
Use the state resource hubs to find the correct agency and training information for where you want to work. For national job-search tools, use the public CareerOneStop job search ↗ from the U.S. Department of Labor.
What should you ask in a CNA interview?
Prepare one or two brief examples from training or work that show safe care, teamwork or how you reported a concern. Leave out identifying patient details. Use the interview to learn how the workplace supports its CNAs as well as what the job pays.
- What orientation and supervision will I receive?
- What is a typical patient or resident assignment?
- Which lifting equipment is available, and what training is provided?
- What are the shift, weekend, holiday and overtime expectations?
- What is the full pay range, including any extra pay for nights, weekends or holidays?
- When will I qualify for benefits, and how long is the probation period?
- How should I report an absence, an unsafe assignment or a workplace concern?
Warning signs in a CNA job search
- A demand for an upfront payment to secure a job offer.
- A request for your Social Security number, bank details or identity documents before you have verified the employer.
- No facility name, address or direct contact with a hiring manager.
- Pay that is far above the local market with no clear explanation.
- A chat-only interview or pressure to accept immediately.
- A request to perform care beyond your training or the tasks allowed by your state.
For more examples, see the Federal Trade Commission’s guide to job scams.
How can you succeed in your first 90 days?
Arrive on time and ready for your shift. Follow the care plan, report changes promptly and document accurately. Use the workplace’s handoff process to share information with the next shift. Use the lifting equipment provided, protect patient information and stay within your training. Ask for help before a task becomes unsafe.
Track your schedule, pay, required training and certification renewal date. If you’re repeatedly asked to work with too few staff and no support, follow your workplace’s process for reporting the concern before it becomes routine.
What should you have ready before applying?
- Active certification or registry details, or a clear plan to complete training and testing.
- A concise resume with training, skills and work history; aim for one page for a first CNA role.
- Two references who have agreed to be contacted, or the number requested by the employer.
- Current CPR or first-aid card if the employer requires it.
- A list of settings and shifts that fit your schedule.
- Questions about orientation, supervision, pay and benefits.