Advice on moving to Cali

RNinC · Aug 10, 2012

Your situation is somewhat similar to mine. My husband got a new job in California while I was still in school. I stayed in Ohio to finish school and then I moved to California and took my NCLEX. To be brutally honest with you - I am the only one left in my class without a job. The new grad market is tough everywhere, but CA seems to be worse than OH. Since you haven't started school yet, is there any way you can apply for nursing school in CA? You do a lot of networking and relationship building through your clinicals and you miss out on that when you go to school in a different state from where you plan to work. Reading through posts on this board I've noticed a trend that hospitals here like to hire CA grads and people often use their connections to land a job. Personally, I know I could have gotten a job where I did my senior role transition if I hadn't moved. If it's not possible for you to move for school, just keep in mind that a lot can change in 2 years, so you really have to think about what is best for you and go with your gut instinct!

Samantha79 · Aug 10, 2012

I came on AN and read alot about CA and the area I would be moving too (central valley) before the move. What I found were a lot of people saying don't move to CA. I thought they were just being rude and didn't want the job competition. The reality is they were being honest. I didn't have a choice on moving to California. My husband is active duty Navy and we go wherever they send him. But I have found that jobs for new grads out here do not exist. Period. I got lucky and recently got offered a temporary (few week) postion as an RN and it's not in a patient care capacity. My hope is that after the temporary position ends they will see me as an asset and hire me on full-time. But even this job is a 45 min one way drive for me. Unless your husband makes enough money for you to be a stay at home wife (which may happen due to lack of jobs) than I suggest strongly that he start looking for a job in Ohio. I'm sorry, I'm sure it's not what you wanted to hear. It certainly isn't what I wanted to hear since I didn't have a choice in the move. But it is what it is. Good luck to you in whatever you guys decide! :)

perioddrama · Aug 10, 2012

I am getting ready to start my ADN program in January back in Ohio, and my boyfriend who lives in the Burbank area and I have been doing a lot of talking about what the plan may be after I finish my program in fall semester of '14. He would like to put in at least 5 years at the company he is at and so I have been trying to look in to what it would take to move out here after school and find a job but am not sure where to even begin. Any advice on what I would need to do and what the job market is like out here? I would greatly appreciate any help.

Job market is very tough here in CA. Yes, there are some success stories, but the numbers of new grads (old and newer) far exceed the number of actual new grad positions open. No joke at all. It's sad really.