Help! My wife cannot get a job in the Bay Area!

perioddrama · May 2, 2012

It's not your wife. It's the economy. It's all over California and most of the U.S.

With the Bay Area, there aren't many hospitals with New Grad Programs, which is why it seems like it's worse. There's more hospitals down south with programs; however, there are just as many unemployed new and old new grads (there's some from 2010 that still don't have jobs).

Good luck and keep trucking. A job will come; just keep positive.

peonie · May 2, 2012

Kudos for trying to help out your wife. Unfortunately, perioddrama is correct. There really aren't very many new grad jobs in the Bay Area if you don't have a connection. Many Bay Area grads move to southern CA or out-of-state for their first job. Keep an eye out for the few new grad programs that open applications in May/June, and consider flu clinic work that begins in early Fall. You may want to encourage her to build a network here through volunteering as well. Good luck!

perioddrama · May 2, 2012

Start researching new grad programs. There's a few with application start dates coming up in June.

Note that some of the applications close after a certain number of applicants are reached. Others are based on GPA, so the higher her GPA is, the better chance she has. So, just be on top of things. Have the resume in ready mode.

Also, this message board is nice. And check out FB's page for new grads. That's a good source too. Someone from there has a group specifically for Bay Area new grads to connect with.

Volunteering is a plus for a lot of hospitals.

Like the rest of us (old and newer) new grads, pray, pray, and pray again. Good luck!

b_RN · May 2, 2012

I would advise her to expand her search to everything within driving distance, maybe 100 miles? It sounds like you might be on the peninsula, so she might be able to look toward the central valley. She might luck out and find smaller hospitals that the rest of us haven't heard of, or are a bit far from other parts of the bay area. I remember a year or two ago I found a hospital near Gilroy that had a new grad program coming up, but I never checked back...

caliotter3 · May 2, 2012

Nothing new for the Bay area. Some people report having been unable to get a job for two years or more. She will find one sooner when she looks elsewhere in the state.

sallyp911 · May 2, 2012

@dmw7752..she might be able to apply to Stanford's and Lucile Packard hospitals new grad job positions now. But one very GLARING item that may decline her application is that if she's practicing her RN license now, the two mentioned hospitals have a zero PAID nursing experience. So if she gets one check or $1.00, she probably going to be considered "ineligible". She can try, but know it will count against her.

There are other hospitals with the same requirements, some are more lenient with less than 6 months worth, some with less than 1 year of experience is allowed.

hkrntobe · May 2, 2012

There are people from 2008 whom never found a job. In fact, if you'r posting here then i'm sure you've noticed several posts from new grads over the years expressing their frustration. There are just NO jobs to be had in So Cal. There is NO nursing shortage. There IS however a job shortage that has been an issue for almost 5 years now. So much so that Nurses are even working for free now in "internships" just for the opportunity to get experience. BUT, the caveat to that is that unless the internship gives you a year of experience (thats right! A year working for free!) Then you are still not considered qualified because you don't have a year of experience. It's Quite a Racket. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I'm sure You'r wife has already discovered much of what iv'e mentioned in her quest for finding a position. I wish I had better news.

sckitty · May 3, 2012

Go through the phone book and call nursing homes aka skilled nursing facilities aka long-term care facilities to see if they are hiring.