frustated with job search!!

Chiefy · Nov 14, 2006

I hope you get the position you interviewed for.

I was hired to my position before graduating. But I understand what you are saying. My hospital only hired in house. And there were double the applicants in house as there were positions.

My floor is hurting for help. Im not sure what the story is. I know that there were 3 new grads that started on my floor. And they only wanted so many grads on a shift.

gerry79 · Nov 14, 2006

There seems to be a shortage of experienced nurses only. Many of my classmates are under the impression that hospitals are going to be knocking their doors down with offers, but nothing could be farther from the truth. On hospital web site there seems to be a lot of job opening, but new grads need not apply. If you work at the hospital you stand a better chance of landing a job, but new grads in my state (Ma) are finding the pickings slim also.

ccrn2b · Nov 14, 2006

hi everyone, I posted about 2 weeks ago in regards to interviewing. well, didn't get the last position I interviewed for and went on another interview today somewhere else. Again, hoping I get the position. I just find it amazing when there is a so called "nursing shortage" how HaRD it is to find work as a new grad. I'm just looking to start on a med/surg floor; not asking to start in a speciality. I wanted days but now I''m open to considering nights just to get my foot in the door. I graduated with a decent GPA 3.7.
I'm so tired of these hospital websites too where you just Post your resume and then never here from anyone. I did get a hold of one recruiter one time for one hospital and have been trying to work with her. Another hospital I called the HR number and I talked to the recruiter who was so ANNOYED that I called to follow up it just totally turned me off right away .
Anyone else going through this? Just GRIPING AGAIN - sorry I'm really not this gripy of a person but I've just had a cloud of bad luck.. :zzzzz

Just keep applying...can relate to your frustrations but just gather yourself together and keep applying. And like you said, be open to any shift(you can always change it later on ..LOL..). Conisder hospitals where ypu did your clinicals too since they already know your face, be boldenough to walk to the Nurse Mgrs and ask..Goodluck!

BSNtobe2009 · Nov 14, 2006

Hey, I'm not saying you are doing this, but it's something to consider.

I used to interview alot of new grads that were forwarded to me by recruiters that found them online (not nursing, but for finance). I would get alot of new grads that had very high GPA's, in other words, "great on paper".

When they would get to the office, I used to sit there and wonder what they were teaching them in college these days, because several times they thought the interview was merely a formality toward them getting the job, but what they didn't know, is I may be interviewing 20 for 3 positions.

In other words, it SHOWED in their body language during the interview. I paid ALOT of attention to the dress....I didn't care if the outfit was expensive, it was the effort I was looking for in preparation for the interview.

As a NG if you go to two interviews, and don't get the job, especially since you are interviewing for nursing positions, see if you can find someone that is a higher level manager, even in another field, or one of your instructors to do a mock interview....you might be suprised to find the errors you are making.

If your interviews are solid...keep in mind you never know who else the recruiter is interviewing. I am sure I gave more than one individual the impression that I would be calling them, only to interview someone else later that same day or the next day that was equally qualified, but willing to work for less $$$, or someone that was very experienced that I couldn't pass up.

Anything can change on a dime. I wish you luck, it sounds like you hav done well in school, and I'm sure you can find a job very soon.

healer27 · Nov 14, 2006

Hi everyone, thanks for your input.

BS to be, thanks for your input. I don't assume the interview is one step away from the job, I always (I believe anyway) try to dress neatly, arrive on time and present myself well. I think the feedback idea is a good one though - at this point I welcome it because I do want to know "what's wrong with me?"

You can't help but start to doubt yourself when your putting your best foot forward and still getting knocked down.

DolphinRN84, MSN, RN, APRN, NP · Nov 14, 2006

I've been there. It took me literally months to find a job and I live in MA. New grad positions are slim. They are available but only seem to be available to people who work at the facility. I'm just lucky I was able to find a hospital that is well known in MA. Don't give up. I almost did at one point, but realized that wouldn't do me any good.

candyLPN2Be · Nov 14, 2006

does the shcool you graduated from do placement? i live in nj And jobs called me rather thanme calling them.(even though i am stressed at my present job) I dont know what part of NJ you live but you can maybe send me a private email

crb613, BSN, RN · Nov 14, 2006

I think you are right about these hospital websites. I don't know why they even have them. Several of my friends used these type of sites to apply for jobs....never heard a word. They went in person to these same hospitals & got the job. They had to re-do the application process, & it was like they had never applied before. Maybe that is the problem where you have applied.

greatshakes · Nov 14, 2006

Usually in our area we have a mid year intake and a later one at public hospital and end of year interviews for grads to commence the following year both at public and private hospitals. I applied to all three. One private hospital is a big hospital and the other smaller. Actually I found there were a lot of applicants and only a few grad positions all round. What is surprising though, is one of the interviews I went to was a private but well-known hospital and they later advised I was unsuccessful. This was the case for both private hospitals, although I got very good feedback. I was surprised though, to see last Saturday the same larger private hospital was advertising grad positions in the paper. What happened one year with this hospital was that some applicants had applied to all three hospitals in area, 1 large public teaching with better work incentives and two private. The private hospitals conducted their interviews prior to the larger hospital. The applicants then took the public hospital job after earlier agreeing to work for the private ones and only advised the private hospitals that they were unavailable at the last moment which meant that many hopefuls for the private hospitals were knocked back. It isn't fair but it probably does go on a bit. Have you had this happen to you?. I hope you get something and that it turns out exactly what you want. Good luck

jjjoy, LPN · Nov 14, 2006

As a student, one is likely to hear over and over again about the nursing shortage and to see lots of big ads in nursing publications for new grads. No one said it might take several months to land a job and to be prepared for a stretch of unemployment after graduation. So it can be a bit of a surprise when getting hired is difficult.

Persistence is necessary in some hospitals. Pick a unit you're interested in, meet the manager, and call back weekly to see if there openings. Get to know someone in HR. Call back weekly. Drop in and say 'hi' as you check the job board. If you've already got a job as an nursing assistant or unit clerk or the like, keep it. It can hold you over till you find that nursing job. Apply as a nursing assistant or unit clerk. Or volunteer somewhere if you can.

Give yourself a job searching goals you can meet. You can't control whether or not you are hired, but you can plan to send out a certain number of applications a week, to contact a nurse manager or HR rep, to talk to fellow students (how their Job Search or new job is going), etc. If your persistance is met with rudeness and you haven't been overbearing, then you've learned something. Use the time to find out about the different facilities. Take a tour of the places. Do the nurses look harried? Go to job fairs and open houses. Even if you don't get a job, you will learn something... and maybe get a free gift.

It's possible that with more time and info, you'll realize that one place is much more appealing and you'll be more motivated to focus your attention there and glad you had the extra time to figure that out. Good luck!