New Grad Job Market: A Game of Chance

Someone smart once said: "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." This article talks about the unhealthy trend of newly licensed RNs applying to numerous job postings for months and years without getting a job, and how the importance of education is downplayed in applicant selection process. Maybe there needs to be a change in the healthcare system so that new nurses are given a chance to show their knowledge and skills. Nurses New Nurse Article

It's no longer about whether you qualify for the job or not, or if you have more education and experience than the next person. Nowadays everyone passes NCLEX, everyone graduates with a 4.0, everyone has CNA experience, and yet still many spent months and even years to land that first job out of nursing school.

I don't think nurse managers and hospital administrators actually know the severity of the unhealthy new grad job market because all of them have given me the same suggestions (I only personally know one and other managers are friends of a friend): Get some CNA experience, Apply to new grad programs and Move to a different state. I have already done the first two and I think I may have to do the last one sooner or later.

Just weeks ago, I thought passing the NCLEX was mission impossible because I could not get my Kaplan Q bank score to be over 57%, but in the end, NCLEX seemed to be a piece of cake. Yes, I spent three hours at the test center but I passed on my first try. The thing is I never had PTSD with standardized tests or writing papers no matter how many times I had to do them and how hard they seemed. SAT, piece of cake. GRE, piece of cake, NCLEX, not exactly a piece of cake but maybe a slice of a cake?

However, I was traumatized multiple times when I applied for jobs.

First time was when I graduated from college with a BS in biology. That was in 2006 and no place would hire me. Eventually after 4 months of hopeless searching and going through some really dark period, my dad made some connections and I moved hundreds of miles away to work as a research assistant in a very cold place where the winter was long and harsh.

Second time was when I graduated from grad school with a public health degree. Still, no places seemed to want me so I moved again miles away to take some low-paying job with a well known national nonprofit organization in a hot desert where 100F was accepted as a comfortable and normal temperature. You would think third times a charm, but I was again denied for an entry level position.

Friends, good friends nonetheless I made at school became competitors and strangers, and they didn't give a damn whether I found a job or not. They stopped talking to me or hanging out with me as soon as they found a job. The more sympathetic ones would say, "you will find it" or "it's not just you." Eventually everyone moved on and moved away.

Yesterday, one of the CNAs whom I used to work with connected me with the HR person of a good nursing home. Hopefully I will get an interview and maybe even a job next week. Sometimes I asked myself why I kept going back to school when obviously what employers wanted was experience. Does two college degrees and one master degree means nothing to employers anymore? Is an intelligent person who published 2 papers in well-known scientific journals, who have volunteered for years, who had CNA experience, clinical research experience, and teaching experience not hireable in this market? Then why on earth do schools charge students a fortune to get a piece of paper, and more students want to carry tens and thousands of student debts so that they can put a B.S.N. after their names?

I chose nursing because I genuinely care about people and interested in healing them and helping them resolve whatever issues they got in their lives. Maybe that's no longer a good reason for why you want to become a nurse. Maybe I should erase that from my cover letter (note to self: don't mention you care about people just list your experience and accomplishment). If I was rejected by as many guys as the number of potential employers who rejected me, I would not want to date anyone anymore. I probably would even quit asking guys out after 3 rejections. And yet, here I am, filling out yet another job application, writing another cover letter, to number X employer (I lost counts on how many jobs I applied)...expecting a different result (maybe I will get lucky and get hired this time). Someone smart once said: "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Maybe I am insane.

P.S. the last quote is from my hero Albert Einstein, who also said, "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." I think I am that fish who tries to climb a tree or pollinate a flower and believe I am not good enough.

You say you have not landed a job in an acute care setting, what about other settings, such as home health or retirement centers?

I have been working in home health. In my opinion it's more challenging at times than acute care settings, but yet they don't consider it as real experience.

What have you been doing during those 2 years? Have you volunteered at a hospital every week to get your foot in the door and get references? Have you applied for CNA jobs at hospitals to get on payroll and get some references? Do you have the appropriate degree from a valid nursing school for the hospitals you are applying to? Have you looked at the VA? Have you tried home health care or LTC? Again, what have you been doing during the past 2 years to improve your chances of getting hire?

I've been volunteering since in nursing school. Trying to network, and majority ask for the same thing, experience. The volunteer work that I do does not let me near bedside care. I was not aware though that I could apply for CNA jobs with a RN license. I have a BSN, and have looked into almost every hospital in Florida. My minimum experience has come from home health, but still hospitals do not consider this experience, well at least in Florida they don't.

Specializes in Med-Surg, LTC, Psych, Addictions..

I have not been able (so far) to get hired at the hospital in my town. It is so close I can walk to it! I am not giving up, but will be interviewing for PRN in LTC rehab unit. Hopefully in a few months or so I'll be able to get in to the hospital. I am friends with a PACU nurse there and rent from one of their anesthesiologists. Only time will tell.

you PM'd me but it won't let me respond, so I'm responding here. I live in Anchorage, so I can't tell you much about Bethel or the villages unfortunately. I've heard milk is something like $9/gallon though. IT's one of the biggest and most well known villages, but still pretty remote and isolated. Good luck!!

I can't say that I've gone back to school several times or that I'm in severe debt, but I can relate to not finding a job. I have been applying endlessly to my surrounding hospitals for 3 months now without anything to show for it. I can't even remember how many positions I've applied for and I've only been given 2 chances to interview thus far. What amazes me as well is that postings will say that new graduates will be considered, but then when I call HR to check up on the progress of the posting I hear "Oh no! They've already hired all the new grads they are going to hire" but the posting is still up and they continue to post the same 'get my hopes up' message. We are taught to think in school that it will be easy to find a job once out of school, but the reality of it is, the economy is severely stressed and so job opportunities suffer for those of us who don't have years of nursing experience. I hope that you have better luck in the up coming months and I guess what I'm trying to say is just keep trying because the darkness of unemployment can't last forever.

You have to be more aggressive in finding a job. I am an immigrant. I went to nursing school not because I am caring, or I want to take care of people when they are sick --- No, because if I do, then I should have joined the wagon where Philippines produced hundred of thousands of nurses. I don't! When I came to United States in 2006, economy was really bad. I can't afford to live a life with a $10.00/hr salary and working whatever is available. It is all about money and job security I went to nursing school. Trust me, I can't even stand the sight of blood, and how gross the urine, and whatever human fluid that a human body produce. But I have to do what I needed to do. Went to nursing school. The first year was hard, emotionally and academically. In order to win over the fear of grossness in me, I worked as Patient Care Tech in the hospital where I had my first clinical. That's where I learned how to deal with patient and developed my admiration to the nursing profession. To cut the story short, I graduate in 2012. Passed the NCLEX first time, then as soon as I found out that I passed (pearson vue trick) I already started looking for a job. I did not rely filing my application online. I do understand that hospitals preference are BSN's - so I ended up going to different HR's of long-term care and sub-acute rehabs. Yes, I did apply in person. Then 1 facility gave me an interview right there and then. So I already have a job waiting for me to start, while I was still waiting for my license #. I've been calling everyday the BON to give me my License # because a job is waiting for me. Took the NCLEX in August, start working in September, then by February 2013 my dream job offer came. RN at the hospital near my house, Cardiac Nurse (a specialty). Trust me, I've been calling the HR of this hospital once a week, to remind them that "hey, I'm halfway done with my BSN and is still very much interested to work with you. Should you need a vacancy call me..." and they did call me back in January, no more interview --- just to complete my requirements....... Now am on my last 2 classes with my BSN, be done in March 2014. My point is, if you do really want something --- go out and get it! Show them you are extremely interested. Don't wait.

Goodluck on your jobsearch.

My classmate went to Florida right after passing the NJ NCLEX, obtain her license there and was hired last April (forgot the name of the hospital) in Fl. How come you couldn't find a job there where they hire people from out of state? She doesnt know anyone from there. She went, apply in person. That's what I always tell my friends, go out and show up your face to the hiring officer.

Goodluck.

That is exactly one of the roots of the problem. "hospitals don't want to train nurses for 1-2 years because they might leave" it's like a parent saying "why should I spend money raising my kids if in the end they will end up leaving home any way?" Who do they think will train the nurses with experience they want to hire so much? The government? The schools? The end result will be the biggest nursing shortage ever seen in history. Then we'll all find out corporate management cannot run hospitals like they run potato chip factories.

Our training is 6-8 weeks only. I wish its 6 months, but you'll get bored.

Getting your first nursing job is tough because there are so many new grads out there and more graduating every day. BUT getting your first job in any field has not changed in decades. Yes, you have to have the education that is appropriate for that job. For nurses, you need to pass the NCLEX. More and more hospitals are requiring BSNs for their new grads. Again, this should not be a surprise to anyone. If it is, you are not paying attention to the job market.

Next, what makes you special? Did you work as a CNA or BO while in nursing school? Did you volunteer at a hospital for any length of time? When you did either of those, did you bust your butt to get noticed or sit around texting on your cell phone? If you worked your butt off at those jobs and the nurses knew you were going to nursing school, then they would have offered to give you references.

Before starting nursing school, I set up an informational interview with a nursing recruiter at the hospital I wanted to work at. Besides reviewing my resume, she gave me this advice:

1) Get on payroll - even if its a PRN job as a BO.

2) Volunteer 3 hours a week - if you work your butt off for free, the nurse manager knows you will work your butt off when you get paid.

3) Every minute you are at the hospital is an opportunity to prove what your work ethic is - don't waste a single minute gossiping with the employees or texting. If you show that you want to take care of patients, nurses will be knocking on my door when you graduate telling me that I have to hire you.

The nursing recruiter was right. I did all three of the above, passed the NCLEX on a Tuesday and was hired one week later.

So true, agree 100%. You have to build up yourself and be around with people you wanna work with. I did the same thing, and the hospital where I worked as PCT while in nursing school gave me a job as a Cardiac Nurse and I am loving it!

I like this article. I am not a nurse yet just a basic nursing student but i completely understand your frustration. It seems in the world today people who are not qualified in many ways seem to be getting the jobs faster over the people who are well educated & qualifed. & I hate that old "Well ive got the degree so now im qualified but no one will hire me because i have no experience. But how will u ever get hired if no one will give you the chance to gain some experience! Ive been there & your not insane. Your pursuing your passion. There should be some type of doorway for people who need experience. & as far as nursing you got the training! You didnt just read a book & show up to get a job! I hope things are looking up for you & please dont give up. Dont let society win!

I absolutely agree with this. The top-down, corporate model is suffocating healthcare. Lean Six Sigma may work great for a Toyota assembly line, but it doesn't apply to the bedside.

Anyway, I thought I was doing everything right. I've worked as a clerk for 12 years in the area I want (ICU), and went to school for the last 5 while maintaining my full time job. I worked my butt off during my shifts, always trying to go above and beyond. When it came time to apply for my facility's new grad program, I was fairly confident. On July 3rd, I got my rejection letter. As an employee, I was at least granted the courtesy of having my manager arrange a phone call with one of the HR application evaluators, who told me that they are bound by policy to only consider that stupid Talent Plus personality test and then GPA, then whatever else.

My manager said she wanted me to work there. Other managers wanted me to work there. Almost every nurse I work with wants me to work there. And all that, 7 years worth of excellent employee evaluations, feedback and references, and all those don't matter because I didn't score as high as the highest scorers among the applicants. My manager used to be able to hand-pick her new grads and create positions for them with just a phone call to HR. Almost all of those people are still there, and they are incredible nurses now. Those days are gone. Her word doesn't mean anything now, until HR has selected whom to present to her for an interview.

Needless to say, this very real sense of betrayal is depressing. I worked hard to get a job where I wanted to go and thought I was doing everything right. And instead I was unceremoniously dumped via canned email the day before a 4-day weekend and that was that. And the HR lady had just the same old stuff to say, "just go anywhere and come back and we'll be able to be more flexible." They're perfectly fine with poaching other facilities' training, but they don't want to invest in an already proven employee? This stuff happens across the board. I have many friends who work at many hospitals, and they are bumping into the same problems. We are told by comically disconnected, out of touch people to just pack up, say goodbye to our lives and get some experience somewhere else until we're good enough to come back.

Also, my school of nursing still talks about the "nursing shortage" on their information page. They also talk about their NCLEX passing rate, but I'd like them to include the equally important third metric: the employment rate of graduates after x time. People get into nursing to have a career, and these schools are being disingenuous when they only talk about some nursing shortage while ignoring the glut of unemployed or non-nursing nurses they and other schools are pumping out every so many months.

About 8 of my former classmates who graduated last June work for well-known Bay Area hospitals in CA and they still hold their former positions. It doesn't matter that they have been excellent employees at these hospitals for years, they have no RN experience, so they can't be hired. It sad all the way around. :no:

This is an eye opening thread for me. I'm finishing the pre reqs this semester for nursing school but I'm having second thoughts. The other career I was interested in, medical technology, pays somewhat less and would take longer to finish, but hey, at least I wouldn't have to relocate to find a job. It also seems like a less stressful job. I've worked with nurses and think I'd be a capable nurse but I also know how much responsibility the position comes with. It amazes me how many students think nursing is in demand and all they have to do is get their degree and everything will fall into place. It's quite possible the job market will be better when I graduate but at the same time, it seems like every other person I meet is going into nursing. Any advice would be appreciated. :)

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