I know it's early, but... I expect to graduate from a highly-ranked PMHNP program in August 2014. I see job postings around the country on websites like Indeed.com; however, I have no idea how to judge and/or rate the positions. And I'm not sure what to expect (I.e., benefits, pay) as a new grad. Has anyone used a recruiter, and had a good experience? Or do I even need a recruiter... Can I do this on my own? I want a full-time position, not locum tenens.

A recruiter could be helpful with setting up interviews and arranging for travel.

You might want to start figuring out where you want to work and what kind of situation you are looking for.

It's fine to use recruiters but know demand / supply and negotiate "fair" salary. Many places PMHNPs or APRNs in psych are already dime-a-dozen but some places are still not. Recruiters are good but sometimes they persuade you to accept lower-than-market rate. Many NPs fell into this trap. Remember their job is to persuade you to take the offer but NOT to ensure that you will get the fair compensation. Negotiate even if you do not have experience. We deserve "fair" pay. I made the mistake of taking below-market-rate pay because of the nice words from the recruiter.

Thanks harmonizer,

Where do you recommend looking for accurate information regarding pay?

Unfortunately, the most accurate resources is the word of mouth from the local applicants.

You shouldn't need one.

Research what you are worth. Be confident it the fact you will bring the practice money. Sell it. It's a seller's market in most locales. Pick the job that is right for you as a novice NP: support, training, hours, salary.

Be careful about using recruiters. You have to remember that the recruiter does not work for you, and is paid by the hiring company. They only get paid if their client company hires you. Many hospitals (and other employers in general) are reluctant to pay recruiters' fees since they can run up to 1/3 of the first-year starting salary of the candidate. A $90K starting salary would result in a fee to the recruiter of as much as $30,000, and most hospitals are just not in a financial position to absorb a lot of expense like that. Given a choice between a candidate who comes to them directly, with no fee attached, and an equally qualified candidate who comes from a recruiter, employers will invariably chose to save themselves the $30K fee.

A lot of job postings from recruiters are not necessarily "real" jobs, but merely a way that they stock their resume pool with a lot of candidates. Those resumes are then "marketed" to employers, often without the knowledge of the candidate, in order to get a "job order" that they can work for a fee. Many of these recruiters were selling cell phones last month, and have no real understanding of the health care industry. They're just throwing a lot of candidates against the wall and hoping that something sticks.

One exception to my "recruiter rule" is when the recruiter seeks you out for a specific position, often one that would be hard for the hospital to fill on their own. That recruiter should be able to tell you the name of the employer and a great deal of detail about the position, responsibilities, target compensation range, any relocation and/or benefits package that the company provides, and should be knowledgeable enough about the company in question to give you some insight into their corporate culture and advancement opportunities.

Hope this helps. :)