Am I Marketable? At All?

luvtonurse · Oct 4, 2011

Yes! Go to hospitals with resume in hand and your 3 letters of ref from instructors, better to ask before graduation so you can get an early start. and ask to speak to the unit manager. Arrive before 3p (most have a staffing meeting around then) 1:00 seems to be a good time for a lot of them. Hand out your resume on different floors. Tell them you are a new grad and really want to work for them. Many unit mgrs. will talk to you despite the job postings that say "no new grads." There's a hospital in our area that hires new grads who do this despite the "no new grads" statement in the HR job posting. HR will go along with the unit mgrs requests. good luck and don't worry if it takes awhile.

Did you just pop up or got permission first? Just asking because I always see posts up here that say do not just show up because managers are very busy and that would be viewed as being inconsiderate of their time and they wont appreciate it

luvtonurse · Oct 4, 2011

And just to clarify, I want to be a Peds nurse but I'm willing to work in ANY unit in the hospital (well except the ER) lol. That just my aspiration, I wasn't saying I HAVE to get hired as as a peds nurse. But thanks to everyone for the advice. I feel a little better.

Keep the advice coming please lol

V-Neck T-Shirt · Oct 4, 2011

You're just as marketable as other new grads who haven't had an externship and haven't worked as a CNA. And some new grads in your position get hired at hospitals. Not all, but some. I agree it's a waste of time at this point to apply to CNA jobs or hospital volunteer positions. You're too close to graduation to be hired for that. Right now you should focus on networking. If you have any friends or family who work at a hospital, you need to ask them to put in your resume as a referral. Networking is the way people get jobs, your chances drastically increase if you do it this was versus a blind online application.

I disagree that's you're too close to graduation to benefit from finding a job as a CNA/volunteer. I graduated in December of '09. I started working as Student Nurse Extern on a unit in May of that year, and they offered me a day shift position on their unit in September. I've been an RN on my excellent unit since graduation. Even a few months in an CNA, intern/extern, or volunteer role might lead to something.

anotherone, BSN, RN · Oct 4, 2011

Keep applying for nursing assistant postions. but t took me a year to find a job. i had many classmates who were nursing aides, and the facilities they were at, had no budget for more nurses, so when those classmates got their rn license, the hospitals let them go from their cna jobs!!! this happened to a couple of people in different hospitals, so it must be the norm in the area! Apply to areas outside of your own. Many of the 08-10 grads relocated for jobs.

llg, PhD, RN · Oct 4, 2011

Is there any possibility of your doing ANY sort of special school project at the children's hospital ... an independent study? ... a capstone experience? ... an honor's project? ... anything?

I've known students to get their feet in the door of a particular hospital by doing a student project there. If the people you meet there as a student like you, they may help you find a job there.

beckster_01, BSN, RN · Oct 4, 2011

FYI in the hospital I work at you HAVE to go through Nurse Recruitment to get an interview. You apply once, if the recruiter likes your resume you go in and shadow each unit that you are interested in for four hours. At the end of the shadow you get an interview. If you showed up in the middle of the day and handed the manager a resume, not only would you get some funny/confused looks, they wouldn't be able to do anything with the resume/application. Find out what the policies for applications are in your area hospitals before you start showing up with resumes...

nola1202 · Oct 4, 2011

:twocents: Regarding the OP's question about when/how to do the direct apprach method.Sorry for the delay, had to ask the people who used that method. They in general, dressed in casual professional clothing and just stopped in, asked where the unit mgr's was and knocked on the door. If someone was there they'd tell them they were a new grad and really wanted to work for this hospital/unit. (hand them resume) If asked why. Great reputation in community, the types of pt's they get (acuity), it's a teaching hospital and there are so many different cases you'd learn so much. It also helped to ask the staff what the Nurse Mgrs name was and address them by name when greating them. If the person seemed busy, not interested, they'd thank them for their time and move on.

Be honest, think about why that hospital/unit would be a good fit for you. Do some research before going. Ask one of the staff what the unit mgrs name is and then address them by name, and introduce yourself by name,and that you are a new grad (degree)from (college/school). Tell them why you want to work here (limit to 1 or 2 sentences) Did clinical here, learned so much from the nurses. Or if teaching hosp. The learning oportunities are one of a kind and it's fast paced and that appeals to you. If a specialty floor (ortho,neuro etc.)

why this? Fascinated with orthopedics etc. you get the idea. They also said calling the unit and asking when a good time to catch the Unit Mgr in the office before going was helpful.

Me I graduated in a nursing overage too. I ended up relocating across the country in order to work pediatrics. I got hired at a huge hospital in Charleston South Carolina. (MUSC) and I saw stuff I never will see again in my life. I was totally overwhelmed and terrified for the first year, but boy did I learn! Good luck and you really will get a chance to use what you are learning. Lots of us AN people are pulling for you! (even if we do say new grads taste a little like chicken---nurses eat their young threads)

carolmaccas66, BSN, RN · Oct 5, 2011

I'm not in the US, but when I had no experience, I had to move to get it to another Australian state. I KNOW this is not what u want to hear, but I read re too many grad's who say I can't possibly move due to...(sometimes legit reasons). when I was younger I had to leave my fiancee to get job experience & it was hard, but worth it.

But if you REALLY WANT the experience 4 the job u want, you will have to move. I got nursing experience thru a nursing agency. A private hospital trained me to work around their hospital, & though I didn't get kept on, the experience was invaluable.

Try all the nursing agencies, & apply everywhere & anywhere -agencies, doctors offices, factories (as an on-site nurse), - you may not get what u want at first, but u just need that experience firstly, then u can move into ur chosen field.

Even take a non-nursing job as that will stop u getting depressed, and you can save some money for when u start nursing.

Let us know how u get on.

carolmaccas66, BSN, RN · Oct 5, 2011

I saw u say you don't want to work ER/ED, but u get great experience working there. Also u can't really afford to be picky - take what comes along, & try to see it as an opportunity and a challenge.

luvtonurse · Oct 5, 2011

I said not the ER because I want to have several years of experience before I work in such a fast paced environment. I would be too terrified of making a mistake that would cost my license