Does anyone work in Dallas?

[JuicyJem]

Out of curiosity, I am wondering if there are a lot of new nurses working in Dallas. I am from the Dallas area, but I went to school in Lubbock. I searched for a job here in Dallas from August until early December and had 3 interviews. I applied at over 15 hospitals. None of these interviews landed me a job, and 2 of them I felt fairly good about. Its all good now, because I have a WONDERFUL job in Lubbock as a GN, doing Peds which is what I love. Just wondering what the deal with Dallas is- or if its just me. (which is entirely possible.)

thanks!

[PMHNP10]

I have been working here for about a year (as of Jan 6). I interviewed at one place and got the position. In fact I got the manager to give me full time hours when I was offerred part time hours--she kinda had to take away some hours from some of her PRN people to accomodate me. Point being, I have no idea what the market is like here. I guess I was fortunate/convincing in the 1 place I interviewed at. Obviously I can't say you did something right or wrong during your search...it might have just been a lack of opportunities for what you were looking in to and the shifts you were looking for weren't available. I dunno. Main point...you are happy now--i.e. what needed to happen, happened.

[babynurselsa, RN]

Personal experience for me has been that it seems like those applications sit around in some black hole in HR. Ran into the same thing with trying to land my first job after nursing school. Finally went and visited with a nurse that had precepted me at the end of nursing school and she took me to meet the unit manager who called and requested my application be sent to her and I got the job. My next several jobs I went to the facility that I wanted to work at, went to the dept and sought out the manager. After we visited and I expressed interest she sent me to HR to do the application process and it rolled more smoothly form there.

Just a suggestion, worked for me.

[sjoe]

baby writes: "My next several jobs I went to the facility that I wanted to work at, went to the dept and sought out the manager. After we visited and I expressed interest she sent me to HR to do the application process and it rolled more smoothly form there.

Just a suggestion, worked for me."

And an excellent suggestion at that.

This is what works best (other than being related to the CEO) in every field of employment. HR departments exist chiefly to screen people OUT, and they do a lot of it.

You stood out from the crowd by knowing how to 1) identify what you really wanted, and 2) going after it directly. Wise companies hope to employ people like that.

You set an excellent example.

[TiffyRN, BSN, PhD]

I've never had any trouble working in the DFW area, always been offered a position on the spot but I have experience.

My husband however was a GN last year in this area so I know a little about that. In fact he was not actually a graduate yet as his paperwork from Excelsior hadn't gone through yet (supposedly some hospitals don't like Excelsior grads). He was hired on the spot without them so much as verifying any of his claims (which were all true) of being a GN. Granted I've never actually worked in Dallas, but in Farmer's Branch, Grapevine, Fort Worth and Arlington.

What the others said about checking with the manager first and skipping HR is the absolute truth. I got a highly sought after TDA (two day advantage AKA Baylor plan) position that never would have been posted because friends worked at that facility and knew about it so I basically was hired by word of mouth and told just to show up and fill in the paperwork. I had fun at that interview knowing I already had the job and they really needed my experience for a new unit they were opening. I said some rather subversive things about my take on hospital management.

[EricTAMUCC-BSN, BSN, RN]

I agree. Go seek out the director of the unit you want to work for.