Why does every job say you need to have experience?

AngelicDarkness · Sep 4, 2012

1. You wouldn't have passed Boards or made it through school if you hadnt' known the material. You could've prayed all you wanted and that school would've tossed your prayin' and failin' butt right on out of there.
LOL
You can have the faith of a mustard seed. Doesn't matter...and God has little to do with it. It's good to keep your god in mind for motivation, but...success and good fortune usually goes to those resourceful types who know how to create an 'in' for themselves. I totally 'get' the whole 'believer thing'. No disrespect. I was raised in the church and attended private school, too. However - we live in the real world, so let's get realistic. Unemployment is not a problem that can be solved by simply praying... harder.
2. "How can something that just graduated and getting ready to take boards get a job?..."
Working 32-40 hours a week as an aide while attending nursing school F/T.
That's how.
Being an aide and rec'ving Employee of the Month, 2 weeks before finishing school. I'm not one for praise but this recognition pretty much cemented my spot.
That's how.
The bottomline: Most places won't touch you until you have that license. A GVN/GN slot is something that you usually have to work for and your way into.
3. The bit of sympathy that I might feel for unemployed new grads has more to do with the fact that some of them might be young. 18, 19...21?
When you're young? You don't know, what you don't know. They've never truly worked in the real world. They lack life experience. They don't know how to play this game. So, they're feelings on the matter make sense. They didn't know what to expect.
I feel sorry for THEM.
But...new grads over 25 and my age (31), especially?
No - they need to cut it out.
Why? Some have a legitmate complaint. Most don't. I say this knowing that I'm going to tick a lot of people off, but, it is what it is.
You know as well as I that a good number of these people really DIDN'T do everything possible to secure their spots.
- They didn't do CNA/PCT work.
- They did not network. Relationshipe matter. This is nothing new.
- They did not research issues related to the nursing field...which is why they're surprised to find that the hospitals in their area won't touch LVNs.
Well - duh. You're an LVN. You'll likely be in the LTCs, agency and hospice. I can't understand why any would want to work in the hospital, anyway. They don't pay crap and though I crave experience...I won't do the job of a nurse for pennies.
Point is, these people would know about the LVN/hospital situation if they'd done the research to begin with.
The lack of research also explains why they usually don't know until they're 3 mths post NCLEX and unemployed (for instance) that there is no TRUE 'shortage'.
More like an inability of the field to retain it's vets. More like a surplus of new grads...and if there is a 'shortage' in different areas? The surplus of newbs doesn't even begin to solve the problem.
Mighty funny that the shortage just up and disappeared in areas when some states adopted Pt-Staff ratios...or when housing collapsed and the retired vets re-entered the field.
Then, they come on AN lying, "I did my research and my research told me th--"
No, they didn't.
Here's what they did: They looked at the want ads. Saw the openings and concluded that there was a nursing shortage. They went online doing research on the shortage and ignored the counterpoints.
That's research...?
It's ridiculous. There are exceptions, but you know as well as I that the vast majority in any grad class will wait until the last possible minute to look for work. Heck, let's be honest: They'll wait until after graduation to even research their local job market!
This is life. No one is going to 'spoonfeed' you anything.
But these people just jump into nursing, not knowing anything...then they graduate being totally surprised by everything. The difference? They, as new grads, expect that the jobs would just fall into their laps or something.
Granted, situations will vary from region to region. For instance, I've heard from many new grad transplants from California that it's rough. I believe it.
...but, besides those like the Ca nurses, if those who complain about not finding a job who didn't put in the time and effort to research the field or market themselves from the get-go?
I don't feel sorry for them.

I have to agree with most of this post. This board is becoming filled with new grads who cannot get work. I've given advice countless times on here and facebook, only to see another post jump up within seconds. I find reading old posts helps.

I also find most new grads are incredibly specific about their job market. No one wants to touch LTC/home care/etc. Everyone wants addictions, day surg, specialities with little to no experience at all.

I do believe quite firmly in a nursing shortage world wide. There are countless articles and evidence via the BONs that support this. The problem is that people use the shortage as an excuse.

I graduated in 2010. I job hunted nursing jobs for approx. 1 month. I emailed all local community resources/retirement homes/LTCs/hospitals/private clinics/etc. I had 5 interviews within the week. No one commented on a lack of experience on my resume. They commented that I was a new grad, but asked what made me stand out from my peers. I had the networking options - I belong to several nursing associations. I had the urge to continue learning - I signed up for many workshops and courses in my area. I had the work ethic - I have always had a job since before I left high school, and worked my way through college (failing in the first semester at one college - but I still got back on the horse and became a nurse).

I failed my nursing registration exam - by 2 points. Yet I still managed to find a charge nurse position full time evenings/nights mat. leave contract at a local retirement home. 4 months later, I rewrote my exam, passed and continued working in that home to gain more experience. Within another 2 months, I made the transition to ft days/evenings, and within another month I was offered fulltime employment off contract.

I still check the wanted papers. I still email with job prospects. And the fact is, having no experience is an excuse. My new grad resume broke down all of my placements and skills. Even now, with 2 years experience I apply to place that list many years experience. Why not take the chance? The worst that can happen is that you won't get in for an interview.

Never give up - keep networking, keep resourceful, and keep researching.