New Grad & No one will hire me

U.S.A. New Jersey

Published

I have never applied to so many jobs and not receive a response. Follow up letters and phone calls have been made. references used. what else can I do? I need to start working. Any advice?

I am truly beginning to believe, I just wasted away 30000 dollars and 5 yrs of school for nothing. I was so excited to become a nurse, something I have always wanted and finally had a chance at it. I thought nursing was different than your average positions. nurses are suppose to help each other, teach each other, and grow together, what happened?

NJ nursing shortage? hospitals advertise they will take new nurses on their career sites, but they lie. All they want are experienced nurses. well guess what, when you fall short of staff in the few years the industry is predicting, all their will be are NEW NURSES! TRAIN THE NEW GRADS NOW AND START PREPARING FOR THE RETIREMENT LOSS NOW! I don't understand.

Thanks for letting me vent. :)

Saint Barnabas medical center has openings in its many locations. As the second largest employer in the state of NJ you may be able to find a position, but you must apply on line and you must be a pain to get an interview. There are tons of jobs at www.sbhcs.com the list is for the whole system.

You'd better hurry though, they only start new grads a few times per year, August orientation is the 27th, I know they hire in Sept and definately in January-just not sure about the in between.

Good luck

Maisy

You're right, Maisy. They did have a ton of jobs listed. Nice to see someone is hiring these days! :)

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Specializes in Orthopedics/Med-Surg, LDRP.

Unfortunately the smart grads look for jobs pre-graduation either by applying for intern or externships. Or they get hired based on their ability to pass the NCLEX. I know a few of my fellow clasmated that wanted to pass the NCLEX first and THEN look for jobs and many of them went unemployed for months when most of us started in early August. Our professors and advisors were very adamant about us applying for jobs the end of January through March to start in the summer and they were right. With the May influx of grads, trying to find a job in August is pretty scarce and you're right, becuase they're training a bunch of other new grads, they don't want to hire more new grads. You can start to apply now for the winter intern/externships and that may be your best bet long-term. Plus you can try nursing homes, rehab centers, etc but keep applying to where you want in the meantime. It would suck but even a unit secretary position would get your foot in the door.

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Specializes in ER/EHR Trainer.
Unfortunately the smart grads look for jobs pre-graduation either by applying for intern or externships. Or they get hired based on their ability to pass the NCLEX. I know a few of my fellow clasmated that wanted to pass the NCLEX first and THEN look for jobs and many of them went unemployed for months when most of us started in early August. Our professors and advisors were very adamant about us applying for jobs the end of January through March to start in the summer and they were right. With the May influx of grads, trying to find a job in August is pretty scarce and you're right, becuase they're training a bunch of other new grads, they don't want to hire more new grads. You can start to apply now for the winter intern/externships and that may be your best bet long-term. Plus you can try nursing homes, rehab centers, etc but keep applying to where you want in the meantime. It would suck but even a unit secretary position would get your foot in the door.

You are 100% right about early job searches. I was hired before my NCLEX date as were many of my classmates, we even had nurses fail and retest and keep their jobs.

I guess you could work as a secretary, I was a emergency clinical technician and they would not allow graduated nurses to keep that position. As soon as I was a nurse, I was out!

Anyway, good luck to all job seekers...just remember, the squeaky wheel gets the oil-you really have to be a pain with personnel, and remember thank you notes to all who interview you....IT WILL SET YOU APART!

Maisy

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Thanks everyone for responding. I'm still looking, applying, calling, to everything at this point etc.

I'm in Monmouth county, nj. one of the hospitals, even advertised specialty in the er and or for new grads. They lied! I'm not sure what is going here, if it is me, the area or just the wrong time. everyone wants experience, i'm a new grad nurse, i have experience in clinicals and my intership, where else can i get experience if no one hires me?!

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Specializes in Orthopedics/Med-Surg, LDRP.

Another thing I had done was list every clinical site and what I had done in the education thing that kind of looked like work experience.

Like i'd put "NoName College 2002-2006

*NoName Hospital: Pediatrics, maternity, orthopedics on 2 North, telemetry at TeleCentral, Oncology at 3 North, etc, etc, etc

*NoName Hospital2: Cardiac Care on TeleNorth, NICU on 6E, Heathstart Clinic

*NoName Hospital3: MICU on 3, SICU on 4, observed in OR for cardiac catheterization and open heart surgery, etc.

So by putting those kind of things there that were specific, it showed that I had SOME sort of experience in their own hospitals because of course they don't get to know all students personally. Also the last semester I'd really get friendly with the nurses so that if I were to interview on their floor, they'd remember me (and hopefully in a good way). But just by putting that you did clinicals in their hospital on specific floors really helped me.

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So..... if there is a nursing shortage.... why is there a decrease in job availability? *slightly confused... and worried... and frustrated*

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Specializes in Emergency.
So..... if there is a nursing shortage.... why is there a decrease in job availability? *slightly confused... and worried... and frustrated*

The shortage appears to be geographical. Here in NJ with all the hospital closings and schools, there is no shortage of experienced rns or new grads.

In my orientation group of 34, 13 were new grads and the rest were experienced. Most of the experienced rns were coming from hospitals that had closed.

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Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).

I'm surprised that NYP is saying they don't hire new grads. My manager just hired another 5.... and I'm orienting one.

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Well, someone finally hired me! It's not the hospital. Not one of the hospitals here in Monmouth Cty and the surrounding area, was willing to hire a new grad! I find this very disappointing. Any how, I accepted a position as a dialysis nurse. After meeting the managers, touring the facility and learning about my benefits, this is definitely a better fit than the hospital for me. i guess in the end, things always happen for a reason.

thanks to everyone here ;)

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Specializes in pediatrics, oncology.

Congrats! I'm still looking... lol.

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Specializes in ER/EHR Trainer.

Did you look at SBHCS website? Monmouth and Lakewood needs RNs, as does SB in Livingston. You need to apply online, and to be a pain when calling HR!

There are a ton of jobs posted....someone has to fill them.

Maisy

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Specializes in pediatrics, oncology.

Yes, I'm working on SBHCS lol. :)

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