finishing RN school is not hard, the hard part is getting a job after that...

[Mentalageis16]

I am so tired of sending resume and fill out the same questions over and over for the last 200 and more applications. No hospital contacted me yet. I need advice on how to proceed, this is very discouraging, I wish I am still optimistic, but the reality is...

I was at a local hospital to fill out application, overheard this manager called on the phone and spoke to a person and told that he/she got the job, she sounded so nice and friendly on the phone so I thought why not give it a try and talk to her... but when I asked her, she said there's no jobs for new grads (and she looked at me like I am very rude). She said I have no experience but my resume looks good...she also commented that I only applied for 7 months and I should keep trying even if it takes 7 years. Then she commented "you should apply online for jobs, I've never seen anybody coming here to fill out an application." She looked at me like I am a complete idiot... I felt very bad afterwards. I was polite when I put my foot into her office and knocked and smiled. I almost cried but I was tough enough not to do that.

All the HR offices I visited so far are very unfriendly. Like...seriously, I don't mind you telling me that I may not be quailified, but can you put it in a way that you don't hurt a person's feeling? I don't care how many people you need to say "NO" on a daily basis. But if it was me in her situation, I will never treat new grads like that.

Anyway, that was last Friday. I visited 2 hospitals in one day. Another hospital simply asked me to drop my resume and that's it...

I guess it's not my time yet. will try harder.

[sugar12]

I feel the same way even the NCLEX was easier than job hunting because we are prepared for it but no one in school really told us that it's hard to get that first job as a new grad.

[estrellaCR, BSN, RN]

Nowadays you have to apply online...i know its hard to wait so long and one would think its faster to apply in person...but bad move! when i was a new graduate 2 years ago...all the places i went to drop resume in person, the HR staff would roll their eyes at me, take my resume and put it on a paper pile and say "you are supposed to apply online". I applied online to those places after but never was called. I only tried this for the first week. The places i applied online only as they specified were the ones that called me to interview. Idk it seems they blacklist people who dont follow instructions. Just stick with online apps making sure your resume is simple format (no fancy font or borders). Also be open to settings besides hospital, many people i know including me had our first RN job in alternate settings: clinics, nursing homes, rehab centers, etc. Having a job and some experience looks better than having none!! Open your options...if you only hold out for hospital you may not have a job for a while...instead work in an alternate setting as RN which helps you feel happier as you are at least employed and getting paid plus you get experience for your resume.