Is it me (with no experience) or the NYC job market still sucks?

U.S.A. New York

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Specializes in Utilization management, psychiatric-mental health.

It's going to be a year and a half since I haven't had a nursing job. I have two months experience from a clinic but that's it. I have been applying EVERYWHERE, mailed out my resumes, dropped in certain hospitals to give my resume in person but was told to apply online (like I was doing already). I truly don't know what to do at this point yet I want to spare everyone the details of my nursing job search. I work for the City of NY and have been applying to all the HHC hosiptals (or the ones that post on the website). Is there any other way I can get "noticed?" I am a city employee already so I thought I had an advantage but apparently I don't. All tips and suggestions are welcome. Thanks. I am still trying to keep a smile on my face, :). It has been really frustrating.

Specializes in Cath/EP lab, CCU, Cardiac stepdown.

Volunteer, network, look for non acute places, or move to a less saturated area. Honestly New York city is getting harder and harder to get hired as a RN without the magical 1-2 year hospital experience.

Specializes in Utilization management, psychiatric-mental health.
Volunteer, network, look for non acute places, or move to a less saturated area. Honestly New York city is getting harder and harder to get hired as a RN without the magical 1-2 year hospital experience.

Thanks for the reply. I was going to volunteer for a third time at a HHC facility. I have to get paperwork filled out in two wks. I just hope im able to make a doc appt soon since their always booked for the next three.wks. I guess we shall see. :-)

Flushing Hospital in Queens hires new grads.

I definately, understand too I am in the same situation. I also work for the city of NY. I thought it would be an advantage but.....NOPE, not at all. Before it was much easier to get up graded, or ur position. Now u still have to apply on line and wait...which I don't get. I

Sadly while things are getting better (if only by degrees) for nursing employment including new grads, the number of nurses in NYC and or willing to come her to work still is greater than open new grad and experienced nurse hospital positions. Figure also the closing of LICH sent hundreds of nurses, techs, and so forth in search of other gigs.

Since you already have a job with the City in another capacity this may seem like bad advice but..... if you cannot get anything shaking in NYC soon you may have to consider relocating. Upstate, down south, anywhere you can get a job as a RN and then put in your one or two years to get experience. With that over with you can start applying to NYC hospitals as an experienced nurse instead of a new grad.

Other suggestions? Keep on doing what you are doing (applying everywhere with everyone) but maybe have a professional look over your resume and help you draft a stand out cover letter. If and when you do a CL mix it up, don't send the same boilerplate letter time and time again to same persons. Change the paper color, revise content, etc... something to hopefully get the thing noticed and not filed or whatever away.

Specializes in Behavioral health.

No it's not you. The job market stinks. So many nursing schools. So many nurses relocating to NYC. So many hospitals extremely picky. Don't beat yourself up.

Try to get recruiter emails and email them directly with your resume and cover letter. Connect with people you graduated with and see if they can pass your resume and name along. Its tough in nyc but it is doable. I just recently interviewed in Westchester for a new grad position, they had 700 applications! I made it to the final 16 but think I blew the last interview:( They want new grads who have a strong work ethic, work well under pressure, and are eager to learn. Make sure to demonstrate this in cover letter and interview. Good luck!

Specializes in Cath/EP lab, CCU, Cardiac stepdown.

Too many people still believe the nursing shortage myth in new York. They all want to move to the glamorous city. And so many new nursing students buy into it. I've advised them to start making themselves competitive because getting a job in New York is hard but they always quote the shortage they heard from the government, hearsay, or from schools and then they don't believe me.

Things probably are gong to get much worse before they get better nurse employment wise.

Even with all the hospital closings in the NYC area, many still feel the City and other parts of downstate have too many inpatient beds. Indeed the billions Governor Cuomo and NYS were able to wring out of the federal government/Medicare came with some strict limits. One of those was that NYS and in particular NYC hospitals must begin moving towards a reduction of inpatient care in favour of outpatient services.

All this does not bode well for new grads seeking hospital jobs.

For the same reasons other professionals want to be in NYC experienced nurses come as well. Then you have all those nurses who have seen reduction in hours, been laid off, had their hospital closed, etc... all looking for work Finally of course there are the hundreds of newly licensed nurses that enter the pipeline not just from NYC schools but LI and Westchester along with other parts of the state.

What all this amounts to is currently there is a glut of professional nurses and hospitals are free to pick and choose.

network network network - doesn't matter at all than you're an NYC employee, if you're applying to an RN job they want you to have experience or to at least KNOW you, know that you're going to be a good nurse, know that you're responsible and professional, etc.

sending resumes online or applying in person is 100% useless, I assure you. You have to go out there and network with hospital nursing educators, ADNs and nursing recruiters... reach out to them on LinkedIn, contact your old clinical instructors and have them put in a good word for you at their facilities, etc. volunteering at a facility wouldn't hurt either - you have the chance to prove yourself and develop good relationships with other staff there.

I got my current job at an HHC hospital after externing there for 2 months - I developed awesome relationships with my preceptor and other staff, including the chief of the ED (my department) and they offered me the job two months later after I passed my boards.

I know that for HHC facilities, they only post jobs online they have trouble filling. When they get the green light to hire, they offer to internal applicants first... if not enough of those, they'll post. I am currently trying to switch to a level 1 trauma center and know of two other HHC facilities that are technically hiring in the ED but there aren't even any postings on the internal HR career board! They want their own people from their own facility first... now you see why it's pointless to just send your resume?

anyway, I think with nursing you just need to try harder - reach out and network more. I actually do a lot of networking now through conferences and even NYAS (new york academy of sciences) lectures. and try to get as many certifications possible... it doesn't stop at just your BLS.... go get your ACLS, your PALS, etc.

good luck!!

Specializes in MedSurg, PACU, Maternal/Child Health.

I would not say that applying online is 100% useless, I got my HHC hospital job by applying online and I did not know anyone. I got calls for interviews from other hospitals HHC and non HHC just by applying online. Several of my classmates also got jobs at HHC hospitals and others without knowing anyone. We all had zero to minimal experience, I only had 6 months experience at ped clinic w/ home care component when i was called in for interview. Also before my clinic job i was hospital volunteer...not at HHC, but all interviewers liked that I was familiar with what goes on at hospitals in terms of patient satisfaction and how to attend to patients needs.

You have to continue applying online and make sure your resume is well constructed with excellent . Remove any fancy fonts and borders or decorations from your resume as this often causes the format to be unreadable by the online application system or when the recruiter or nurse manager when he or she click to open the file. Of course along with applying online continue getting to know people and going to job fairs. One of these methods will work for you. For some, applying online gets them noticed for an interview. For others , it is job fairs, etc. However do not walk in to an HR office as they will just roll their eyes at you and tell you that you are supposed to apply online.

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