10 Questions New Grads Would Love to Ask a Recruiter

[Just and R.N]

Before I begin, I would like to ask that any misconceptions/assumptions/ presumptions be excused as the wondering of an ignorant new grad. This article is not meant to disparage, just to gain a clearer perspective on some of the more perplexing aspects of job searching. There is a certain dark mystery to some of us as to the secrets of the HR hiring process. Countless threads have been dedicated to unraveling (excuse the pun) the intricately spun web of online applications, resumes, cover letters and interviews that go into that first job. That being said, this is a compilation of questions from some of my colleagues that we hope will garner some advice from those in the know

Are you for real?

Is it true that often online postings are for made up positions? It's hard to believe that the jobs actually exist when you call up the hospital to be told they are in a hiring freeze right now. Even if they mean a hiring freeze for new grads why post positions that seem available to them?

Do grades matter?

Some of us have been told by nursing instructors that in today's competitive market grades can make all the difference. This seems to be a stretch as the students who have gotten jobs after graduation are not necessarily the ones who were at the top of the class. Is G.P.A even a consideration when the NCLEX is the national standard of competency?

How pushy is too pushy?

When the online application site explicitly states NOT to call about the status of an application why do some people seem to think that means that if you don't call you are not being persistent (aggressive?) enough. Doesn't that mean that you are simply following directions? Does the squeaky wheel indeed get the grease, or is this a myth propagated by people who obtained jobs by other means and post their successes under the guise of persistence?

Spending money to make money?

Is it worth it for nursing students to spend extra money to get certifications like ACLS/PALS/EKG/IV? Does this indicate commitment or a desperate attempt to gain attention? Are there certain certifications that put a resume on the radar? Are they perceived as a sign that someone is active in pursuing education or as a jump on the alphabet cart bandwagon to try to get me noticed?

Take a walk......(or a hike)

This is a sensitive one with two major camps who seem to be certain about their side. Is walking in a resume a way to ensure that it gets there, or are people who attempt this told to "take a hike?" How about cold calling and asking about positions? (uhhh look on our website we don't have time for this)

So does someone actually go through all the resumes or what?

Is every resume submitted into cyberspace picked up, or do some unfortunate ones end up in the intergalactic black hole of the wastebasket? Are there any "code words" in a resume that send it straight to a shredder (ie: new grad)

What's the magic word?

There are so many ways to format a resume. Some people say to add generic skills like time management, customer service and quality and safe care to make up for a lack of technical experience, while others call that filler that's likely to send your resume into the abyss. Is there something(s) in particular that recruiters LOVE to see? Or is the magic formula for new grad resumes akin to the fountain of youth and other such myths. Sometimes those who have jobs claim that it's because of XYZ on their resume. Is it a "total picture" or a specific detail?

The ideal candidate?

So let's say someone graduated summa cum laude, was president of their school's SNA, as well as the national chapter, worked as a nursing tech throughout school, volunteered for several organizations, did an externship, and belongs to several professional organizations. Does this make them an ideal candidate? These are things that nursing instructors stressed as being of particular importance during school, yet in the real world don't seem to matter at all. What makes an ideal candidate on a resume, BEFORE an interview is even attained?

So it's all about who you know?

What percentage of new grads are hired due to connections? Are there times that more qualified applicants are passed up in favor of those who somehow have an inside advantage? Or is it an "all things being equal" we are going to hire the one who has some sort of" pull."

What's the real reason new grads are not being hired now and is there REALLY a nursing shortage?

The economy? Budget Cuts? Uncertainty about the Affordable Care Act? The cost of training new grads who are likely to move on? The lack of retiring nurses? Surplus VS. shortage. Propaganda by nursing schools to churn out more grads? All of the above? None of the above. Select all that apply!

[sunmaidliz]

No one wants to hire a new grad because new grads are wild cards! You may get a diamond or a diamond in the rough or a lump of coal that cries all the time and is constantly making stupid mistakes. You never know with a new grad and it's too much of a risk. Nursing requires a certain attitude and personality and nursing school does not teach new nurses how to be the person that makes a great bedside nurse.

I graduated nursing school two and a half years ago and on my first job, I cried all the time, had no confidence, got bullied by the other nurses who saw me as a weak liability and lost that job three months in. It took me a year to find another job and that job crapped out too. A lot of soul searching and realizing where I went wrong was not in my skill level, not in my knowlege level, but in the kind of nurse I projected to be. Managers want a confident nurse who can takle any problem with ease and grace, a leader who can play well with others, and someone who can figure things out on her own, instead of someone who needs to be "taught". You project that in your interview, you are hired in a flash.

And I say this because once I figured out what managers wanted and how to portray that, i got hired like THAT.

Some hospitals like cold calls and pushy broads. Some just want to pick you out of the pile. You gotta figure out what they want and then be that. Units hire based on if they can see themselves working with well you, not because you had a great GPA, was on the social committee in nursing school, or worked as a CNA. They want the "it" factor. And most new nurses don't have the "it" factor and those are the ones who have a hard time getting jobs.

It's just part of the game. You just gotta know how to play it. And I have a feeling the game isn't going to change and is going to be here to stay. Once nursing schools start teaching their students how to win this game, THAT'S when it will change.

[Concerto_in_C, BSN, RN]

No one wants to hire a new grad because new grads are wild cards! You may get a diamond or a diamond in the rough or a lump of coal that cries all the time and is constantly making stupid mistakes. You never know with a new grad and it's too much of a risk. Nursing requires a certain attitude and personality and nursing school does not teach new nurses how to be the person that makes a great bedside nurse.

I can flip your comment around and say that some of the worst nurses I've ever met (worst in terms of attitude) were old burnouts with 30 years of experience who hate nursing but are too old to learn a new skill. Those people are toxic and patients hate them and their years of experience don't matter.

New grads are lacking in experience but are high in enthusiasm and positive attitude which the patients love.

Air force combat experience has shown that a fighter squadron that performs best in combat has a mixture of veteran pilots and junior pilots.

A fighter squadron composed just of veterans has problems because everybody wants to be an alpha male, nobody wants to follow orders, and there are issues with arrogance and clashes of personalities that lead to disaster. There the issues with cohesiveness.

This makes a lot of sense when I think about it; for a lot of situations in life, not just the military but in general.

[rdu55]

I just received my first job as a new grad with Duke so here are some answers based on my experience.

10. I applied to positions at at least one hospital before hearing that they were on a hiring freeze. No idea why they would have jobs posted. Take away from this: APPLY TO AS MANY JOBS AND HOSPITALS AS POSSIBLE. Especially if you are applying in different cities, it is hard for you to know which hospitals are short staffed and hiring like crazy and which hospitals aren't hiring at all.

9. I didn't put my GPA on my resume and was never asked for it. My GPA wasn't bad but it wasn't great either so I chose not to advertise it. There is a chance this hurt me in getting interviews other places (I'll never know) but in the end it didn't matter. However, other people that were hired with me did have very high GPAs that they advertised. I graduated from a well respected school so perhaps that helped give me credibility without posting my GPA.

8. I never called anywhere but if I hadn't gotten my offer at Duke I was going to start being more aggressive at pursuing other hospitals. I think if you are sending out a lot of applications and not hearing anything back then it is at least worth a chance that calling will help call attention to your resume or give you a chance to sell yourself to HR.

7. I was ACLS certified partially because I thought it might help me get a job after graduation. I don't think it made a huge difference but I do think that it showed that I was committed to being prepared to excel as a new grad.

6. I think you should look at websites but if it is unclear then feel free to follow up with HR. They are there to get the best people for the job. And that could be you! I don't think walking in a resume would be worth it because odds are the recruiters wouldn't have time to meet with you and the secretary probably doesn't get much say in who gets an interview.

5. I think this depends on the hospital and position. If it isn't posted as a new grad position then odds are that your resume is going straight into the trash can. I think the main thing that is going to get you an interview is clinical experience. If you can, then ask a nursing professor to go over your resume with you because they can help you to really show off what you did during school and might set you apart.

4. I like to thing that it is total picture and not key words that recruiters look at. If you can use buzz words and phrases to explain what you did then great but don't stretch the truth to make them fit. Again, a professor or another nurse might be able to help you get the wording right to explain your experience.

3. I think all those things do make an ideal candidate but there are few candidates who have them and I personally got hired without most of them. I think as long as you can show that you are well rounded and prepared for the job then they will consider you.

2. If someone has preceptored, been a nursing assistance or something on a unit then they definitely have a (I think deserved) advantage when applying for the job. If you can network then you might end up meeting someone who has a lot of pull in a unit or hospital and could help you get a job or interview but this shouldn't be necessary.

1. I think there was a nursing shortage so they flooded the market but now unfortunately if there is a shortage it is mostly just for a experienced nurses. However, some hospitals and areas of the country do have a shortage so expand your search and stay hopeful!

[SE_BSN_RN, BSN]

Keep what I am about to say in the back of your mind forever more. ITS ABOUT THE MONEY ITS ALWAYS ABOUT THE MONEY. I recommend all nursing students take some business courses and become business smart. It costs the hospitals a lot of money to hire, orient, precept a new grad. Once a new grad starts to see the reality of the situation, they move on hoping to find the perfect job. Your not the only group that is discriminated about. I know older very well trained nurses who move from one city to another and can't get a job. Why, hospitals aren't interested in what you know, but

how much you will cost them. Older well trained nurses are at the top of the salary range and cost a lot of money. Schools and other groups like to say well older nurses aren't retiring as early, Now, now - many older nurses at the top of the salary range are harassed so severely they quit, which is what the hospital wants to happen. Hospitals across the country have dragged hundreds of thousands of poorly trained, poorly educated nurses from the slums of the Philipines and India to work their hospitals. Why, they can pay them less. Hospitals work them like dogs and these nurses are happy to do it because they probably haven't seen $500 a month in their entire lives and it gets them out of the slums of their countries. This is another reason new grads from America can't get jobs. Its not about being a straight A student, magna cum lauda, good grades, etc. It's about THE MONEY you cost the

facility. They don't care what you know, how well your trained - its about what you will cost them. There is hope for nursing - it's called getting unionized and until that happens the hospitals and hospital nursing administration will do anything to protect their cushy jobs. I could go on for several pages about hospital nursing administration - the new term for them is 'corporate w----s' good luck . An old Chinese proverb says "keep going in the direction your going, you'll get there.'

Of course it is all about the money! Does the HR and recruiter get paid for each hire and money taken away if the new hire quits?

How about if they obviously have someone who is interested in working for a certain organization, gets the certifications suggested for that specialty, goes above and beyond and they STILL won't hire? New grad....eh, too much money....LPN experience? eh, not real nursing experience.....stable job history? eh....not long enough. University of Timbuktu? Not a good school, so this person isn't worthy of an interview. Applicant went to a LPN-BSN program instead of a traditional 4 year BSN program....nope...won't hire you (WHY?? It was approved by the state board of nursing?! Not to mention passed the NCLEX!) Hiring manager says start in med/surg....um, can't do that without experience, according to the job listing!

But yet hospitals have NUMEROUS openings but want 1-2-3 years "RN experience in the related field"... still all about the money?? They can't even fill the spots they have open! WHO are they waiting for?

Sure....its all about the money.....and having someone on the "inside" put in a good word for you....or someone at least giving you a chance.

The world of nursing is still a revolving door. People get the 1 year experience in med/surg then move on....so....let's not hire them because they cost too much. That's some good logic there!

[mamagui]

Hospitals across the country have dragged hundreds of thousands of poorly trained, poorly educated nurses from the slums of the Philipines and India to work their hospitals. Why, they can pay them less. Hospitals work them like dogs and these nurses are happy to do it because they probably haven't seen $500 a month in their entire lives and it gets them out of the slums of their countries. '

If they went to nursing school, I HIGHLY doubt they are coming from the slums. If you are having issues finding employment, perhaps instead of blaming others that are employed you should take a deep look into yourself and see if there is anything that you need to work on.

[RNCaroline]

I was the President of NCF, member of ANS, member of Sigma Theta Tau, and I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 3.9 GPA. Not only am I one of the last ones from my class to find a job (still looking/praying), I have actually been questioned about having good grades (saying usually it means no common sense) during interviews. This is extremely insulting to me because I really just worked very hard for my grades, and I didn't go party like others. I am very self-motivated and sort-of compete with myself to continuously do better-I just wish nurse managers would realize that's why my good grades are actually a positive and not a negative. I have to say that I feel like I had been mislead as far as being told that involvement looks good on resumes. It really is all about who you know in the end. I certainly don't regret being involved because I love my organizations, but I wish I hadn't stressed myself over so many things like that in school because it doesn't seem to have had any impact on my job situation.