New Grad needs a JOB!!

Nurses Career Support

Published

Specializes in tele and stroke.

Hello all,

Well I recently passed the boards(wow never want to do that again) and now I am need of a job. All thru school was told nurses are in demand bla bla..now it kinda seems like that is still the case but landing a job is a lot harder than I thought. Maybe hospitals don't want to hire new grads???

I have applied to many hospitals,,and heard nothing yet. Its been about 2 weeks. What else can I do?

All resumes are done online..so you can't personally drop it off or make it stand out. When you call to confirm they got it,,HR tells you to check your application status online....so yeah I feel like I am getting nowhere.

Any advice?????:confused:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in being a Credible Source.
Maybe hospitals don't want to hire new grads???
Well, if hospitals are anything like many other industries then they really don't want to hire and invest in new graduates. They'd much rather perpetuate the "shortage" myth and pressure congress into approving the importation of more foreign nurses.

It's a routine practice in the engineering field.

I have applied to many hospitals,,and heard nothing yet. Its been about 2 weeks.
Well, two weeks isn't that long in a job hunt. I've had to look many, many months for some jobs (not in nursing). It's tough when you're running on empty financially.

What else can I do?
Network. Look for CEU classes at the local CC or hospitals.

Oh, and discourage your congressional representatives from supporting bills increasing the number of visas for foreign nurses. Rather, push them to support incentives for hospitals to hire and train new grads or to cross-train experienced nurses.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.

I am in the same boat. I live in northern NJ and also passed boards two weeks ago. I have applied to every hospital in the area as well as some nursing homes. I have not receive any calls for interviews. I don't know what else to do.

If anyone else lives in the area and has suggestions please respond . I am getting frustrated

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in tele and stroke.

:( Yup still NOTHING!

What happen to the days of "sign on bonus" when they were begging for nurses!!?!??

I know the economy is bad and job hunting in general is on the slumps but you would think healthcare is an exception. It also seems like the hospitals don't want new grads b/c we don't have experience..How the heck are we supposed to get experience if we can't get a job. Maybe I am just being impatient.

To those of you who recentely got a job as RN-

How long did it take to hear back from them after applying???

What did you do to ensure they got your resume/follow up??

(when I call HR they tell me to go online,they don't do things personally anymore)

ANY WORDS OF WISDOM GREATLY APPRECIATED

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hello there:) Try not to get too frustrated -- things will come around. I also applied online to about 5 hospitals in my area...the same thing, you cannot give application forms and resumes in person anymore. I have heard from two of them, but that was after I bombarded them with emails and phone calls.

One advice I can give you -- go to the unit in person and give your resume to RN manager. Some won't take it, but what have you got to lose,right? I did this and got the job:)

I think nurse hiring comes in cycles, too so it's not your fault! It's just how it is right now...good luck on the job hunt and don't give up!:)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

One advice I can give you -- go to the unit in person and give your resume to RN manager. Some won't take it, but what have you got to lose,right? I did this and got the job :)

Ditto that. This is common is many industries. I think nursing has been protected a bit, but sometimes you just gotta hustle to get your foot in the door. While it is true that hospitals may not want to train new grads, if they are going to train a new grad; it likely will be the one that had the determination to show up and introduce her(him)self. Show them you aren't intimidated by a challenge. :up:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

hi there, I couldn't help but to reply to your post even though I am not a new grad. I have did nursing for a while and left for yrs and now coming back to it. I want to tell you that as an experience nurse I can't seem to find a job either. I don't think is personaly towards GN but not the right time. Some hospitals have a time set for new GN to start and once they fill all their GN's the programs starts to train them. You could of just missed the boat. They usually start in june or july.

I suggest you call the hospital and don't ask the operator to put you throught HR just ask for the nurse recruiter. Ask for the extension number and keep calling until she or he answers. That is how I got across to some of them. If you talk to the receptionist they won;t even transfer you to the nurse recruiter. That is why you only ask the operator. Try to e-mail them too.

Also some hospitals have it posted on their website of open house days. Where they try to recruite nurses. I just went to one. You can try to go to the manager but here where I am from is not up to the manager is up to HR. If you get intouch with the nurse recruiter ask to see if you can make an appointment with her to see what is available.

Good luck on your job hunt. IT may take the hospital 4-6wks to get back to you. I suggest you call them and show your interest and if you do get an interview, always send a thank you card the next day, thanking them for their time

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Geriatrics, Transplant, Education.
Hello all,

Well I recently passed the boards(wow never want to do that again) and now I am need of a job. All thru school was told nurses are in demand bla bla..now it kinda seems like that is still the case but landing a job is a lot harder than I thought. Maybe hospitals don't want to hire new grads???

I have applied to many hospitals,,and heard nothing yet. Its been about 2 weeks. What else can I do?

All resumes are done online..so you can't personally drop it off or make it stand out. When you call to confirm they got it,,HR tells you to check your application status online....so yeah I feel like I am getting nowhere.

Any advice?????:confused:

Two weeks for a Job Search isn't that long--give it time.

I have been job searching since early February--months before I graduated in May. Got my license at the beginning of July.

Had an interview at the hospital where I worked as a tech in May, and nothing came of it, because the floor has a low census right now. I have found that the most important thing to do is keep in touch with people & network--do any former professors work somewhere you're interested in? Talk to them. Had an interview that nothing came of? Keep in touch with the recruiter who interviewed you. Send e-mails to anyone you may know who might know someone with information about a job.

I recently got a volunteer job at the PACU of a hospital I'm interested in--probably helping with stuff like patient transport, keeping the unit clean etc. Good way to get in and make an impression on other nurses who may say something to their manager--and a good way to get face time around the hospital.

You have to do something other than just send in online apps/resumes--I find that I feel like just another number when I do that. With all this work you'd think I have a job by now, but I still don't! Waiting on a call back from someone at my old work who may have news about a job I'm up for.

Good luck in your search. It's not easy. :banghead:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in tele and stroke.

Thank you to everyone who is respondng and giving their advice. :wink2:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in tele and stroke.

RN28MD- Ok so today I tried called and asked for the nurse recruitor- got her voicemail several times. I left a message but found myself not really knowing what I wanted to say. I basically said I was trying to follow up with my applications and would love to personally do so ...please call me....bla bla. I am pretty sure I won't be hearing back from her.

Tomorrow I am going to 2 hospitals and I am going to the floors I know there are openings looking for the nurse manager.

What do you think I should say to her- just that I really would like to work here and wanted to personally drop off my resume? I am also pretty sure that they won't take it,,but yeah it is worth a try....

still looking for a job...how frustrating... :(

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.

Yeah!!! I got a job. I email and all my classmates from nursing school to find out if they were having any luck with job hunting. One of them went on a interview got hired. She told me they were still looking for nurse and gave me the nurse managers email address. I email my resume and she contacted me the same day and granted me an interview the following day. She offered me the job on the spot. I guess I got lucky.

You should try to reach out to your classmates and see if you can get some leads from them.

good luck

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Have you tried applying for a job at a place that is familiar with you through your clinical rotation? I am a new grad, and I lucky enough got a L&D position.... but this is only because I did my senior practicum there. Just a thought.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment