New Grads vs Me. I hate this economy.

KittyinNj · Nov 2, 2011

im a recent graduate may 2011. All of you who say email HR, go to job fairs, is just not worth it. My friend is an HR manager, she gets inundated with emails from new grads, rns from ltc and exp nurses. they do not have time for each personally email. I went to a job fair in NYC last week WASTE of time! all required 1-3 years of hospital exp! the only ones who took new grads were southern states!

whats ridiculous is how are you supposed to get this experience when no one wants to give you a fair shot?!

everyone that i know that got a job KNEW someone. I got a part time job by knowing the nurse manager LOL! so basically its not even about the degree, gpa, experience, its all who U know!!!! yay for being an RN :)

Imafloat, BSN, RN · Nov 2, 2011

im a recent graduate may 2011. All of you who say email HR, go to job fairs, is just not worth it. My friend is an HR manager, she gets inundated with emails from new grads, rns from ltc and exp nurses. they do not have time for each personally email. I went to a job fair in NYC last week WASTE of time! all required 1-3 years of hospital exp! the only ones who took new grads were southern states!
whats ridiculous is how are you supposed to get this experience when no one wants to give you a fair shot?!
everyone that i know that got a job KNEW someone. I got a part time job by knowing the nurse manager LOL! so basically its not even about the degree, gpa, experience, its all who U know!!!! yay for being an RN :)

Where did you do your senior practicum? Contact that NM and see if she is hiring. I was hired onto the unit I did my senior practicum on.

Cuddleswithpuddles · Nov 2, 2011

Hello,

First of all... *hugs*

I am a new grad RN about 2 months in the Job Search but I have been a LVN for 5 years. My situation is somewhat related because I have experience but hospitals pretty much discount it since I have very little acute care experience. I have many fellow LVN turned RNs who are struggling to get into acute care. The few who got jobs got them through professional connections either through work or clinical rotations. The most promising acute care job prospect I have currently is at the hospital I did my preceptorship in. The director has not even advertised the positions yet but told me about them since she has known me for a few months now. As for the hospitals I've applied to without any connections? Nada. Zip. Zero. All I get are emails, and even they are few and far between.

Unfortunately, the adage "It's not what you know but who you know" has been proven right over these past few recession years.

What about applying to a SNF, rehab, home health or hospice directly connected to an acute care hospital? I know the work is grinding on your soul but internal applicants are looked upon with better favor than external applicants. That may be your way in.

Put out feelers among your former classmates and nurse friends. Reconnect through Facebook. Go back to your nursing school and say hi and hello to your nursing professors and ask them for help. Even if you do not get solid job prospects right away, you never, ever know when your network will pay off. It might even lift your spirits and invigorate you. That I can personally attest to. Obviously, I don't have an acute care RN job yet but I know I feel so much better reconnecting and sharing laughs and memories with people in my past.

Good luck and best wishes!

Biffbradford · Nov 2, 2011

i've got 12 years icu experience and can't get a foot in any door either, so while i really don't have any answers, here's my take on it.

- eye catching resume - around here it's copy/paste in plain text on-line which takes creativity down to the basics. i've been told to "make sure you have key words" in you resume. take them from the ad you're responding to. okay, done that. now what?

- networking - i've got people in all positions pulling strings - guess they aren't the correct ones. i try name dropping in interviews - no luck yet.

keep trying - so far, i've gotten 7 rejections from the biggest healthcare group in this area, all for different positions, and on my 8th application i got an interview. that floored me. i still haven't heard back yet, and i'm not holding my breath about the job, but i think that it shows that you've just got to keep trying. that's my plan of attack anyway.

i think he bottom line is that hospitals are staffing as tight as they can and i don't think they are filling all the positions they are advertising. i've applied for jobs months ago that i was fully qualified for, and those ads are still up. i go through the lists - already applied for that one, done that one, did that one ... on and on. there must be a quota of interviews hr must do quarterly whether they hire someone or not.

if you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull. (w.c. fields)

well, i haven't quite gone that route yet, but there is some truth to that.

msAnneRN11 · Nov 2, 2011

Its not just who you know that counts.. They actually look at your resume and if it is not striking enough they will not bother. Then I believe hospitals hire at a certain month each year. Sometimes if you resume is considered, they will contact you for an open job interview. There, you will meet nurse managers, SEE THEM ALL. Don't just stop at 1 or 2. There you need to be an eye candy with good wit. Once you passed that, the nursing manager will decide wether they want to hire you, if you are considered, the HR will get back to you and then you need to fill up legal forms.. sometimes a lot of applicants get stuck in this process. Either their references did not answer or what they put in the application did not match what they found out in the background report. I know it is very time consuming and nerve wracking at our part in waiting for a response. But Hospitals hire new grads more because they know they mostly cleared. Don't lose hope. Keep on praying and for the mean time, enjoy your 10 month old. You will eventually get what you deserve :)

Anne

SushiRN · Nov 2, 2011

I am more of a night owl and my best friend works PT nights and doesn't seem to have any issues. I'm looking to get into a hospital not just b/c of the schedules, but it's where I have ALWAYS wanted to be. I want to learn, I want the challenge, I want to advance in my career. I'm going to try that "LinkedIn" website. Do you think it would be a good idea for me to email the Manager I interviewed with back in August? There are positions still open on that unit. Couldn't hurt to let her know I'm still interested.

Biffbradford · Nov 2, 2011

[color=silver]its not just who you know that counts.. they actually look at your resume and if it is not striking enough they will not bother. [color=silver]then i believe hospitals hire at a certain month each year. sometimes if you resume is considered, they will contact you for an open job interview. there, you will meet nurse managers, see them all. don't just stop at 1 or 2. [color=silver]there you need to be an eye candy with good wit. once you passed that, the nursing manager will decide wether they want to hire you, if you are considered, the hr will get back to you and then you need to fill up legal forms.. sometimes a lot of applicants get stuck in this process. either their references did not answer or what they put in the application did not match what they found out in the background report. i know it is very time consuming and nerve wracking at our part in waiting for a response. but hospitals hire new grads more because they know they mostly cleared. don't lose hope. keep on praying and for the mean time, enjoy your 10 month old. you will eventually get what you deserve :)
anne

striking resume - in what ways? "i can walk on water and have split the atom on my kitchen table"? "in addition, i counsel homeless people on the weekends and am the volunteer archbishop in my city."? i think managers can be intimidated by too much information as well.

i'm sure that procedures vary from place to place, but i've never had an interview with more than one manager for any one application.

kieferkit · Nov 2, 2011

Hello,

I'm in the same boat as the rest of all new RN Grads. I have been in the medical profession in the past first as a volunteer, CNA, MA, RN, RPT, LPN and Now RN. 16 yrs worth of experience that no one counts because it was not all RN. I am working PRN in a job my previous boss told me about becuase i asked if she had contacts to help me out. Sometimes it is about who you knoe. I thought it would be easy to get a full time job with my new degree. I do have two up comming interviews one LTC and one in the hospital. Wish me luchk

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Nov 2, 2011

Do you think it would be a good idea for me to email the Manager I interviewed with back in August? There are positions still open on that unit. Couldn't hurt to let her know I'm still interested.

IMO, you have nothing to lose by sending her an e-mail. Go for it and good luck! And I hope things turn around for you soon!

BluegrassRN · Nov 2, 2011

What gets you a job at my hospital:

Knowing someone on the floor who can put in a good word for you.

Not coming to your interview smelling like cig smoke (sorry, too many issues with smokers taking too long of breaks, plus it's a nonsmoking facility. You were awesome, but you smelled like you'd smoked an entire pack on the drive to the interview, and there were too many other solid, promising interviewees).

Sending your resume directly to the nurse manager, and then calling her to follow up on a monthly basis. No one in our HR department has any clue about nursing, and I cannot for the life of me figure out why they hold back some of the ones that they do, or pass on some others to us. All of our outside hires in the last two years have gotten a foot in the door by contacting our unit director.

If you are familiar with our computer system, that's a big plus.

If you did some clinicals at our facility, that's a big plus.

If a capstone/practicum student is successful, we make every attempt to hire her/him.

Highlight any past customer service and time management experience. If you were the manager of a bar/restaurant/office/whatever, where you had to be pleasant, where you needed to juggle a variety of activities, again, that's a big plus. For better or worse, hospitals are very focused on customer service, and if you can show that you have positive experience in this area, we take that seriously. Many of us waited tables or tended bar before becoming a nurse, and we consider that valid customer service experience, particularly in someone who doesn't have much nursing experience.

Be persistent.

SushiRN · Nov 2, 2011

I think he bottom line is that hospitals are staffing as tight as they can and I don't think they are filling all the positions they are advertising. I've applied for jobs months ago that I was fully qualified for, and those ads are still up. I go through the lists - already applied for that one, done that one, did that one ... on and on. There must be a quota of interviews HR must do quarterly whether they hire someone or not.
If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull. (W.C. Fields)
Well, I haven't quite gone that route yet, but there is some truth to that.

Bill, I love it. You're like a breath of fresh air. I totally agree with you. I do remember back in 2009 that Hospitals were only interviewing to interview and had no intentions of hiring b/c they needed to meet the "quotas" that you are referring to. Seems like that tactic has popped back up. Why does it have to be when I'm applying?...Again?!

I have people who work in hospitals too. A couple have spoke up to the managers, one knows someone in HR who passed on the resume to the nurse recruiters. But still waiting.

Yes, yes. I have a job and believe me I am more than grateful to put food on the table and at least be practicing as a nurse.

The only REAL thing I have going is Washington Hospital Center in DC has a RN Residency program starting in Feb. They're accepting apps from not only new grads, but experienced RNs looking to switch fields and are lacking hospital expertise. I personally know 2 people who work there. One RN on OB and a nursing director on a step down unit. She already voiced that she would love to have me, but w/o that "magical year of med surg" as one poster put it, I would have to wait for them post apps for the residency program sometime this month. The bright side, she's a DON and I like to believe I will have some leverage over the other applicants. :rolleyes:

luvazsun, RN · Nov 2, 2011

I think the problem with hiring someone "because they know someone" is wrong! They could be hiring a really crappy nurse ( just making a statement, not implying you are!) when a great nurse goes unrecognized.