New Grads vs Me. I hate this economy.

SushiRN · 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.

I never thought to add my waitressing experience from Cracker Barrel or my teller experience from Bank of America. Should I just list that under my skills? "10 years of customer service experience from waitressing and banking." I just don't want my resume to end up 5 pages long.

I guess I can ask my friends to give my resume to the managers directly?

Same time, I will also email that one DON. Doesn't hurt to try.

Hugs for everyone. Thanks. :hug:

KimN · Nov 2, 2011

I have no advice that can help you with securing a hospital position, but I do have some insight on the new grad hiring thing. It seems that in my area many facilities are hiring straight from their own preceptored students from nursing school. For instance I am in the emergency department and have the oppportunity to preceptor there for a full year before I graduate. I've been told that if I continue to do well I will likely get an offer when I graduate because many of the newer nurses that do not have hospital experience generally don't make it past orientation. The thought I guess is that they already have seen what you can handle and don't have to "trial" it in a new hire that is unfamiliar - which also means less orienting time for them. I have heard this is becoming more common. It's a good thing for me, but I feel like it is NOT fair at all to those who are in your position. I worry about not getting that offer, or hired in the hospital at all after graduating and not having that experience on my resume a year from now. I'm sorry that you and so many others are experiencing this. I truly hope that your persistance and drive pays off for you ... only good things can come with time :)

KimN · Nov 2, 2011

Also I completely agree with Biffbradford's comment. The hospital I am working in does post jobs on their website etc. but primarily uses internal nurses already working for their facility to fill them. Most of these nurses that fill the jobs are facing department cuts themselves and are basically moved. Legally they have to post them online, but they don't even consider external applications.

SushiRN · Nov 2, 2011

I have no advice that can help you with securing a hospital position, but I do have some insight on the new grad hiring thing. It seems that in my area many facilities are hiring straight from their own preceptored students from nursing school. For instance I am in the emergency department and have the oppportunity to preceptor there for a full year before I graduate. I've been told that if I continue to do well I will likely get an offer when I graduate because many of the newer nurses that do not have hospital experience generally don't make it past orientation. The thought I guess is that they already have seen what you can handle and don't have to "trial" it in a new hire that is unfamiliar - which also means less orienting time for them. I have heard this is becoming more common. It's a good thing for me, but I feel like it is NOT fair at all to those who are in your position. I worry about not getting that offer, or hired in the hospital at all after graduating and not having that experience on my resume a year from now. I'm sorry that you and so many others are experiencing this. I truly hope that your persistance and drive pays off for you ... only good things can come with time :)

I think if you pursue this Preceptorship you will be opening a very big door for you in your career. You will already have a foot in the door and if you work extremely hard and have a great attitude I could see you being offered a position. I wish the best for you and I do believe you have a huge advantage. I know many nurses you were hired after precepting on their floors. I, however, precepted on the PACU, and no matter how much they liked me and how much the DON raved about me to the floors I interviewed on I was still not hired.

C'est la vie. :cool:

Jenni811, RN · Nov 2, 2011

Because the new grad is cheaper.

New grads are getting jobs more and more now i feel like. Our area is hiring new grads like you wouldn't believe. the are trying to get rid of the nurses that have been there for years. Why??? because a new grad will cost the hospital about half of what a nurse with experience will make. The hospitals are liking to hire their own students that are graduating from nursing school. I.e. a CNA from their own hospital who just got their BSN. Or, a student who did their internship at the hospital. They know the hospital, they know the system, they can ask their employees about them, they arent taking a risk if they know they are a good worker. Chances are they will stay around for a while, they are a new so you can pay them less. They are the PRIME ones that hospitals aim at.

You have experience, they would have to pay you more. This new grad maybe has been in this hospital, therefore would need a little less time learning "the system." Also, some managers are forced to higher new graduates so if a good one comes along, why not pick that one?? I think they get tax breaks as well from the hire of new grads.

Legally, hospitals HAVE to put jobs online for everyone to apply. but they don't have to interview them or even hire them. Sometimes they just interview them just to say they did look at others. But in reality, those jobs are posted for internal applicants only.

Sad, but true.

BluegrassRN · 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.

In my experience, people don't get hired because they know someone. They get an interview because they know someone. Minor difference, perhaps, but there you have it.

LuvScrubs2, BSN, RN · Nov 2, 2011

i will try what weebabyrn recommends..... its hard out their; i am a memeber of the ana, psna, just enrolled in aorn, i have my bsn, rn i grad in 2009. and i am currently working at a subacute/ short stay unit.... and i have applied everywhere... i cant even get one call back from any hospital... its rough out here.... stay positive everyone...:hug:

magnoliophyte · Nov 3, 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 :)

This is not always the case, I'm afraid.

I'm a new-grad and I got my full-time, permanent job by attending a job fair. I didn't get interviewed for anything at the fair itself, but the managers who I talked to liked me enough to put me on file for any future positions that would suit me. One day, I randomly get called with an interview offer... and now I'm hired.

Sure this isn't common, but job fairs are still a shot at getting face time with people with the power to hire. If you go and are able to somehow make an impression it can be very much worth it! Speaking in-person and physically handing them your resume and getting to know them at least a little bit goes -way- farther than just plopping your data into the giant pile of new-grad apps sent in online.

Jenni811, RN · Nov 7, 2011

i did feel job fairs were a waste of time. I like how they came to our school "recruiting nurses" and when i went to give them my resume or talk to them they were like "Have you worked with our system before?"

no, i have not worked at this hospital....this is why im talking to you idiot!!!

then there were separate applications for someone who doesn't work at that hospital system or someone who has in the past or already does. The applications i took, for someone who DIDNT work in the hospital system were like Your name....your number...if your BSN or ADN....3 references and most recent employer. That was it!!!! Didn't have spaces to fill in about volunteer hours, other jobs we have had, what scholarships we have recieved, research we have done etc. BUT the job applications for hiring someone internally, asked all those things.

i did work as a CNA in a hospital during that time, and thats how i was able to get my job. But had i not had my CNA job in the hospial, i'd probably still be trying to find work or working a nursing job i wasn't happy with.

SushiRN · Dec 13, 2011

So I followed the steps from this thread that I found back in November: https://allnurses.com/success-stories-nursing/i-got-job-532817-new.html

and in the poster talks about how she super stalks recruiters and sends them her resumes thus scoring her dream job. All in the span of 3 weeks. It took me 2 weeks!! Ha!

I GOT A JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I followed her suggestions and created a Linked In account, searched for recruiters, DONs, PCDs, at all the hospitals I wanted to work at. Snazzed up my resume and wrote a really great CL w/ an eye catching opening sentence "So&So Hospital is known for their mission in providing high-class patient care and satisfaction." Yup, I researched the hospitals and implemented their "vision" or "mission" statement in my CL. I used the tricks for the email addresses and verified them on verify-email.org sent them away on November 28th and 29th. I got 2 emails back from one hospital from the DONs saying that they are happy that I'm interested and I should apply online, yada, yada, yada. Wrote them back thanking them for their response. Then BOOM the 30th I got a call from a recruiter at their hospital! Coincidence?! I think not!!! Especially since I applied at this hospital 2 months prior with no call backs. Had a phone interview w/ the nurse recruiter. I really let my charismatic personality shine. She told me she would send mY resume to the PCD and I would hear back within the week. BOOM!! The VERY next morning I got a call back from her to set up an interview. Interviewed for the Total Joint Replacement Unit on Med/Surg on December 2nd. The interview went great. I met with the recruiter and we discussed benefits, interviewed with the PCD, had a panel interview with the nurses on the unit after the unit tour. Again, I let my sparkling personality shine and really pressed about my passion for patient care and team work. Met with the PCD again who said she wanted to hire me and would like me to continue in the hiring process. Did a drug screen that day and another phone interview the following monday. Then I got my official "You're Hired" call yesterday!! I start orientation on Jan. 9 making $10 more than I make now. I got my 12s on the night shift PLUS they are willing to work around my schedule w/ church and give me Thursday & Saturday nights off. And the HUGE plus is they want me to pursue my BSN and will pay 100% if I go to George Mason. What?!?!?! AND a $500 bonus once I get my BSN. DOUBLE WHAT?!?! The only thing is they require a 2 year contract after my 90 days, but I'm totally ok with that! They told me I can transfer to different units if it doesn't work out. So ecstatic!! Happy Dance!!! WHOOP WHOOP!!!

:clpty: :dncgbby::dancgrp::[anb]::monkeydance:

BOOOOO YOOOOOOOW!!!!

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Dec 13, 2011

Sushi -

Glad to hear that you and your FABULOUS personality did so well! :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

Seriously, congratulations on figuring out how to rise above the rest.

Obviously you do not have any issues with lack of self esteem.... :yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah: :yeah:

healthyanalyst · Dec 14, 2011

Hi SushiRN,

Congrats on the job!! Your 1st post said you graduated in 2009 and then your post above says that your employer wants you to pursue your BSN at GMU, so I'm guessing you got your ASN/ADN in 09. Do you think this was part of the reason you were having trouble finding an RN job (not having BSN)?

With all this talk about BSNs over ASNs you'd think admission rates to ADN programs would be lower but it still looks like people are applying to these programs. Even though I know the BSN "is better" (for hiring purposes), the ADN/ASN still looks attractive (mainly b/c they're still competitive/up and running and CHEAPER).

Just wondering about your thoughts....I want to go to nursing school. Would love to do an Accelerated BSN for career changers but they are so expensive (in DC area) compared to ASN/ADN degree.