Dissapointed new grad

jujubeee · Jan 25, 2013

I feel ya. It's tough! The best advice I can give you is keep looking! I did a lot of e-mailing nurse recruiters/HR even when they tell me to apply online. I still emailed them and would let them know my experience and attached my resume to e-mails, even asking them if there are any positions they would recommend for me to apply to. It definitely got me replies that weren't the typical "Apply online" suggestion. I did a lot of e-mailing 'cause I hit a lot of voicemails with phone calls. It also doesn't hurt to use your connections, whether its family or friends who know someone that works somewhere. Persistence is key and sometimes the right job is waiting for you when you least expect it. Good luck!!!

ArtisticNurse · Jan 25, 2013

I finally got interviews when I personally submitted (or mailed) my résumé packet to the HR. They were very impressed with the presentation. It's a way of getting yourself noticed amongst the online profiles they are looking at.

I just got 4 job offers yesterday.

Good luck!

RNReadyManc · Jan 25, 2013

How did you find the recruiters information?

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Jan 25, 2013

I finally got interviews when I personally submitted (or mailed) my résumé packet to the HR. They were very impressed with the presentation. It's a way of getting yourself noticed amongst the online profiles they are looking at.
I just got 4 job offers yesterday.
Good luck!

^^^ Awesome!!!

I believe presentation is key...I tweaked my résumé to a skills-based experience résumé to land a New Grad RN job...I have almost 8 years experience as a LPN, but no recent acute care experience. I arrange my résumé to complement my experience, and got 3 interviews as soon as I tweaked my experience and Linked in Profile. I got a phone screen, interview, and a job offer, and start next month. I even get at least 2 job inquires every two weeks, where I have to respectfully decline. It sometimes comes down to the résumé, and tweaking it for the position and organization that you want to work with.

10yang · Jan 26, 2013

Thank you everyone for your responses, i will try changing my resume up a little bit and will definitely try to drop it off myself. And congratulations on the job offers, i hope i would be able to say the same thing soon : )

ArtisticNurse · Jan 26, 2013

How did you find the recruiters information?

It's usually in the hospital's website, Facebook pages, or even LinkedIn. If you're lucky, Google might have articles or links to point you to them.

If not, you can always call and ask for the recruiter's name.

Good luck!

ArtisticNurse · Jan 26, 2013

Thank you everyone for your responses i will try changing my resume up a little bit and will definitely try to drop it off myself. And congratulations on the job offers, i hope i would be able to say the same thing soon : )[/quote']
Thanks and good luck!
Remember to keep it brief, straightforward and interesting. Recruiters spend little time looking at resumes because of all applications they have to deal with. 2-page rule!

thisdoll · Jan 26, 2013

I finally got interviews when I personally submitted (or mailed) my résumé packet to the HR. They were very impressed with the presentation. It's a way of getting yourself noticed amongst the online profiles they are looking at.
I just got 4 job offers yesterday.
Good luck!

WOW ! Get it ArtisticNurse ! Congrats.

i cld use some of ur tricks cuz i just had my 1st interview, nailed it! but didnt get the job! (bummer) I plan on stalking ( well kinda lol) the nurse recruiter untill she gets me another interview on another unit. Eventhough she has clearly told me it is impossible to call back candidates to reinterview when they have thousands of applicants ...

Any advice?

ArtisticNurse · Jan 27, 2013

WOW ! Get it ArtisticNurse ! Congrats.
i cld use some of ur tricks cuz i just had my 1st interview, nailed it! but didnt get the job! (bummer) I plan on stalking ( well kinda lol) the nurse recruiter untill she gets me another interview on another unit. Eventhough she has clearly told me it is impossible to call back candidates to reinterview when they have thousands of applicants ...
Any advice?

Thanks! First, congrats for getting an interview!

Did you ask her why she thinks you're not a good candidate for the position? You can use this opportunity to clarify what they thought is a problem and address it.

For example, typical problem would be, "I am sorry but you just don't have the experience we are looking for in this position." (or similar)

You can reply in a similar sense as, "Okay. I understand. If I am the recruiter, I would really like to find someone with experience in the field. Have you hired anyone in the past who has no experience? How did they done?"

"Tell me about the background of your best nurse/employee. What background did that person have?"

Most of the time, you'd find out that you have the same background as that employee. So, the experience is really not the issue.

"So, basically, you have hired nurses in the past with minimal to no experience (in the field or in the unit), and you have made that employment very successful, yes?" (Yes)

"Well, Mr/Ms (address him/her), I have never failed and don't intend to start now. I promise you, given the training that your unit/company will provide and my efforts, I will be the best and I will succeed in this position."

Just my 2 cents, since they'd either say no or yes anyway, you can sell yourself for the last time to get that position. If not, try with another facility again.

GOOD LUCK and let us know if you got it!

thisdoll · Jan 28, 2013

Thanks! First, congrats for getting an interview!
Did you ask her why she thinks you're not a good candidate for the position? You can use this opportunity to clarify what they thought is a problem and address it.
For example, typical problem would be, "I am sorry but you just don't have the experience we are looking for in this position." (or similar)
You can reply in a similar sense as, "Okay. I understand. If I am the recruiter, I would really like to find someone with experience in the field. Have you hired anyone in the past who has no experience? How did they done?"
"Tell me about the background of your best nurse/employee. What background did that person have?"
Most of the time, you'd find out that you have the same background as that employee. So, the experience is really not the issue.
"So, basically, you have hired nurses in the past with minimal to no experience (in the field or in the unit), and you have made that employment very successful, yes?" (Yes)
"Well, Mr/Ms (address him/her), I have never failed and don't intend to start now. I promise you, given the training that your unit/company will provide and my efforts, I will be the best and I will succeed in this position."
Just my 2 cents, since they'd either say no or yes anyway, you can sell yourself for the last time to get that position. If not, try with another facility again.
GOOD LUCK and let us know if you got it!

Thanks again! oh wow those r some great ideas. I will try that. But it was basically the nurse's managers decision, ( she told me the interviewee who came after me, same day, just seemed more 'qualified' and 'more prepared' )...those words hurt like a knife cuz i knw i did everything good! But like some1 said, "sometimes, another person just comes and does everything better". So ive concluded this NM may have "clicked" better with the candidate that came after me, hence her change of mind ... but oh well! it is well. I break down but i NEVER give up! i will update you as my journey continues . stay blessed

10yang · Jan 30, 2013

I finally landed an interview at the hospital that i liked. But i feel like I screwed it up, I think I seemed too nervous to the interviewer, she seemed really nice and said she had 3 more people to interview. When I was leaving she walked me down to the lobby and she said " dont be nervous, you did good" right after she said that I thought to myself that did my nervousness show??, will she think I am not confident, ahhhhh I don't know what to expect.