New Grad in Chicago- job hunt

[christina891]

Hello! I have been going back and forth with myself for months on creating one of these profiles but in a moment of desperation I am looking for any kind of advice! Well, I graduated in May 2013 with my BSN..I thought all would be great and couldn't be more thrilled to finally change my life..and then the next month I found out my step dad (47) had terminal cancer and I left my job and apartment to move in with my mom to take care of him until he passed away in august...it was hard but I took my boards, dusted myself off and did the only thing I could do and keep pushing and applying for jobs..for 4 months I have applied to every hospital in the Chicago area and within 50 miles and no luck (including a lot of nursing homes and offices as well)-I have filled out over 400 apps! I kept a positive attitude throughout the entire process but just when my luck couldn't get much worse my actual dad (also 47) unexpectedly passed away a few days after Christmas suddenly and out of nowhere...I'm beyond stressed out/emotionally drained/depressed, I have student loans piling on top of one another and I just keep pushing, talking to everyone I know in hospitals, giving out my resumes, calling HR, attending open houses..and nothing! I know this probably isn't the place to get so personal..but I think I'm finally just reaching my point, I'm just having a day where I want to crawl into a hole,disappear and throw in the towel on this Job Search.

I guess I just am looking for some advice of what I might be doing wrong? I did work as a pharmacy technician for a year during school and then did home health care (as a CNA) for 6 months until I moved home to take care of my step dad (My moms house was too far to keep my home health job), like I said I do have my BSN so I have those things somewhat going for me...I was just curious if any new grads could give me some input on how they got their foot in the door..any kind of advice or encouragement would be nothing less than amazing right now I could use ANY kind of positivity.

[Concerto_in_C, BSN, RN]

Chicago has very unfavorable demographics with a very high number of unemployed professionals, including BSNs. This has created very intense competition for jobs. Too many college graduates in the city, not enough positions in a stagnant job market, low pay for people who are deeply in debt. Even Forbes Magazine and Wall Street Journal wrote stories that as most parts of the country were recovering from the recession, Chicago was actually sinking deeper. It's one of the cities that took the worst hit during the Great Recession.

You can try extending your Job Search to distant cities, I mean 100 miles plus, and consider relocating. The farther you move away from Chicago, the higher the value of your BSN, because in most parts of the country, esp. rural areas, BSNs are in pretty high demand. This is because in Rockford, IL or Dixon, IL, or Beloit, WI, your typical hospital nurse AT BEST has an associate degree, so they are still trying to convert to the BSN model, which creates a local opportunity. They are hiring new grad BSNs.

Once you get 1 or 2 years of med-surg experience you can contemplate returning to Chicago, which shouldn't be a problem then. I probably could, but I have doubts, because my buddies are reporting Chicago hospitals are offering very low wages compared to what we are making here. So by living in Chicago you actually end up with a lower standard of living when adjusted for the very high cost of living in the city. Cost of living is very important to a nurse-it could make the difference between living like middle class in Roscoe, IL or living like working class in Chicago!

Good luck to you.

[Concerto_in_C, BSN, RN]

double post, sorry