New grad trying hard not to give up...

owlRN01 · Nov 29, 2012

A lot of times it just comes down to luck. I hate to say that, but I was in your position just a month ago. Graduated in May and passed NCLEX in July. Applied to every job I could find since graduation in May. About a month ago after tons of rejections from hospitals I recieved a call for a position at a childrens hospital. I did not have any inside connections and I applied online. I interviewed and accepted the position less than 24hrs later. I still think I got lucky and I feel blessed for the opportunity EVERY single day. You will find something! Just may take longer than you ever thought it would. I was starting to feel so depressed and my situation changed in the blink of an eye. It will happen for you, just keep pushing forward :)

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Nov 29, 2012

Everyone you meet is a possible 'inside connection".

Tell everyone what you are going through.

Hit the pavement in a suit with resume copies and visit non-acute facilities and see of they will take a resume.

Can you move from the area?

You are going to have to force yourself to be more outgoing in the current climate. I know it is hard, but that is what it takes now.

anotherone, BSN, RN · Nov 29, 2012

Sometimes, it's so hard to keep pushing yourself forward and stay positive when all you keep getting is rejection. I am so disappointed and discouraged. Getting to the verge of tears just writing this. I'm a new grad with no "insider connections" -- I don't "know someone" that can help me get a job. Feels like I am looking for a job completely on my own, from scratch; from the very bottom.I'm so unassertive; get called "quiet" and "shy" all the time. I hate it. I admit, my self esteem and confidence is at an all time low right now due to the constant flow of rejection lately. I am still clinging to the little positivity and hope I have left. I definitely don't want to play the victim or act like I'm the only one in this predicament; sorry if it seems that way. I'm just very frustrated at the moment.I've been trying to find a job for months now. Since I graduated and passed the boards; May 2012 and July 2012, respectively.I'm not someone to give up just because the going gets tough, but I really need some words of encouragement. What else can I do? How long do I have to just "be patient"?Should I have a whole new game plan or change my approach in this?What are some ways I can be more assertive/persistent without being annoying or phony about it? Any advice or pearls of wisdom you can share are very much appreciated.Thanks.

aitIt took me over a year to find a nursing job !!! IN the end I got my job by just applying online, got an interview and hired. I had no connections. I was living in one of the biggest metro areas in the US with tons of nurses . calls to recruiters or managers were met with apply online. if u came in hospital hr or security would tell you the same. Hospitals were closing and ads said "no new grads"! sometimes i applied anyway. what I finally did was apply to rural areas. I got many call backs with the same resumes and cover letters. Rural areas have less nurses so they are willing to hire new grads. Can you email your clinical instructors for any leads? or maybe former class mates? I understand your feelings cause i was there before. It was awful. good luck

Rags2Riches RN · Nov 29, 2012

Hang in there. I know it's tough. It took me 5 months to find a job & I moved 300 miles away from friends and family. At one point I too thought that I would never get a job, heck I was even going to consider Minot, ND for about a millisecond. Then when I read Facebook statuses of some of the people I went to school with who got jobs at the large hospitals, it made me feel bad. But in the end everything happens for a reason. My advice is to apply, apply, apply. Also look into hospitals that offer new grad residencies. If relocation is not an issue try applying to markets where it's not too saturated.

seungk5 · Nov 29, 2012

I feel ya!

It's been two years for me since graduation but I couldn't apply for jobs since I didn't have a work permit. I now have a work permit and can apply for jobs. However, since it's been two years lot of hospitals are reluctant to hire me. I do have an internship in January for a month but I am hoping to find a job before that.

Hang in there! You are still fresh and considered a new grad, apply everywhere, make goals each day!

I am def applying for rural areas too... does anyone know any good areas or hospitals that hire new grads? I've been targeting Texas mainly...

usrn1 · Nov 29, 2012

You finished nursing school!! That speaks volumes about your strength and abilities! So way to go!

For some odd reason, even with the nursing shortage, it's difficult to find a job in nursing. Keep applying, even for those night shifts (that's how I started), try to volunteer somewhere where you can get some experience. Community work looks great on a resume.

Can you also further your education?

I'm currently reading "The ultimate career guide for nurses" by Donna Cardillo. Great book! It has given me motivation to go back to school. Totally recommend it.

Let us know when you get that first job :)

AlaBro2010 · Nov 30, 2012

I am also usually seen as a quiet person, but usually that's in the beginning. I typically like to see the atmosphere before I get involved if that make sense. Anyway, what have you been doing? I can share what I do and hope that helps. I like to figure out who is in charge of hiring, nurse manager who is picking candidate or email the director of HR and send a copy of your cover letter, attach your résumé and sell yourself in the email (make sure you mention what positions and ROCK that cover letter). Also, try FB some hospitals have recruiting pages! I'm in constant contact with a few recruiters and they update me on any new positions and some are genuinely interested in helping you (one of which I got a reply to my email I sent a month ago because I said I had emailed and got no reply to their facebook page and got an email 10 minutes later!). They are bombarded, go the extra mile and call them also, ask what you can do to stand out. If you are like me.. You fear looking like a fool because you are generally quiet and not used to having to be this assertive, just think the only way you fail is if you don't try! Good luck! I am also sick of feeling like a failure. I've had two interviews and feel like something is wrong with me personally, but I know there isn't. Just keep on going! Somewhere YOU will be the perfect fit!

seb1202 · Nov 30, 2012

i know exactttttly how you feel. i graduated in may, passed nclex in august- have been applying this whole time. probably to over 100 jobs. i get about 2-4 rejection e-mails a week, which pounds my self esteem and sense of hope into the dirt. mondays are my most depressing day because everyone goes to work, and i am once again sitting in the living room wasting space. i am shy and quiet, i don't feel comfortable with having the attention on me which makes it difficult to fight for the attention of managers, HR people, etc.

my advice- if you know what area you want, i would research which certifications and extra activities will help you stand out. for me, i am looking very hard for mother/baby-postpartum. so i went on this website, went into the specialties tab, clicked mine, and scrolled through for some posts for increasing prospects of securing a job in the area. i have also looked at many job postings for the areas i want to see what kind of extra requirement/preferences employers have for that area. i have gotten completed the NRP (neonatal resuscitation program), signed up for a lactation counseling certification class, and joined the professional OB nurses association. this takes extra time, money, and effort- but i think it will be worth it because especially during these times, there are a lot more prospects than jobs available, so you can expect that there will be an abundence of applicants and a higher liklihood that at least ONE of those applicants will have something that better qualifies them for that position than you, and it only takes that one person to get you the boot. going out of your way to attain extra certification/memberships will show you that are not only qualified, but dedicated to that field.

i would also ask someone professional to look over your resume and ask for suggestions, as painful as this is. i didnt do this for months because i didnt want to deal with the criticism. but finally i braced myself and had it reviews (guess what, it sucked!), felt like crap, re-did it, and then felt so much better and confident. the pain of feeling like a fool is outweighed by the payoff of becoming wise!

and yes, as my mom unfortunately says, 'connections are everything.' for the first couple of months, i was determined to secure a job through my own efforts. after a couple months of rejection and rejection, i put my ego aside and started asking former classmates who worked in similar places if they "had any advice how i could get my foot in there"- this was basically a casual way of saying "HELP ME!!!!!!!!" which they did. one girl had her practicum on the floor i wanted and she gave me the e-mail of the manager (who never responded... -.-) then i asked the girl for her phone number, and SHE never responded.... -------.-------

i also recently found out that my other classmate had an aunt who was a chief nursing officer at a local hospital and she could help get my foot in door- but i would have never known this if i was still clinging to my hopes to not be a burden and asking for help.

keep hope, if you work towards what you want then eventually something will come through. rather than being a passive participant (our comfort zone!), we have to be active. i am still not the point where i will bug people for connections and numbers, but my version of active involvement has been furthering my qualifications to make me stand out and actually DESERVE the job.

the more we give up, the less likely we are to find that one job. most days i want to say 'ugh, i dont even want to apply to this one, im going to spend 45 minutes filing out this application only to get an automatic rejection tomorrow'- but keeeeep going. it only takes one single job to get out of this rut.

i also try to stay busy. otherwise i WILL check job posting and my e-mail about 45 times an hour, ever hoping for something new, something good. this drives me crazy. i try to check my email first thing in the morning and then do your thorough search for jobs ONCE a day towards 5-6 so that any jobs that will be posted that day will have been by then. you want to make sure you dont miss anything, but also want to make sure that you arent absolutely driving yourself insane. trust me, it feels better to get rejected ONCE a day rather than 100. :)

anyways, this was a novel. i just wanted to let you know that i completelely 100% agree and understand. i want to punch myself in the face several times a day. but we have to try to preserve our best selves- this will produce a secure and EMPLOYABLE*, person. take care of your self and try to do things in this free time that can give you a sense of accomplishment and pride. try to keep your self-worth at a satisfactory level and it will be much easier to maintain hope and confidence.

good luck!

RNRAC · Nov 30, 2012

Dont give up!! Im going through a similar situation at the moment (arent we all...) and while I get a bit despondent occasionally, its important to remember that this is not forever! It will just take a little more time than we envisioned. And seb1202, you pretty much took the words out of my mouth (although I am still a job board posting junkie. I check it at least once an hour if Im home. At least I have a basic profile up in all the facilities in my area...)

Youre not alone, and this is not about you. This is a whole mess that we just managed to graduate and Job Search during. And as a pretty outgoing and a little bit too assertive individual, I have to say-I dont know how much its actually helped. By all means, speak up if its important but dont doubt your natural qualities.

Best of luck!

Leonardo Del Toro, RN · Dec 2, 2012

Sometimes, it's so hard to keep pushing yourself forward and stay positive when all you keep getting is rejection. I am so disappointed and discouraged. Getting to the verge of tears just writing this. I'm a new grad with no "insider connections" -- I don't "know someone" that can help me get a job. Feels like I am looking for a job completely on my own, from scratch; from the very bottom.
I'm so unassertive; get called "quiet" and "shy" all the time. I hate it. I admit, my self esteem and confidence is at an all time low right now due to the constant flow of rejection lately. I am still clinging to the little positivity and hope I have left. I definitely don't want to play the victim or act like I'm the only one in this predicament; sorry if it seems that way. I'm just very frustrated at the moment.
I've been trying to find a job for months now. Since I graduated and passed the boards; May 2012 and July 2012, respectively.
I'm not someone to give up just because the going gets tough, but I really need some words of encouragement.
What else can I do?
How long do I have to just "be patient"?
Should I have a whole new game plan or change my approach in this?
What are some ways I can be more assertive/persistent without being annoying or phony about it?
Any advice or pearls of wisdom you can share are very much appreciated.
Thanks.

It is so hard right now. Instead of hiring you hospitals make record profits by grilling the staff knowing they know its so hard out there. Keep trying that's the only way. If you can move to the country in remote areas they are still hiring but forget about the big metropolitan areas actually any metropolitan area. This will change and the worst nursing shortage is brewing as I type this.

yourstrulyjmc · Dec 4, 2012

Thanks for all of the responses everyone! Truly appreciate it, and sometimes it's a relief to know that you're not alone.

I have some pretty good news! I have a phone interview for a rural hospital in my state next Tuesday at 9 AM. I'm pretty nervous, and this hospital is 4 hours away from where I live -- I would have to relocate. That's not a big deal for me, as I am not married and have no children yet. Just money will be an issue, but hopefully not for long once I'm working full time.

Any tips for how I should answer the questions though? I don't want my nerves to sabotage this one! I'm researching the hospital now -- it's MAGNET recognized and affiliated with two major teaching hospitals; it would be a great learning experience for sure. I really want to ace this!