Trying to find jobs in Illinois

schnookimz · May 5, 2014

Where in Illinois are you moving to? It's a big place!

MrChicagoRN, RN · May 5, 2014

^^^ that's what I was going to ask. :)

Illinois borders WI, IN, KY, MO, IA. Takes 6 hours or more to drive from one end to the other.

From Wikipedia:

Illinois has a maximum north-south distance of 390 miles (630 km) and 210 miles (340 km) east-west.

Total area is 57,918 square miles (150,010 km2), ranked 25th in size of the 50 states.

Fitch · May 5, 2014

I would ideally love to live in the Chicago or outside of the city... I am from Erie pa and I love the water and the Great Lakes and my grandfather is from Chicago so I'd loved to start off there or in the surrounding area

schnookimz · May 5, 2014

Okay bad news. Chicago market is insanely saturated. If you have a BSN and some experience getting a job shouldn't be too hard. If you're a new grad, it could take months to find a position.

RainMom · May 5, 2014

If you're dead-set on coming to IL, get your IL license first rather than PA. Reciprocity to IL is notoriously slow, taking weeks (months). Try a little farther out from Chicago for jobs. I've been seeing lots of openings listed in the Champaign & Springfield areas if you're willing to come even further downstate.

schnookimz · May 5, 2014

Yes lots of options in champaign! Carle hospital is doing a huge expansion. Though I think they may also want a year of experience and champaign is about 2.5 hours from Chicago. Cost of living is WAY lower though. I lived in champaign for 5 years and really enjoyed it.

Fitch · May 5, 2014

I have just applied for the new graduate program at Carle... is there any tips for follow up? It really looks like a great place to work.

krisiepoo · May 5, 2014

Rockford apparently has lots of new grad jobs as well and is only an hour out of chicago

etienhh, MSN, RN · May 7, 2014

Hey Fitch! Congrats on graduating! I am currently due to graduate in late August myself, and so I can't offer you too much in the ways of advice as an experienced RN. I did, however, do my undergrad down at U of I and absolutely loved the area. I also received my EMT-B license while I was there, so I am somewhat familiar with the two hospitals in the area (Carle and Provena). From what I've heard, Carle's a great hospital and a level I trauma center! Anyway, just wanted to offer some words of encouragement if you do end up moving to the area :) It's a lovely college town, but there's a more grown-up downtown area in Champaign if that's more your thing. There are some rougher patches in the surrounding areas, but you'll find that no matter where you go. The area is also a little bit country, too. I'm not familiar with Erie, PA, but as a kid from the Chicago suburbs, it was definitely an enjoyable four years that I had in the CU.

Fitch · Jul 20, 2014

I have sent in my application for the Rn residency program and have made contact with a nursing recruiter there. Is there any other advice you could give me that would help me secure an interview with Carle?

Concerto_in_C, BSN, RN · Jul 21, 2014

Hello, Chicagoan here. In Chicagoland you have to be experienced and successful to be taken seriously by recruiters. If you are successful, have several certifications, then you don't care about their opportunities because you can work anywhere, then you get phone calls and job offers. So yes, there are opportunities, plenty of them, except they come at the wrong time in your career.