How did you get your hospital job???

Nursing Students Technicians

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I have been applying like crazy and so far NOTHING!!!! It doesn't help that each hospital has an online only application system... no one to check with or call. The one time I tried to call HR anyways, the lady was irritated and said if they want to interview me I will get a call.

I have been working extremely part time (8 hours a week) at a group home for 5 months, and that is my only experience as a CNA. Is this enough to get my foot in the door somewhere? Right now I have a full time office job and I make a really nice salary. If I take a huge pay cut, I feel like I would want it to be for something I really wanted... like to be a PCT at a hospital and get me more prepared for a nursing program.

Any suggestions or is this just something I will have to be patient for?

It can take months sometimes to get a call back, or a rejection letter sometime. I applied in January and just now, last week, finally got an offer on a job. The hospitals are just flooded with applicants. I would say get that resume to really stand out, and keep following up, regardless of who you irritate. Maybe she was just having a bad day the day that woman said that to you.

On a side note, I too, just quit my nice paying office job to go back to work as a PCA while in nursing school. It was a hard decision because the salary was nice, but I didn't love it or feel passionate about it. It is worth it :)

Good luck to you, you will find something, you just have to be persistent.

Thank you for the encouragement! Not just about applying, but about switching careers. I have been very, very nervous about the pay cut. I have an interview tomorrow at a very nice Assisted Living facility, it's not a hospital but perhaps just another step on the way. We'll see!

Specializes in L&D.

I agree with the above poster. Persistence is key. I talked to some girls in my class that are PCTs at a hospital here, and they said to keep applying for months. Eventually, they'll recognize your name and give you a call. Go for it.

Find out when the hospitals are having job fair. Thats how I got hired. They hired me on the spot.

I was in your shoes as well. I decided to quit an office job with a good salary and focus on the nursing school only. Now I'm in my senior year, graduating in August. I started applying for a PCT position on 01/02/12 ? and I did that every single day and finally I got the offer on March 18th I just recently started my orientation. Good luck to you and keep looking and keep applying and you will get it. By the way I did not have any hospital or nursing home or anything else nursing related experience and I got the job!

Wow! It really does take forever. Congrats on the job!! :)

I have two friends that work at the hospital where I was just hired. Contacts are key!

Did you use your friends simply as references? Or did they actively talk to managers, etc to get you hired?

Me-erThanME,

HEY!! My name is Tiffany and Im debating If I am going to attend Clarkson College,I have been accepted and really need some advice!!! I found you on here searching Clarkson. Would you be willing to message me, my email address is [email protected].

It wont let me private message you on here for some reason since I have not had 15 posts?

THANKS!! :-)!!

Tiff

Persistence IS key! I graduated my CNA program last June, and IMMEDIATELY started applying for jobs- didn't get one until OCTOBER! I applied to just about every LTC, hospital and rehab place in the county. I'd never had trouble finding a job before, and I was frustrated and sad. Then, on a whim I decided to apply to the one last place I knew of, a hospital that was a little farther away than I originally had considered commuting... I wrote a convincing cover letter, and BAM! Two weeks later I was hired :) Moral of my story: don't give up, and write a good cover letter! People these days over look them a lot since most places do online applications only, but usually there is still a way to submit one, and it can make allllll the difference as I've learned :) Happy hunting!

Specializes in CVICU, CCU, MICU.

Keep at it! I applied to the hospital I currently work at 6 times before I got a phone call back. One of my friends in HR says she get's 300 CNA/PCT applicants a month so sometimes it's just timing. One of my friends got hired at another hospital by going to a job fair there and applied there 3 times prior. Dont give up it will happen it just takes time.

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