I am so tired of the same story over and over again! I am currently waiting to hear if I got accepted to nursing school for Spring 2012. However, a year ago, I got my CNA certification, EKG, PCT, and Phlebotomy certification, hoping that I would be able to get a job in a hospital to get some experience. I have submitted soooo many applications I've lost count. I was actively searching for jobs for about 6 months and stopped because school got demanding and I wanted to focus on doing well. Now that I have finished all my prerequisites, I have been actively trying to find a job since June. I have had a couple of phone interviews, but the same issue always comes up. I have no direct patient care experience. But wait....there's more. How am I going to get experience when no one will give me a chance. Even the LTC facilities in my area want someone with at least 6-12 months experience. I volunteer at 2 hospitals in my area, and hoped that would have helped, but it's not. One Nurse Manager even told me that she would love to hire me, and wishes she could create a admin position (I have a strong admin/paralegal background) so I could get my foot in the door, but because they are a smaller hospital, she can't take that risk. She told me to apply at bigger hospitals and see if I can gain experience there. So.....I've been applying to the bigger hospitals in the Atlanta area, and although they always have at least 10-15 postings for PCT/CNA's all the time, I can't seem to get a break. I don't know what else to do. How do I get experience when no one will hire me??????? Is there anyone in the ATL area that has had any success getting hired without having any experience and NOT being a current nursing student? I just feel that my experience along with others that I have met goes to show that the lovely saying, "It's not what you know, it's who you know" is so true.