Advice about looking for a first job out of school

Gerusha · Jun 26, 2005

I'm graduating in a month and I'm really nervous about looking for/finding a job. Can anyone give me advice about how they got their first job out of school? I need some encouragement! Thanks in advance.

Hiya....I am a recently new graduate as well (Jan 05). I applied to two LTC and one hospital and all three places called me for an interview and upon attending all three I got an offer from each one of them! I took a job with one LTC, better pay and benefits then the other two. My advice is shop around if you are able to in the area you live in. I am extremely happy at my job, as all nurses should be! Good luck! :)

luv4nursing · Jun 26, 2005

I also graduate pretty soon (1st week in September for me) and am interested in reading some responses about this too! Also, I dont have medical experience other than clinicals (I was never a tech, unit sec, etc) so my resume will be pretty short! I cant wait to graduate though! I am going on for my RN next and I know I want to work in OB nursing eventually as an RN if I cant get into the specialty with my LPN.

Im not sure if they do this at your school, but employers/recruiters are supposed to come talk to our class during the last couple of weeks of school. Also I would search online, u never know what opportunity u might luck out and find!

LPN01112005 · Jun 27, 2005

My school was usless in my job search. Even my instructors, who promised to help, did nothing for any of us to help get us hired at the hospitals where we did our clinicals. They kept saying all along while we were doing clinicals, they'll hire LPN's here, I can help. But when it was time to actually help they had moved on to the next nursing class and we were but a memory.

I found that most hospitals wanted only LPN's with at least a years experience. My advice is don't get discouraged by your job search. If you keep hearing that you need a year or two's experience, but you REALLY want to work in the hospital, but LTC is turing out to be your only option, then your best bet will probably be to seek out a LTC with a step down/rehab unit and try to get on there. From what I hear, hospitals will generally look more favorably on that type of "experience" than they do if you are working in a nursing home and classified as a med nurse. Or you could hold out for that hospital job, there are jobs out there for new PN graduates, they are just not easily found in a lot of geographical areas. Good luck.

**Elektra6, ASN, BSN, RN** · Jun 27, 2005

I need all the advice I can get!

nefretery · Jul 2, 2005

As LPN here in NJ the best pay is in LTC, however the best benifits by far are in VA (vets admin) hospitals and prisons. I know what is probally in your mind but with either of these safety is stressed, and they are stae or fedral jobs carring tuition reimbursement at 100% and 43 paid days off a year and pension plans which are gaurenteed by thr respective goverments. The prison from what I have seen and heard is very easy to work in and do a degree progam plus you always have a guard with you and never have to put yourself alone with an inmate. For what it is worht in this time in our country with so manny solders getting injured (perhaps the Bush twins should be inducted to the army then well have a time set to cease hostility but I digress) I am a believer that the VA really deserves a good look if there is a fcility in your area that is hiring.

good luck to all

I have passed the final final exam, will graduate july 27

took pn prdictor from ATI (got an 83 is this good?)

Mike

missnurse01, MSN, RN · Jul 2, 2005

hey guys! when i graduated i immediately took the iv therapy/blood withdrawl course from the state, as at that time it looked very good on your resume, in california. anyway, i graduated in aug, got my first job in jan. took that long to find something that was not ltc, new i couldn't do it. my first job was in the hosp on medical tele, more than an hour's drive each way. but i didn't care! it was in a hosp and that is all i cared about! anyway, that was years ago...things are still hard for lpns to get jobs in hosp. now that i am in georgia it is easier, there scope of practice is almost identical to rns. good luck to all u new grads!! and if u plan on continuing on, don't wait-it is hard to restart. just start plugging away at it slowly and you'll get there!

shari5408 · Jul 3, 2005

Hi there. I made sure I was familiar with the mission/vision statements of the hospital where I was applying, and then I was able to speak confidently at an interview about why I could see myself being a "good fit" for that particular place. Also, several people advised me, and I think they were right, to acknowledge how very much I had to learn still, but display an excitement and enthusiasm about learning it.

Hope that's of some help. Good luck to you! :)

SueNYC · Jul 12, 2005

Im so dissappointed.... Ive been on a job search and I finally found one place I really liked, a sub acute/ltc facility right near me, literally 5 minutes driving. I had two interviews with them, took their pharmacology test and passed it and still havent heard anyhting from them. I called this past friday and was told that I should know by Monday. Its Tuesday, Im wondering if I should call again? If they wanted me though wouldnt they have sought me out...?

prayer · Jul 15, 2005

where is the best place to work coming out of lpn school? home health, hospitals, or nursing homes.

missnurse01, MSN, RN · Jul 15, 2005

prayer, it totally depends on what you want to do and where you can find a job..i think personally i would have been lost in home health without some hosp experience to more understand tx of different conditions, etc. so go with what interests u...if you can, try to shadow a nurse in each field so you can really see what the job is like.

Chicklet2 · Jul 15, 2005

where is the best place to work coming out of lpn school? home health, hospitals, or nursing homes.

I heard that for LPN's the best job to find right out of school is Home Care