Any advice for new grads?

MPKH, BSN, RN · Aug 13, 2011

Did you consider relocation? I applied to an out of town job in a small town hospital and got the job! Small town hospitals often have the advantage of allowing you to work in all areas of nursing, so it will definitely look good on your resume if you ever want to apply to acute care settings. Jobs can be hard to get in big cities, but you may have better luck in an area thats not saturated with new grads.

Best of luck :)

SimplisticRnx · Aug 13, 2011

I actually have applied to hospitals in smaller cities, but it looks like everyone is applying there too. I'm from California so my chances of finding a job is harder than elsewhere. There are more new grads than RN positions available. I have considered moving elsewhere, but I don't want to pay more endorsement fees for a license until I actually get a job there. How did you approach to small hospitals? Did you actually talk to the managers? I would love your inputs. Thank you!

Did you consider relocation? I applied to an out of town job in a small town hospital and got the job! Small town hospitals often have the advantage of allowing you to work in all areas of nursing, so it will definitely look good on your resume if you ever want to apply to acute care settings. Jobs can be hard to get in big cities, but you may have better luck in an area thats not saturated with new grads.
Best of luck :)

MPKH, BSN, RN · Aug 13, 2011

I'm from Canada, so I don't know how different things are in the States, but I will be able to tell you about how I landed my job. Sorry if it's long!

I am currently living in a big city in Canada, and like most big cities, there is a job saturation. There are defnitely way more new grads than there are jobs for them, and couple that with budget cuts and downsizing, job prospects for new grads are not good. New grads who do end up with a job work casual lines--as you can imagine, it is hard to consolidate your practice if you do not have a reliable set of hours each week to work. So i decided to look elsewhere.

I didn't actually approach the managers or the recruiters--I found job postings online and applied to the ones that I thought I had a fair shot at landing an interview--positions that didn't require years of experience and a laundry list of required certifications. To better my chance at getting a hit, I worked on making my resume and cover letter the best they can be. I did some research to find places that may have a shortage of nurses--and applied to postings from those places. I was able to score interviews...and in the end, a job offer.

SimplisticRnx · Aug 14, 2011

Congrats on your new job!!! I really wish it's that easy to find jobs in small towns, but unfortunately, it is a lot harder in California than in Canada. I will definitely keep looking around and hope to land a job somewhere. :)

I'm from Canada, so I don't know how different things are in the States, but I will be able to tell you about how I landed my job. Sorry if it's long!
I am currently living in a big city in Canada, and like most big cities, there is a job saturation. There are defnitely way more new grads than there are jobs for them, and couple that with budget cuts and downsizing, job prospects for new grads are not good. New grads who do end up with a job work casual lines--as you can imagine, it is hard to consolidate your practice if you do not have a reliable set of hours each week to work. So i decided to look elsewhere.
I didn't actually approach the managers or the recruiters--I found job postings online and applied to the ones that I thought I had a fair shot at landing an interview--positions that didn't require years of experience and a laundry list of required certifications. To better my chance at getting a hit, I worked on making my resume and cover letter the best they can be. I did some research to find places that may have a shortage of nurses--and applied to postings from those places. I was able to score interviews...and in the end, a job offer.

MPKH, BSN, RN · Aug 14, 2011

I don't know much about your situation, but I'm from BC. The job market here is really not so good for new grads, so I looked outside of my own province and applied to Alberta. If you are able to make the move to another state, maybe it will help with the job hunt (I know lot's of people in my nursing class relocated elsewhere to find a job.)