Bummed out

[chris1969]

Hi,

I live in OC CA and have about 5 months left of LVN school. Before I decided to spend alot of time and money for this I did some research on the job market for LVNs. Not only do labor statistics show 16% growth for LVNs over the next 10 years in CA, but there seems to be a ton of postings for jobs in this position. Contrary to the above information though, I hear so many things about how tough it is for new grads to obtain employment right now? Can anyone give me some honest advice about the market these days and perhaps how to separate myself from the pack with no experience. I am class President, honors, and perfect attendance thus far.

Thanks for any input!

[egglady, LPN]

Dont specify a shift you want to work- tell them you will accept any position. Be willing to work weekends, holidays, and all shifts! The place I work at has such a low turn over that it was 10 years or better before I got full time day shift! Just be willing to be flexible! Once you get your foot in the door, positions eventually open up. Good Luck!!

[tainted1972, ASN, RN]

Get a job as a nursing assistant, that way when you graduate you can work as a nurse in the same facility.

Most of the people I graduated got their first job this way.

Myself, I was able to find a job at a previous employer.

[systoly]

You are looking at it from the right perspective. Employers don't care that you need a job. They do care about things like perfect attendance. Ask yourself what makes a prospective employer drool. Perhaps you could ask a HR person at your clinical site for an interview and find out what is important to them.

[mazy]

Job postings are not a good indicator of what's available in the market. I compulsively apply for jobs (currently juggling 3 part time jobs) and spend a lot of time online looking at job sites. I've noticed that a lot of jobs are always posted.

Some of them I've interviewed for and realized that those are positions that are so lousy they can't hold on to staff, others are simply up there all the time.

In my area, facilities are required to post all potential openings publically even if they have no intention of hiring, or are planning on hiring internally.

I think, as others have mentioned, your best bet is to start working in health care, even if it's only a few hours a week or as a volunteer. That way you can get a feel for the profession, make contacts, learn some valuable skills, learn the personalities, the sources of conflict, important areas of collaboration on the floor, etc.

Be open minded when you graduate to all possibilities, even part time or PRN. You might not be able to get a full time job right out of the gate, but with planning and luck you may be able to piece together different positions and experiences, and move on later to bigger and better things.

But most important is to focus on school and doing well now. It's always good to think about preparing yourself for the job market, but don't let yourself get bummed out about the future right now, you never know what can happen six months down the road.